During Cyrus the Great’s reign, Pasargade was created as one of the four political centers of the Persian empire. At the time it was a relatively large beautiful city however it was later destroyed by Cyrus’s enemy Alexander the Great. What remains today is the outline of the gardens, some of the walls from the original two palaces and the Tomb of Cyrus the Great.
There is still speculation whether or not this is actually Cyrus the Great’s tomb however based on Greek documentation Alexander the Great believed this to be the case. Whether of not this is the final resting place of Cyrus the Great, it’s still a culturally significant building. The modest Mausoleum (completed in 530BC) and surrounds are examples of Achaemenid architecture, a synthetic representation of different cultures.
After the tomb’s construction, this type of architecture became more prominent throughout Persia. Due to its importance, Pasargadae and the Tomb of Cyrus the Great are now listed as UNESCO heritage sites to help protect such an influential part of Iranian history.