TEHRAN – Visitors to Persepolis would have access to the splendid inscription of the Achaemenid King Darius I by Nowruz 1405 (March 2026). The trilingual rack-carved relief is currently being restored, local authorities said.

Announcing this, Mojtaba Doroodi, management of Persepolis Museum and an expert in ancient Iranian languages, said that this inscription is written in three languages and is considered one of the first inscriptions of Darius the Great, ISNA reported.

Stating that the inscription in south of the throne of Darius I is among the first inscriptions in Persepolis, he said that two columns are written in ancient Persian, and the other two columns are alone, one Elamite and the other Babylonian in this inscription.

Regarding the content of the first column, known as DPD, meaning ‘Darius, Persepolis, number D’, Doroodi said: “This column begins with the name Ahura Mazda. Darius introduces himself and ends with a prayer that says: ‘May drought, enemies, and lies not come to this country’.”

He continued: "This wish that Darius expresses in this inscription shows that our land was also faced with the problem of drought during the Achaemenid period, and how well-planned the management of water and the protection of all those canals, dams, and bunds - such as the ancient Doroodzan Dam, which dates back to the time of Darius - was carried out.”

Manager of Persepolis Museum also said about the second column of this inscription: “This column is very interesting. In addition to introducing himself, Darius refers to the tribes and nationalities that the Achaemenid government ruled over; for example, the Greeks, Egyptians, and all the tribes that were under his command.”

He added: “In this inscription, Darius advises future rulers that if they want to never be harmed, they should have the will of the Persian people. If they have the will of the Persian people, their country will never be harmed.”

Doroodi continued by explaining the period when this inscription was written: “It seems that this text was written when Darius was completing the collection. Because the entrance of the Achaemenid period - the southern wall - was later modified with the constructions of Xerxes and the change of direction. This inscription was written at the same time as the construction of Takht-e Jamshid.”

Shahram Rahbar, a senior expert in restoration of historical monuments and equivalent to a doctorate in restoration of stone and rock artefacts and responsible for the restoration of the inscription in south of the Throne of Darius I in Persepolis, also announced that the restoration project for one of the largest inscriptions in Persepolis has begun. “Studies, consolidation and restoration of this inscription are being carried out with the presence of experts in ancient calligraphy and languages, and using the most up-to-date materials and supplies.”

He added that this inscription is one of the largest inscriptions in Persepolis, and fortunately, it had not been damaged by humans until the start of the work.

Photogrammetric studies and scientific research began a few years ago, and during this time, numerous conservation and restoration measures have been taken, he added.

Rahbar continued that there are three main areas for restoring the inscription: first, strengthening the back of the inscription to prevent any risk of collapse or movement due to an earthquake; second, designing and implementing a protective canopy; and third, directly restoring the inscription stone itself.

KD