Over 2,500 years ago, Iranian artists used 3 colors of red, green and blue and their mixture to decorate the tomb of Darius the Great in a bid to highlight its grandiose, experts told CHN.

The mausoleum is located in the historical site of Naqsh-e Rostam, beside the graves of other Achaemenid kings. The entrance to the tomb, situated 26 m from the surface and inside a mountain, is decorated and features bas-reliefs and inscriptions in cuneiform.

“There has been no major study on the use of colors in the Achaemenid structures and mausoleums; however, since last year we happened to recognize the importance of color in garnishing the tomb of Darius, thus launching a pilot project to study the issue during our renovation operations,” said Majoddin Rahimi, an expert with the Parse and Pasargadae project.

After sampling, experts found out Achaemenid artists used three colors, namely red, green and blue and their mixtures. “They used blue to indicate tranquility, red to highlight charisma and green to feature religious beliefs. These colors have indeed attenuated the grandiose of the mausoleum.