A Visual Research on History, Features and Representation of Motifs of Other Civilizations in the Bistoon Relief

Bistoon relief is the only Achaemenid art-historical work that symbolically depicts the victory of the Achaemenid kings. This relief, along with its trilingual inscription, commemorates the victories of Darius I over his opponents and enemies, which are engraved on the wall of Mount Bistoon in the beginning of his reign (around 520 BC). Bistoon illustrated memorial is the first outstanding work of art of Darius's time in which some motifs and visual-symbolic features of Achaemenid art were displayed for the first time and were repeated and represented in their next works. Therefore, except for the early Achaemenid art that was created in Susa during the time of Cyrus, and now there is a little remnants of it, Bistoon relief can be considered as the foundation of Achaemenid formal art (except for statues). Many of Bistoon's motifs and visual features are taken from the motifs and art of previous civilizations and nations, which are shown in a new and different frame. The purpose of this study is to identify and track the visual and symbolic features of the Bistoon relief and how they are displayed. The questions of this research are as follows: The motifs and the visual and symbolic features of the Bistoon relief are more representations of the motifs and art of which of the earlier civilizations and nations, and which visual feature of the Bistoon’s carving distinguishes it from previous examples? According to the visual features included in the image of the winged circle’s body, which possible hypothesis does this symbol indicate? The research method of this article is descriptive-analytical with a comparative approach and the method of collecting information is library-based. The focus of this research is on the visual artistic aspect of Bistoon's relief (not the historical aspect (.This article is not written in opposition to previous research and opinions, but seeks to systematically examine some of the features that have received less attention in previous research and to examine new concerns from a particular angle. The method of analysis of this research is qualitative.Bistoon relief is a symbolic depiction of the victories of Darius I over his enemies, whose plan and narrative are influenced by Anubanini's relief plan. Despite this, several motifs and visual features can be seen in Bistoon's relief map, which have been taken from the motifs and art of other civilizations. The use of these different and numerous visual and symbolic elements together