Saādatshahr

Saadatshahr lies near the plain of Pasargadae in northern Fars. Here Cyrus the Great founded the first dynastic capital of the Achaemenid empire in the sixth century BCE. Palaces and gardens spread across the plain, while his stone tomb stands apart on a stepped base beneath a pitched roof. The buildings brought together techniques and artistic traditions from lands under Persian rule.

In the medieval period the tomb was known as the grave of Solomon's mother. A mosque was built around it using columns taken from the ancient palaces, giving the monument a new sacred identity. The old royal city had long since passed from use, but its stone remains continued to stand in the valley and attract the attention of travellers crossing Fars.