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History–Tours
550BCc. 550–530 BC · Pasargadae

Cyrus the Great founds the Persian Empire

The stepped stone tomb of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae, Iran
Photo: Truth Seeker. CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cyrus II overthrew the Medes around 550 BC, then conquered Lydia and Babylon, creating the largest empire the world had yet seen. He allowed deported peoples, including the Judeans held in Babylon, to return home, a policy echoed on the Cyrus Cylinder. His capital at Pasargadae holds his plain stone tomb, which Alexander the Great ordered to be restored.

Travel advisory. Many governments advise against all travel to Iran. Pasargadae is about 1.5 hours from Shiraz. We list this event for reference, and don't list guides here until travel is possible again.

Sites

  1. Site 1: Tomb of CyrusStepped limestone tomb standing alone on the plain.Map ↗
  2. Site 2: Palaces of PasargadaeColumn bases and a winged-figure relief from the first Persian capital.Map ↗

More from the Ancient World

Read more: reference. Summary written by History-Tours.com.