Gate of All NationsAbout Gate of All Nations
The Gate of All Nations is an ancient monumental gateway at Persepolis in Fars province, Iran, built during the Achaemenid Empire in the 5th century BCE. It served as a formal entrance to the royal terrace and audience areas of Persepolis.
The structure features a large hall flanked by colossal stone guardian figures and inscribed stone slabs in multiple languages, and it was intended to present the empire’s power to visitors and delegations. The gate is notable for its scale and the carved guardian figures that once stood at the corners of the hall.
Construction of the gate is attributed to the Achaemenid rulers of the 5th century BCE, with decoration and inscriptions emphasizing imperial authority and the multiethnic composition of the empire. Persepolis and its main buildings were used for ceremonial functions until the site’s destruction in the late 4th century BCE.
The Gate of All Nations sits on the Persepolis terrace near the modern access route to the ruins, approximately 60 kilometers northeast of Shiraz in Fars province. The site occupies a rocky terrace overlooking a plain and is approached via the main archaeological park road.
- Location within Persepolis: The Gate stands on the eastern access axis of the Persepolis terrace and is part of the larger Persepolis archaeological complex, which is accessible from the modern site museum and visitor route.
Nearby Attractions to Gate of All Nations
Best Time to Visit Gate of All Nations
Spring and autumn give the most comfortable visiting conditions; summers are very hot and winters can be chilly at night.
Weather & Climate near Gate of All Nations
Gate of All Nations's climate is classified as Hot-Summer Mediterranean - Hot-Summer Mediterranean climate with hot summers (peaking in July) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -1°C to 37°C. Very dry conditions with minimal rainfall with a pronounced dry season.
| Month | Comfort | Temp | Feels | Rain | Sky | Humidity | Wind | UV | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Good | -1° - 11° | 3° | 43 mm | some cloud | 59% | 2.0 m/s | 0.8 moderate | 10.4h |
| February | Good | 1° - 13° | 5° | 30 mm | some cloud | 57% | 2.6 m/s | 1.1 high | 11.0h |
| March | Very Good | 4° - 16° | 8° | 37 mm | some cloud | 51% | 3.2 m/s | 1.6 very high | 11.9h |
| April | Excellent | 7° - 21° | 14° | 13 mm | some cloud | 46% | 3.3 m/s | 2.1 extreme | 12.8h |
| May | Ideal | 12° - 28° | 20° | 5 mm | mostly sunny | 32% | 3.3 m/s | 2.6 extreme | 13.5h |
| June | Ideal | 17° - 34° | 25° | 1 mm | clear | 17% | 2.9 m/s | 2.9 extreme | 13.9h |
| July | Ideal | 21° - 37° | 29° | 1 mm | clear | 16% | 2.7 m/s | 2.7 extreme | 13.7h |
| August | Ideal | 20° - 37° | 28° | 1 mm | clear | 17% | 2.6 m/s | 2.6 extreme | 13.1h |
| September | Ideal | 16° - 34° | 25° | 0 mm | clear | 17% | 2.3 m/s | 2.1 extreme | 12.2h |
| October | Ideal | 11° - 28° | 19° | 4 mm | clear | 26% | 2.1 m/s | 1.5 very high | 11.3h |
| November | Excellent | 6° - 21° | 14° | 11 mm | mostly sunny | 45% | 2.1 m/s | 0.9 moderate | 10.6h |
| December | Very Good | 2° - 16° | 8° | 39 mm | some cloud | 55% | 1.9 m/s | 0.7 moderate | 10.2h |
How to Get to Gate of All Nations
The Gate of All Nations is part of the Persepolis complex, near Marvdasht in Fars Province, about 60 km northeast of Shiraz. Visitors typically travel from Shiraz by taxi, organized tour, or rental car; Marvdasht is the nearest town for overnight stays. There are ticket offices at the Persepolis site.
Tips for Visiting Gate of All Nations
- Visit Persepolis during the cooler morning hours to avoid the midday sun and to see reliefs in crisp detail.
- Buy a combined ticket for Persepolis and nearby Naqsh-e Rustam at ticket booths in Marvdasht to save time and money.
- Hire a licensed guide or use an audio guide to decode the multilingual inscriptions and sculpted delegations on the stairways.