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The Achaemenid artefacts gallery is said to catch most visitors' attention, which I found to be true, mostly I think because there were several majestic ones from Persepolis.
The Persepolis Audience relief scene involving either Darius I (or Xerxes I) discovered in the latter part of the 1930s shows the Achaemenid emperor on the Royal throne in the centre part. Before him, as well as behind him one can see a few Persian courtiers. The first long-beard individual right behind the emperor is believed to be the Crow Prince (Xerxes I or Artaxerxes I). Following behind stands a court official with a special king of headdress covering the lower part of the face. and still behind him a bearer of the King followed by two immortals. In front of the Emperor two incense burners and behind them the chilliard (commander of the Achaemenid Army) paying his respect to the Emperor. Behind him someone holding a bucket-like item presumably with the Emperor's seal, with yet another immortal.
The statue of Darius set on a rectangular base has its head and upper part of the body missing. It is nevertheless acknowledged as being the finest statue to have survived from the Achaemenid period. The King wears a Persian robe with a dagger stuck into its belt. The pleats of the robe are inscribed, on the right in cuneiform writing in the three official languages of the Empire - Old Persian, Elamite and Babylonian and on the left in Egyptian hieroglyphs. The inscriptions record the King's victorious campaigns, as well as the fact that the statue was made in Egypt.
Persepolis Tripylon staircase carved on one boulder of stone. On its outer side there is a representation of Persian lancers and archers, whilst on the inner side there is a ritual representation of Persian and Median clergy carrying several animals and food for the religious rites.
Persepolis Tachra relief from a door-pillar - Achaemenid - 5th century B.C.
Statue of a Parthian Prince or warrior (250 B.C. - 224 A.D.) found in Shami Khuzistan said to be a key statue in the National Museum.
Persepolis Capital (detail of one of the bulls) in the form of two bull protomes back to back (left); Persepolis lapis lazuli head of a Prince (right).
Remains of a 3rd-4th century C.E man found in a salt mine near Zanjan, believed to be Parthian.
Mosaic iwan from the ancient city of Bishapur, one of the largest cities of the Sasanid period.
Apart from the artistic value of this Museum I found this particular visit to be very import for us to start getting into and further understanding the intricate historical events involving the birth of such a rich country.
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