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.

Long-tailed mayflies (Palingenia longicauda) at Tisza river near Tiszainoka 135km (84 miles) southeast of Budapest, June 23, 2013. Millions of these short-lived mayflies engage in a frantic rush to mate and reproduce before they perish in just a few hours during “Tiszaviragzas” or Tisza blooming season from late spring to early summer every year. (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Reuters)

Camel herders scoop up water in plastic buckets from one of the few watering holes in the area, to water their animals near the drought-affected village of Bandarero, near Moyale town on the Ethiopian border, in northern Kenya, Friday, March 3, 2017. The U.N. humanitarian chief, Stephen O'Brien, toured Bandarero village on Friday and called on the international community to act to “avert the very worst of the effects of drought and to avert a famine to make sure we don't go from what is deep suffering to a catastrophe”. (Photo by Ben Curtis/AP Photo)

A family of baby brown bears appear to be dancing to Ring a Ring o' Roses as their mother relaxes behind a tree nearby. At just a few months old, two young males and one female gather in a circle, clutch each others' hands and begin to dance to the popular nursery rhyme. It's almost like a scene from a school playground as the bears joyfully play together, tapping their feet and moving around in a circle. (Photo by Valtteri Mulkahainen/Solent News & Photo Agency)

Dancers take part in the Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures) street parade of ethnic minorities, in Berlin, Germany, May 24, 2015. A few dozen dancers, musicians and performers from dozens of communities took part in the urban festival on Sunday that aspires to reflect the multi-ethnic diversity of the German capital. (Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters)

“I was born in 1977 in Warsaw, Poland. I had graduated from the High School of Art in Warsaw. My journey into the world of photography began in the early 90's, but at that time my biggest passion was painting. Painting helped me develop vision that was hard to create. Unfortunately I had to leave the paintbrush and canvas. A few years ago, I opened “the door” to my own world with help of a different key”... – Michal Karcz. Photo: “Last Outpost”. (Photo by Michal Karcz)

Just a few hours’ drive from the Belarus capital of Minsk, many villagers still live off the land. Nearly 80% of the country’s 9.5 million citizens live in urban areas, but for the rest, being close to nature can outweigh the hardships of country life. Here: Boys play in the Stviga River on a hot summer day near the village of Pogost, Belarus, August 16, 2017. (Photo by Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)