|
This detail of Xerxes' tomb is representative of the other tombs at Naqsh-i Rustam. The lower section, which contained the door into the tomb, was carved to resemble a Persian palace with thin, soaring columns - much as can still be seen today in the Apadana at close-by Persepolis. The upper section of the tomb shows the king in front of a fire-altar with the protective spirit of Faravahar, depicted as a winged man, hovering above. This tableau shows that the ruling families of Persia at this time had accepted the teachings of Zoroaster as their religion. Interestingly, only the tomb of Darius carries an inscription and so it is still an assumption that this particular tomb once belonged to King Xerxes.
|
