'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎275] (306/582)

VISIT TO THE RUINS OF PERSEPOLIS.
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priest; and behind him a female is seen bringing in some offer
ing in a small basket. Above this is the same curtain of net
work described before, and two friezes of the winged globe in
the centre, with three lions on each side guarding it; the two
divisions are separated by lines of open flowers. All the male
figures were bearded; but they have been wantonly disfigured
in this part, probably by bigoted Moslems, who consider every
representation of living beings as a breach of the commandment.
The designs of the other gates of this sanctuary represent a
priest stabbing a unicorn, and a chief sitting on a chair supported
on a throne. Both the winged globe and the lotus are frequently
seen, and the whole work is Egyptian in its style. Neither the
doors nor the recesses of this sanctuary ever seem to have been
closed, as there are no marks of hinges anywhere ; nor does it
appear to have been ever roofed, though there are fragments of
fluted columns lying in the middle.
Above this, at the back of the great temple, and hewn in the
rocks, are two large cave-tombs, resembling those at Naksh-e-Rus-
tan in the sculptures of their front; but both of them are at present
inaccessible, from the quantity of rubbish accumulated before them.
Remembering that Chardin had mentioned the discovery of
mummies in Khorassan, and the ancient Bactriana, and every thing
about us reminding me of Egypt, I was curious in enquiring
whether any preserved bodies had ever been found near these
tombs, but could learn nothing satisfactory on this point. #
* As a proof that great pains were bestowed on the preservation of the bodies of the illus
trious dead, among the early Persians, the following cases may be cited :
Arrian says, that Alexander caused the body of Darius to be transported into Persia, to be
buried in the sepulchre of his ancestors, without naming the place, (lib. 3). The same author
says, that Alexander learned with mortification, that at Pasagarda they had opened and
pillaged the tomb of Cyrus, which was placed in the park of the castle of that city, surrounded
by a wood, and accompanied by fountains and meadgws.
Zezdijerd, whose forces were defeated in a memorable battle, became a fugitive, through
Seistan, Khorassan, and Meronear, where he was obscurely murdered ; but his corpse being
discovered, it was afterwards embalmed, and sent to Istakhr, to be interred in the sepulchres
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