Persepolis ( پرسپولی ) was founded by Darius I in 518 BC and was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It was built on an immense half-artificial, half-natural terrace, where the King of Kings created an impressive palace complex inspired by Mesopotamian models. Persepolis was burned by the Greeks of Alexander the Great in 330. On a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.