Few people haven’t heard about the ancient city of Persepolis, which lies at the foot of the Mountain of Mercy (Kuh-I-Rahmat). In ancient times, Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. Regretfully, it was burned by the Greeks in 330 BC after they looted the immense treasure of this city. It is said that Greeks needed 5,000 camels and 20,000 mules to carry all the treasures from Persepolis. The only thing of Persepolis that has survived the wear of time is the ginormous stone terrace 530 by 330 meters adorned by elaborate stone sculptures. It is amazing how intricately detailed some of the sculptures are, despite the fact that they were created many centuries ago.

Chinese Kazakh eagle hunters sit on horseback as they travel to a local competition on January 29, 2015 in the mountains of Qinghe County, Xinjiang, northwestern China. The festival, organised by the local hunting community, is part of an effort to promote and grow traditional hunting practices for new generations in the mountainous region of western China that borders Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia. The training and handling of the large birds of prey follows a strict set of ancient rules that Kazakh eagle hunters are preserving for future generations. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Belarusian people take part in the Ivan Kupala festival near the town of Rakov, west of Minsk June 27, 2015. The ancient tradition, originating from pagan times, is usually marked with grand overnight festivities. On Kupala night, people sing and dance around campfires, believing it will purge them of their sins and make them healthier. (Photo by Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

Wearing traditional Belarus costumes girls jump over a bonfire as they celebrate the Ivan Kupala night, an ancient heathen holiday, held in the countryside near the town of Turov, some 260 km southwest of the capital Minsk, on July 6, 2014. People celebrate Kupala Night with bonfires that last throughout the night with some leaping over the flames as it is believed that the act of jumping over the bonfire cleanses people of illness and bad luck. (Photo by Viktor Drachev/AFP Photo)

People jump over a campfire during a celebration on the traditional Ivana Kupala (Ivan the Bather) holiday, the ancient tradition, originating from pagan times, is usually marked with grand overnight festivities during which people sing and dance around campfires, believing it will purge them of their sins and make them healthier, in Kiev, Ukraine, July 6, 2016. (Photo by Gleb Garanich/Reuters)

Aymara indigenous people celebrate the “Roscasiri”, the change of command of local authorities, in Pomata District, one of seven districts of the Chucuito Province in the Puno Region, southern Peru, on January 1, 2022. This ancient Aymara event, in which people adorn themselves with breads and fruits that represent abundance for the new year, celebrates the change of command of local authorities. (Photo by Carlos Mamani/AFP Photo)

Female members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) honour guard stand behind a string to ensure that they are in a straight line before a welcoming ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, June 25, 2016. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

An officer wipes sweat off the face of a Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) honor guard soldier as they rehearse for a welcoming ceremony for New Zealand's Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Tuesday, July 21, 2015. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)