22

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTUllK. Book

1.
nexfl (Ii i^rim
(^fg
26
)
\m11 ^i\e tlie iciki some Tiotion of the st\ k oftlit iicliittctuic of
Peisepolis. Tlie diagram
(f;/.
27.)
exhibits a specimen of a column and cajjital. Fi(/. 28.
is a capital from one of the tombs. The walls forming the revetemciit of
tlie great esplanade are wonderfully ])erfect ;
and a))|)ear still capaldc of re-
sisting e(|ually the attacks of time and barbarism. 'I'he surface of the platform,
generally, is une(|ual, and was of different levels : the whole seems to liave
been hewn from the mountain, from whence
the marble has been extracted for con-
structing the ediKces : hence the pave-
ments ap])ear masses of marble, than which
nothing more durable or beautiful can be
conceived. No cement appears to have
been used, but the stones seem to have
lieen coimected l)y cramps, whose removal,
however, has neither deranged the courses
from which they have been removed, nor
affected tlieir nice fitting to each other
;
I'w. 27!~coI.lJM.^
they are, indeed, so well wrought that the
AND cAniAi,.
jyii^fg
(,.j
scarcely be i)erceived.
50. No ])erson can look at the style of composition and details of Perscjiolis williout a
convk-tion of some intimate connection between the architects of Persia and those of ICgypt.
The princi))les of both are identical
;
and without incpiiring into
the exact date of the monument, whose descrijjtion we have Just
left, there is sufficient to convince us that the theory started in
respect of the Cyclopean architectute, of the arts travelling in
every direction from some central Asiatic jioint, is fully borne out
;
and that the Egv])-
-T
t
liK.
'^8.
turn style had its
origin in Asia. A\ l
are (]uite aware th it
conjectures, bearing
a semblance of pio-
baliiiity, have as-
signed the erection
of this stu])en(lous
palace to Kgy])tian
captives, at a com-
paratively late j)L-
riod, after the con-
ijuest of Egypt by
t'K- "H- ^AK^u k.s.a.v.
ABKi)iN A,.i.i. ciiAiiALihUi,.
Cauibyses; but we think they are answered bv the similarity of
arrow-headed characters used therein to those of ancient Babylon, whereof an exainpk is
here given
(/?9.
29.
)
from one of the jiortals of I'ersepolis. A few miles to the south of
Persepolls, tl e hill of Nakshi Rusian
{ffj. 30.)
presents a number of scui|iiured tomb..