by tilo driessen, via Flickr. persepolis, the ancient capital of the persian empire, lies in ruins atop a magnificent man-made plateau rising above the plains. the sense of scale, the megalithic stonework, but mostly the exquisite beauty of sculptures and carved relief convey a faint impression of the splendor of the empire. Greco Persian Wars, Shiraz Iran, Sculptures, Lion Sculpture, Achaemenid, Cradle Of Civilization, Ancient Persian, Persian Culture, Western World