The ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid empire. A festival of tribute was held there each year, it was the burial place of the kings, and its treasury was a repository of enormous wealth. The city was captured, looted, and burnt in 331 bc by Alexander the Great’s troops. Excavation of the palaces—built by Darius I and Xerxes—and other buildings, while confirming the destruction that took place, has also revealed some magnificent examples of Achaemenid art and architecture, particularly the bas-reliefs.