iran

    The Elamite civilisation is one of the oldest in recorded history, and was associated with the south-west of the Iranian plateau from about 2700 BC to 530 AD, when it was overtaken by the Achaemenid Empire.

    The 3000 year old ziggurat at Chogha Zanbil was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1979, and is still being excavated, protected and restored. Unlike the the much older Mesopotamian ziggurats, this "holy mountain" was climbed by steps which led only to the next level, rather than giant ramps leading from the ground to the top.