Persepolis

   

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Persepolis
General information
Location	Marvdasht, Fars Province, Iran
Builder	Darius I, Xerxes I and Artaxerxes I
Constructed	518 BC
Status	Destroyed (Serious Sam 3: BFE timeline) Ruins (other timelines)
Destroyed	After the destruction of Earth (Serious Sam 3: BFE timeline)
Usage
Affiliation	Assyrians and Babylonians (formerly) Sirians (formerly)
Era	Achaemenid Empire (Serious Sam: The Second Encounter timeline)

 

"Hmmm... I can't see the tower. This city is MUCH bigger than I thought, we could be here a while."

―NETRICSA to Sam

 

Persepolis was the the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. The city was one of several locations on Earth where the Sirians had placed a time portal. It was one of many locations that Sam visits during his mission to find the Holy Grail and activate the Sirian backup spaceship. It is a major location featured in Serious Sam: The Second Encounter.

Overview

Blue-tiled walls which are based on relief detail of the Ishtar Gate.

Persepolis was a massive and thriving ancient Persian city, and the largest in Mesopotamia during its time. Its size was roughly similar to that of Thebes, although it could have been even larger. It was built around 518 BC by Darius the Great, the fourth Persian king of the Achaemenid Empire.

Design

Persepoils was rich with Achaemenid architecture. The city was dominated with huge luxurious palaces, temples, and terraced pyramids (ziggurats). There were lots of columns and spires, similar to the obelisks found in ancient Egyptian cities. The blue-tiled walls of the city were decorated with bulls, dragons, lions, flowers and Babylonian soldiers. The bulls and dragons represented the god Marduk. There were also statues of winged pegasus, winged lions, and elephants, which were usually found in large open yards. Many entrances to the important buildings were locked, with miniature golden versions of the statues serving as keys to unlock the doors. Other doors were unlocked with levers that were placed inside the terraced pyramids.

History

This city was built during the height of the Achaemenid Empire, approximately 518 BC. Around this time, the Sirians placed a time portal deep within the city, as part of a contingency that had been put in place in case the original spaceship, the SSS Centerprice, was destroyed. When someone would enter this portal, it would send them forwards in time to the year that the Sirian backup spaceship had been placed on Earth.

Notable locations

Ziggurat

A terraced pyramid located about a kilometer away from Persepolis. It was here where someone would be sent to in time upon entering the time portal in Teotihuacan. Just like in Persepolis, the ziggurat was a dangerous place laden with traps.

Beyond the ziggurat was large open area filled with houses and several temples. The main entrance to Persepolis was locked to outsiders, so for someone to enter, they would have to proceed to the adjacent yards and touch two sacred stones for the doors to open.

Chamber of Punishment

This room was used for punishing and executing infidels, spies and criminals. The condemned were thrown from the ledges high above into this chamber, which was filled with lions. The lions would then feast upon the convicts.

Guarding Area

This yard was the last line of defence for Persepolians. Five guarding towers protected the city from a frontal attack. Each of the towers could easily hold over 20 archers, which made Persepolis almost impenetrable.

Elephant Square

This large yard was dominated with a statue of an elephant in the center. There were several smaller yards and temples decorated with smaller elephant statues, although it's not fully understood what purpose these yards were for. In the elephant square, there were two buildings; one of them didn't really serve much of a purpose, while the other building, a holy bathhouse, was used by the Babylonians to cleanse themselves of their sins and for purifying the soul.

This type of cleansing was a form of a purification ritual; the bigger the person's sins person were, the hotter they would make the bathwater. Inside the ceromonial building was a rocket-shaped object made from a strange metallic material; it's possible that this structure served as a prototype for the backup spaceship that the Sirians later placed inside the Grand Cathedral.

Courtyards of Gilgamesh

The courtyards and temples in this area were constructed in favour of the legendary King Gilgamesh, a hero in ancient Mesopotamian mythology. There was also a large temple dedicated to him. Entering this temple would lead one straight to the Tower of Babel.

Palace of King Tilmun

A large, luxurious palace that was built to commemorate King Tilmman, another ruler of Mesopotamia. Inside this grand building was a ceremonial hall. All major ceremonies and activities took place in here.

Temple of Gilgamesh

A palace dedicated to King Gilgamesh that was constructed over a deep abyss. The abyss was used for punishing infidels and was used as a kind of wishing well. The temple was rumored to be full of gold and treasures, though this was most likely to encourage thieves, as there were lots of traps inside the temple.

Further inside the temple laid the abyss that the temple was built over. Here, the Babylonians would perform a "leap of faith"; whoever survived the passage would earn the privilege to visit the Tower of Babel. Deep inside this abyss was actually a mechanical moving platform that would lead someone to the temple's exit.

Chamber of Cosmos

Located within the Palace of King Tilmun, this chamber was designed using all the knowledge that Babylonians could gather about astronomy - the universe and planets and their relationships with each other. Using complex mathematical and physical formulas and axioms, they managed to translate the movements of cosmic objects into coordinates and built this room following the basic rules of the universe.

Chamber of Deities

Another room found in the palace, the Babylonians would have to pass through it before they could get to the ceremonial room. To do this, they would walk silently in complete darkness with their eyes focused on their floor so they wouldn't enrage the gods. Of course, the room had to be kept clean, so the Babylonians placed a switch on top of the door which allowed light to enter for a period of time.

Tower of Babel

The Tower of Babel.

The Tower of Babel was the tallest and most significant building in all of Persepolis. Entry was strictly forbidden for ordinary people, and few ever got to see it in person. It was also where the Sirians placed their time portal. According to legend, there was a monster that lived inside the tower; anyone who defeated it would be granted with a journey to the afterlife. This "monster" was actually referring to the Exotech Larva that Mental placed within the tower to prevent Sam from getting to the portal.

Appearances

Serious Sam: The Second Encounter

Upon entering the Mayan time portal in Teotihuacan, Sam is sent forward in time, and ends up at a ziggurat, a strange terraced pyramid located some distance away from the city of Persepolis. NETRICSA informs Sam that the Sirians placed a time portal inside the Tower of Babel, and that they must get there to continue their search for the Holy Grail. As Sam enters the Elephant Atrium, NETRISCA tells him that she still can't see the tower, and underestimates the sheer size of the city. As usual, Mental sends wave after wave of his forces at Sam, but he is able to kill all of them.

Sam proceeds to the Temple of Gilgamesh, the last obstacle standing in his way between the Tower of Babel. Inside the various hallways and corridors, and narrowly avoiding various traps the Babylonians placed in the temple to deter intruders, Sam comes across a large, deep abyss. NETRICSA says that the Babylonians performed a "leap of faith" here, and whoever survived would earn the privilege of visiting the Tower of Babel. Sam performs this "leap of faith", and lands on a mechanical platform that had placed deep in the abyss.

Eventually, Sam exits the temple and encounters heavier resistance from Mental's forces than before. After a big battle involving many tough enemies, Sam enters the palace of King Tilmun, another leader of ancient Babylon. Sam eventually makes it out of the temple and finally arrives at his destination, the Tower of Babel. NETRISCA tells Sam to have a look at the entrance to the tower before entering it, and he does so. NETRICSA translates the engravings on the door, and tells Sam that he needs to collect 3 tablets of wisdom in order to prove himself worthy, which will allow the door to open for him. He gets the tablets and makes it inside the tower, where he encounters the Exotech Larva, the rumored monster of the tower. Sam defeats it and the time portal is activated, allowing Sam to enter which takes him further in time to the Middle Ages.

Gallery

A ziggurat overlooking a courtyard.

A statue of a pegasus in a courtyard.

A residential area.

The rocket-like structure inside a ceremonial building.

A courtyard in the Elephant Atrium.

A ceremonial hot tub.

The temple of Gilgamesh.

A yard and temples within the courtyards of Gilgamesh.

The palace of King Tilman.

A massive yard leading to the palace of King Tilman.

The ceremonial hall.

A ziggurat-type building opposite the Tower of Babel.

Inside the Tower of Babel.

List of appearances

• Serious Sam: The Second Encounter (First appearance)
• Serious Sam: Xbox (non-canonical appearance)
• Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter
• Serious Sam VR: The Second Encounter (non-canonical appearance)
• Serious Sam Classics: Revolution (non-canonical appearance)

External links

Persepolis on Wikipedia