How did the Sasanian rulers alter the landscape near Persepolis?

During the Sasanian period (3rd–7th century CE), the rulers significantly altered the landscape near Persepolis by utilizing the surrounding rock faces for their own monumental purposes.

The Sasanian kings covered the surfaces of rocks in the neighborhood—and in some instances, portions of the existing Achaemenid ruins—with their own sculptures and inscriptions written in Pahlavi. A primary example of this activity is found at Naqsh-e Rostam, located a few miles north of Persepolis. There, the Sasanian monarchs carved large rock reliefs into the cliff face, often depicting scenes of royal investiture where the king receives his royal insignia from the Zoroastrian deity Ahura Mazda.123

While the Sasanians likely engaged in building projects at the site of Persepolis itself, these were not constructed on the same grandiose scale as those of their ancient predecessors.1