Eagle-headed creatures with a body of a lion are guarding the entrance to Persepolis site. It was probably a column capital in the form of griffins.
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle.
As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be the king of the creatures.

The Achaemenids considered the griffin "a protector from evil, witchcraft and secret slander".
The earliest references to griffins come out of ancient Persia.
In Persian mythology, in particular during the Achaemenid Empire, griffins or Homa were used widely as statues and symbols in palaces. Homa also had a special place in Persian literature as guardians of light.