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Which guardian figures decorated the entrance buildings at Persepolis?
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Persepolis
Ruins of the royal Achaemenid residence at Persepolis, Iran.
At Persepolis, the entrance buildings were decorated with specific guardian figures that served to project royal power and authority.
In the main gatehouse, the entrance is marked by guardian bulls and bull-men. Similarly, the Throne Hall, also known as the Hall of a Hundred Columns, features guardian bulls built into the tower walls at either end of its north-facing portico. These figures are consistent with the broader Achaemenian architectural tradition, which often utilized paired bulls, bull-men, or dragons as decorative imposts and protective motifs.1