The bronze trumpets that once heralded the arrival of important foreign delegations (a fragment of which is on display in the museum) may now be silent, but it is still possible to capture the sense of awe on approaching the colossal main gateway. Built during the reign of Xerxes I, who called this his Gate of All Nations, the pillared entrance is guarded by bearded and hoofed mythical figures in the style of Assyrian gate-guards.
The gateway bears a cuneiform inscription in Old Persian, Neo-Babylonian and Elamite languages declaring, among other things, that Xerxes is responsible for the construction of this and many beautiful wonders in Parsa. Centuries of graffitists have also left their mark, including explorer Henry Morton Stanley.