Final answer:
The Royal Apadana, located in Persepolis, was a ceremonial audience hall built by Darius the Great and continued under Xerxes. The structure's roof was supported by 72 columns and adorned with reliefs, representing the power of the Persian empire. Skilled workers from diverse backgrounds used materials from across the empire for its construction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Royal Apadana of Darius and Xerxes is located in the ancient city of Persepolis, founded by Darius the Great in the sixth century BCE. This impressive audience hall is known for its grandiose architecture, symbolizing the power and authority of the Persian kings.
The Apadana was constructed on a massive terraced platform that spans approximately 125,000 square meters. This platform housed several structures including residential areas, a treasury, and ceremonial palaces. The Apadana itself covers around 1,000 square meters, with a hypostyle plan, meaning its roof was supported by a large number of columns. There were initially 72 columns, each standing at 24 meters high, though only 14 remain today. The columns featured capitals in the forms of twin-headed bulls, eagles, or lions, representing royal authority.
Materials used in the construction of the Apadana reflected the diverse artistic influences from across the empire. These included fluted columns by Greek stonemasons and Assyrian reliefs carved by Mesopotamians, alongside Egyptian, Lydian, Babylonian, Elamite, and Median elements. The workforce consisted of skilled laborers from various regions who resided in nearby settlements during the construction phase.
The walls of the Apadana were adorned with reliefs depicting representatives of 23 subject nations bringing gifts to the Persian king, further emphasizing the empire's reach and the monarch's dominance. This relief program was not only an architectural feat but also served as a political statement and an ideological tableau of the extensive Achaemenid Empire under Persian rule.