Pasargadae was the first capital of the Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great after his defeat of the Medes around 550 BCE. It sits on a high plain in Fars Province, about 130 kilometres northeast of Shiraz and 43 kilometres from Persepolis. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important archaeological locations in Iran.
What remains today is spread across a vast, wind-swept plateau — the ruins are far apart and the landscape is open and austere. This is not a place of towering columns like Persepolis. The scale is quieter, the atmosphere more contemplative. But the significance is immense: this is where the Persian Empire began.
The centrepiece is the Tomb of Cyrus, a simple gabled stone house on a stepped platform that rises 11 metres from the plain. It has stood here for over 2,500 years. Alexander the Great is said to have paid his respects at this tomb after conquering the empire Cyrus built. The other remains — the palace area with its columnar halls and porticoes, the citadel on its massive platform, and the enigmatic stone tower known as the Zendan-e Soleyman — are scattered across the site and require some walking to explore.
Pasargadae is usually visited as a day trip from Shiraz, often combined with a stop at Persepolis and the royal tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam. There is no town to speak of at the site itself — bring water and sun protection, as there is little shade on the plateau.