Following remarks by Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, on Iran and the history of ancient Iranian-Greek confrontations, Naqsh-e Rostam stands as a testament to Iran’s historical legacy.
A rock relief at the site depicts Sasanian king Shapur I receiving the submission of Roman Emperor Valerian, who is shown kneeling before him. Carved into the mountainside more than 1,700 years ago, the relief remains a record of the Sasanian victory over Rome.
Rubio’s remarks invoked the Achaemenid campaign against Greece in 480 BC, during the reign of Xerxes I. The comments have drawn criticism for framing an episode of ancient history as a statement about the origins and identity of Iranians today.
11:19 – 25 مهر 1405
