Rio’s Theatro Municipal Persian Inscription Decoded After 117 Years

An inscription in ancient Persian cuneiform, placed in the Assyrian Hall of Rio de Janeiro’s Theatro Municipal in 1909, has finally been translated. Researchers Alex Mazzanti Junior of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Matheus Treuk of the State University of Rio de Janeiro identified the text as a reference to the Apadana of King Artaxerxes II, describing him as “great king, king of kings, son of King Darius.” Their findings were published in an academic article in April, ending a century‑long mystery.

The discovery has drawn considerable public interest, highlighting the hidden multilingual heritage of Rio’s urban monuments and prompting renewed attention to other obscure inscriptions on city façades.