Ancient Near East Subsequently, the Medes controlled much of the ancient Near East from their base in Ecbatana (modern-day Hamadan, Iran), most notably most of what is now Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and the South Caucasus. Following the fall of the Medes, the Achaemenid Empire was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over most of the Near East and far beyond, and the second great Iranian empire (after the Median Empire). At the height of its power, encompassing approximately 7.5 million square kilometers, the Achaemenid Empire was territorially the largest empire of classical antiquity, and the first world empire. It spanned three
Liye Ancient City with the main street to the south outside. it is 210.4 meters long north to south with the width of 103 - 107 meters, the remaining area covers about 20,000 square meters. Liye Ancient City The Liye Ancient City () is an archaeological site in Liye Town, Longshan County, Hunan Province, China. It was of seat of the ancient Qianling County () in Dongting Commadery () of the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC). It is known for 37,400 Qin bamboo slips unearthed in 2002. The city was built by the Kingdom of Chu in the late Warring States period, reconstructed in