Lion frieze from Darius I’s palace at Susa

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The Frieze of Lions stands as one of the few surviving decorative elements of Darius's palace at Susa, discovered remarkably intact at its original location beneath the north wall of the Eastern Court, which visitors first encounter upon exiting the esplanade. This court likely served as a spacious open-air throne room, where a dais supported a canopy that protected the royal seat from the elements. Along the top of the wall, the frieze ran, topped by visible battlements and punctuated by tall vertical poles, which probably bore flags. Fragments of a trilingual inscription were also found at this site, suggesting that the lions may have flanked it centrally in the composition's symmetry. This arrangement echoes ancient Near Eastern traditions, where animals often faced each other on either side of a palmette or tree of life.