Gemelli Careri’s Description of Persepolis

Gemelli Careri’s 17th-century description of Persepolis, one of the Achaemenid Persian Empire’s capital cities (ca. 550–330 BCE), offers a unique lens into the transition from imaginative to more scientific travel writing about archaeological sites. His detailed account—spanning twenty pages with two engraved plates—stands out for its precision and insight, even as it remains largely overlooked in modern studies of Achaemenid Persia. By comparing his observations with those of contemporary travelers and current archaeological knowledge, this study highlights the significance of Gemelli Careri’s work as a bridge between earlier, more fanciful narratives and later, more rigorous scientific approaches to site documentation.

Colburn, H. P. (2017). Gemelli Careri’s Description of Persepolis. Getty Research Journal, 9, 181–190. https://doi.org/10.1086/691294