On the sacred mountain of Bisotun in Western Iran’s Kermanshah province is a remarkable multilingual inscription carved on a limestone cliff about 60 m above the plain. Located along one of the main routes linking Persia with Mesopotamia, the inscription is illustrated by a life-sized bas-relief of its creator, the Achaemenid (Persian) King Darius I, and other figures. It is unique, being the only known monumental text of the Achaemenids to document a specific historic event, that of the re-establishment of the empire by Darius I the Great. Moreover, Bisotun is an outstanding testimony to the important interchange of human values on the development of monumental art and writing, reflecting ancient traditions in monumental bas-reliefs. The inscription, which has three versions of the same text written in three different languages, was the first cuneiform writing to be deciphered in the 19th century.
The inscription at Bisotun (meaning “place of gods”), which is about 15 m high by 25 m wide, was created on the orders of King Darius I in 521 BCE. Much of it celebrates his victories over numerous pretenders to the Persian Empire’s throne. The inscription was written in three different cuneiform script languages: Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian. Once deciphered in the 19th century, it opened the door to previously unknown aspects of ancient civilizations. In that sense, the inscription at Bisotun has had a value for Astrobiology comparable to that of the Rosetta Stone for Egyptology.
The monumental bas-relief associated with the text includes an image of King Darius holding a bow as a sign of sovereignty and treading on the chest of a figure which lies on his back before him. According to legend, the figure represents Gaumāta, the pretender to the throne whose assassination led to Darius’ rise to power. This symbolic representation of the Achaemenid King in relation to his enemy reflects traditions in monumental bas-reliefs that date from Ancient Egypt and the Middle East, and which were subsequently further developed during the Achaemenid and later empires.
The 187-ha site of Bisotun also features remains from prehistoric times to the Median period (8th to 7th centuries BCE) as well as from the Achaemenid (6th to 4th centuries BCE) and post-Achaemenid periods. Its most significant period, however, was from the 6th century BCE to the 6th century CE.
Criterion (ii): The monument created by Darius I the Great in Bisotun in 521 BCE is an outstanding testimony to the important interchange of human values on the development of monumental art and writing. The symbolic representation of the Achaemenid King in relation to his enemy reflects traditions in monumental bas-reliefs that date from Ancient Egypt and the Middle East, and which were subsequently further developed during the Achaemenid and later empires.
Criterion (iii): The site of Bisotun is located along one of the main routes linking Persia with Mesopotamia and associated with the sacred Bisotun mountain. There is archaeological evidence of human settlements that date from the prehistoric times, while the most significant period was from the 6th century BCE to the 6th century CE. The Bisotun inscription is unique, being the only known monumental text of the Achaemenids to document a specific historic event, that of the re-establishment of the empire by Darius I the Great. It was the first cuneiform writing to be deciphered in the 19th century.
Integrity
Within the boundaries of the property are located all the elements and components necessary to express the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, most notably the multilingual inscription in three different cuneiform script languages and the related monumental carved bas-relief. The property covers a reasonable area enclosing the most important monuments of the site as well as part of the mountain. While there has been some erosion, the text and bas-relief are still intact and comprehensible. The monument’s integrity is threatened, however, by water infiltration behind the bas-relief.
Authenticity
The inscribed and carved monument created by Darius I the Great at Bisotun is authentic in terms of its form and design, material and substance, and location and setting.
Protection and Management Requirements
Bisotun is state-owned property and is under protection as a national monument on the basis of the Iranian Law on the Conservation of National Monuments (1982), the Purchase Law on Historical Properties, and the Law of City Halls. The principal management authority of the property is the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Organization (which is administered and funded by the Government of Iran) through its local office at Bisotun, Kermanshah. An initial management plan for the property, approved in 2004, set out the managerial mechanisms for a 6-year period. The current management plan, which was adopted in 2010, defines programmed related to equipment, research, conservation work, and repairs, as well as educational activities. This plan was prepared by the steering committee that replaced the National Board of Trustees of Bisotun World Heritage property, which had been established in 2008 to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable development of the property.
Sustaining the Outstanding Universal Value of the property over time will require transforming the emergency actions taken to counteract the effects of water infiltration behind the bas-relief into a permanent solution for safeguarding the monument, and continuing to manage the development pressures that exist in the region.