Tall-e Takht Fortification

Tall-e Takht is a monumental stone fortification at Pasargadae in Fars province, Iran, situated on a natural hill northeast of the Tomb of Cyrus. The massive platform measures approximately 98 by 79 metres and originally stood about 15 metres high, composed of some 20 layers of huge stone slabs weighing up to six tons each. Construction began during the reign of Cyrus the Great (6th century BC) but was left unfinished after his death in 530 BCE, when Darius I changed its function. The site was built in four phases spanning the Achaemenid through Seleucid and Sassanian periods. Pasargadae is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.