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.

Pine trees are seen after a forest fire near Sao Pedro do Sul, Portugal August 14, 2016. Deadly wildfires raging for two weeks in Portugal have destroyed a wooded area the size of 100,000 soccer fields, and the small Iberian nation alone accounts for half of all forests burned in the European Union this year. (Photo by Rafael Marchante/Reuters)

A guy is paraded through the streets of Lewes in East Sussex, southern England, on November 5, 2018, during the traditional Bonfire Night celebrations. Thousands of people attend the annual parade through the narrow streets until the evening comes to an end with the burning of an effigy or “guy”, usually representing Guy Fawkes, who died in 1605 after an unsuccessful attempt to blow up The Houses of Parliament. (Photo by Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP Photo)

Bradley Hemmings and Jenny Sealey MBE pose for the camera with a Giant Iron Man on the set of Iron Man at the Greenwich and Docklands Festival in St Alfege Park on June 24, 2011 in London, England after they are announced by LOCOG as the Artistic Directors for the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)

A man looks at a figure outside a store as he walks along a street in Beijing on March 2, 2021. (Photo by Wang Zhao/AFP Photo)

A man and his son ride a horse at Tahrir Square in Sanaa, Yemen on January 21, 2021. (Photo by Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)

A man and a woman take a selfie on Russian Navy Day in St Petersburg, Russia on July 26, 2020. (Photo by Roman Pimenov/TASS)

A man walks along a corridor at a hotel in Singapore on February 7, 2024. (Photo by Edgar Su/Reuters)