Persepolis

(2 Macc. 9:2)—a famous ancient city of the Persian kingdom, once the capital of Persia in the strict sense—that is, the part inhabited by the Persian tribe. Darius made it his capital around 515 BC and called it Parsa. He built a magnificent palace there; it soon burned and was rebuilt by Artaxerxes II. Its well-preserved ruins could still be seen in the source’s day: columns, palace walls with windows and doors, bas-reliefs with cuneiform inscriptions, and more.