Persis or Persepolis?

[Nicator]

...anyone know whether these are one in the same? Or is Persis where the Persepolis Palace was located? Bosworth mentions Persis...but he frequently writes in that lofty, white, ivory, tower prose. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind it, it's just that it can cause more confusion instead of clarification. I would also mention that Bos seems to be one of those writers that excels in the stuff between the battles. later Nicator

[susan]

Persis was the region - Persepolis was the name of the palace - (the Greek name). A corresponding modern area is Fars province (Fars = Persis)
http://www.farsprovince.com/Susan

[nick]

Hi Susan, hi Nick -I find the whole issue quite difficult - in fact. Interesting question. I just did some reading to find out what names the Persians themselves used for the territory Persis or the palace / city of Persepolis. The only answer is: we don't really know.In various sources the three names of Ansan, Parsumas and Parsa are mentioned as denoting the heartland of the Persians (which is indeed called Fars today and that was called Persis by the Greeks). But nobody is quite sure which was where specifically. And I could not yet find any name that the Persians themselves might have used for Persepolis.My guess is - but only a guess - that the same name might have been used for the land as well as the city. The modern Egyptians do the same: the name 'Misr' is used for the country as well as the capital Cairo. (Stressing the idea that Egypt *is* Cairo and that Cairo *is* Egypt.) Hence the confusion of the use of Persis and Persepolis in our sources. The name Persepolis was a Greek invention to make a sharp distiction between the land and the city (which the Persians themselves might not have seen as clearly as the Greeks tended to do).Very simple question - very difficult to answer.Regards -
Nick

[jan]

Hi Nick,I just read something about it being called Tachar.But my real question is about the architecture of the palace. I am interested in the roof. Was it reconstructed according to exact descriptions and details? When did the domed roof become vogue?All the reconstructions show the roof line to be flat? What do you know about the exactness of these reconstructions?Thanks,Jan

[nick]

Hi Jan -Thanks for asking all those questions - but i can't answer them. Never heard of Tachar (isn't that Tocharia, in what is now western China?).I now virtually nothing of architecture. But if the palaces at Persepolis had "Halls of Thousand Columns", they wouldn't have had domes.Sorry - maybe someone else will join in.Regards -
Nick

[susan]

Tachara is the name of the 'winter palace' of Darius I at Persepolis, notable for its use of Egyptian architectural features.The site's Persian name is Takht-e-Jamshid, "The throne of Jamshid", a mythical King of Iran. The ancient name is Parsa, meaning the "City of Pars". You can read about the early excavations here :
http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/PA/IR ... is.htmland see other pictures here:
http://tehran.stanford.edu/imagemap/per ... olis/Susan

[marcus]

Hi Nick, and Jan,I know the buildings definitely weren't domed. There's some useful stuff at this site, which I seem to remember includes some nice pictures/reconstructions:http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/PA/IR ... is.htmlAll the bestMarcus

[jan]

Hi Nick,I believe that everything is a matter of perspective. The dome like appearance may be the maountains in the background, as it could have been the appearance of the city set against the backdrop. Whatever...At any rate, there appears to be an abrupt change in the style of architecture in that region of the world, but I know nothing of architecture in that time period either. I will try to learn what I can.I wonder at the kind of equipment that was used to place those columns in place. They appear to be tightly built.always,

[jan]

Thank you so much, Marcus and Susan, for the information. I am very pleased to find some of what I had been looking for in the Gates picture.I have already explained to Nick that perspective is probably the cause of the dome like appearances since it could be the mountains in the background.Things from a great distance have illusory appearances. I just read in Michael Woods book that the Hall of Xerxes appears to have been deliberately torched as they as have learned in excavations. I am inclined to believe that the story of drunkeness is a cover story for the real truth of deliberate destruction to Xerxes Palace.I really appreciate the website links. Thanks.Jan

[jan]

I have found two good books on Persepolis, one of which is a modern day comic book entitled Persepolis and authored by Marjane Satrapi. It is a childhood book of a young girl's story of the changes in Iran. It is both historic and political, fun and enjoyable. I recommend it for any who care about the plight of the Iran populace today!The other book is about traveling in Iran today, and as of this writing, author's name escapes me. It is entitled Traveling Through Iran. (I left the book at home.) Author describes modern day Persepolis and the steel domes mentioned in this book refer to the tents for the celebration that the Shah of Iran threw in 1971. Very interesting story which mentiions Gates of All Nations also. Making me wonder at the way minds are working in this project. At any rate, the dome also made me think of the Milennium Dome which was in London for the great celebration. I happened to see a t.v. show about a great diamond robbery attempt there, and it reminded me of the great treasury robbery that Alexander accomplished. So much for domes. Just coincidences it would appear.always,Jan