The 3,000-year-old mysterious ‘Takht-e Solayman’: Wonders of Iran’s ancient civilization

Takht-e Solayman, located in the mountainous region of West Azerbaijan, Iran, is a unique archaeological site that is more than 3,000 years old. This ancient historical city was once a center of Zoroastrian worship during the Sasanian era. Even today, its ruins, fire temples, and mysterious structures fascinate historians and travelers.

UNESCO World Heritage Site
In 2003, Takht-e Solayman was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. According to the organization, the site is unparalleled in terms of cultural, architectural, and religious importance. These ruins of a Sasanian-era fire temple and fortress city are considered important examples of ancient Zoroastrian religious practices.

The inclusion of the ancient site in UNESCO highlights its outstanding universal value and the importance of preserving the heritage site for future generations.

Ancient Temple at Takht-e Solayman
According to ancient inscriptions, Takht-e Solayman is considered by many to be the birthplace of Zoroaster. It was a major educational and social center and place of worship for the Iranians in the pre-Islamic period. However, it was destroyed by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in 624 AD.

The site contains several impressive structures that demonstrate the architectural and design skills of the ancient Persians. The main structures at Takht-e Solayman include the Azargoshasp Temple and the Anahita Temple.

Azargoshasp Fire Temple and Anahita Temple
The most important of the structures at the site is the Azargoshasp Fire Temple, which was the main center of fire worship in Zoroastrianism. The temple's design features a central courtyard surrounded by multiple rooms and halls. The temple is built around a central courtyard and has carvings on the walls depicting scenes from Zoroastrian mythology.

There is also the Anahita Temple, built during the Parthian period and dedicated to Anahita, the goddess of water and fertility. The temple has a rectangular plan. This plan includes a central hall, which was used for religious ceremonies. The walls of the temple are decorated with beautiful frescoes, which depict scenes from Persian history and mythology.

Prison of Demons near Takht-e Solayman
Just three kilometers west of Takht-e Solayman is a cone-shaped mountain, which the locals call the 'Prison of Demons' or 'Prison of Solomon'. The mountain, formed by thousands of years of volcanic eruptions and the accumulation of mineral deposits, contains a deep hole.

According to folklore, King Solomon imprisoned disobedient demons in this hole. The dark cave is located under an ancient stone structure on the top of the mountain. According to local belief, no one who enters it returns alive.

Built during the Sasanian Dynasty (224 to 651 AD), the cone-shaped prison was a place of sacrifice and prayer for Zoroastrian priests. The mountain has been shaped by the sedimentary layers of an ancient lake for thousands of years. Between 830 and 660 BC, it was a temple with several sulfur hot springs for medical purposes.

In the past, the sulfur-rich hot springs here were used for medical purposes. The mountain is unlike other volcanic mountains because of its mineral deposits. It is made up entirely of sedimentary mineral deposits. There was also a spring in the area that eventually turned into a lake. Its water was filled with salt and sulfur.

Over time, the salts settled on the bottom of the lake and turned into a hard sedimentary layer. Now, thousands of years later, the layers have taken the shape of a mountain with a hole inside. Gradually, the lake has dried up, but its remains are still visible. The place is now one of the most beautiful natural attractions for mountaineers.

The strange story of the ‘Demon Prison’
The Solayman Prison or the Demon Prison is a 100-meter-high cone-shaped mountain with a terrible hole inside. There is a strange story about it.

There is a stone building made of mortar on top of the mountain. Inside the building is hidden a black hole, from which there is no way out and if anyone steps inside, he will definitely die.

Some locals believed that King Solayman imprisoned a demon here and locked him in the black hole of the mountain. Then he built a building on top of it to make his black hole even stronger.

Folklore also says that the demon in the black hole is the devil who stole a special ring with the name of the Lord from Solomon. The demon was considered a very dangerous and angry creature. Poisonous gas came out of its mouth. The locals believed that whoever dared to step into the black hole would be killed by the demon. That is why it was named the Demon Prison.

The Exciting Floating Island Lake
20 kilometers away from Takht-e Solomon, there is a mysterious lake called the Floating Island Lake. It goes down to 112 meters in depth, and due to the mineral-rich water, natural floating islands made of dense green vegetation float on its surface. It remains green even in winter and moves slowly with the wind.

This natural phenomenon has fascinated the locals as well as scientists. Although many of the legends associated with it, such as the story of Solomon's treasure or the magic ring, are not historically proven.

A combined wonder of culture, history and nature
So Solomon is not just an archaeological site; it is an ancient