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Bisotun is an ancient archaeological site in Iran. It is located in the Province of Kermanshah, on the ancient trade route between the Persian high plateau and Mesopotamia. There are many ancient monuments at this site dating from the Median, Achaemenid, Sassanian and Ilkhanid periods, but the most important is the Behistun Inscription.


Behistun Inscription, Bisotun, Iran
Behistun Inscription, Bisotun, Iran
Author: Aryobarzan (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported)

 The Behistun Inscription is a cuneiform inscription with bas-relief. It depicts the glory of Darius the Great, the fourth ruler of the Achaemenid Empire. The inscription is believed to have been made some time between the coronation of Darius in 522 BC and his death in 486 BC.

The Behistun Inscription is in three languages, namely Elamite, Babylonian and Old Persian. It provides lengthy account of Darius' ancestry and lineage. It is also a chronicle of events that took place after the death of earlier rulers of the Achaemenid dynasty, include the founder Cyrus the Great and his son, Cambyses II, emperor of the first Persian Empire. The inscription recorded the main victories of Darius the Great in the battlefield, while the bas-relief showed him trampling on Gaumata, the pretender to the throne whose assassination pathed the way to Darius' ascend.

Bisotun was inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 30th session of the World Heritage Committee in Vilnius, Lithuania, 9 - 16 July, 2006.

World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Location: N34 23 18 E47 26 12 in the Province of Kermanshah, Iran
Inscription Year: 2006
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: II, III

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