Why Takht-e Soleyman Takab?
- One of the items listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
- It is one of the most important historical sites and the largest surviving collection of the Sassanid era.
- It dates back more than 3,000 years and contains the remains of various eras of Manaani, Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid, Ilkhanid and more.
- For thousands of years, it has been a place of worship, government, and residence, and you can see many monuments there.
- It was the largest educational, religious, social and worship center in the pre-Islamic era.
- In addition to beauty, Lake Solomon’s Spring Springs is well known for its mystery and legend.
- The remains of one of the three sacred Zoroastrian shrines have been on fire for 700 years.
- This area is referred to as the most important base of Zoroastrian government religion.
- This area and its surrounding area, especially in spring, have a wonderful nature and will surprise the visitors.
Introduction to Takht-e Soleyman Takab, An ancient and mysterious collection
Takht-e Soleyman is the name of an important and historic site in 45 kilometers northeast of Takab with an area of 12 hectares. In this area you can see the remains of various monuments around a boiling spring known as Takht-e Soleyman Lake, which tell of a glorious past. According to experts, the prosperity of this area dates back to 1500 years ago and contains good information from pre-Islamic era. The area was considered the most important capital of the dynasty during the Sassanid period, and numerous references have been made to this Sassanian capital in the religious, historical and literary texts of ancient and Islamic Iran.
The most important remains of this area is Azargoshnasp fire temple which was once the most important political and religious sites, and the enormous system of architecture and urbanism formed around it . Takht-e Soleyman was the largest center of social and religious education of that time, nurturing Zoroastrian priests and spreading religion in the great Sassanid Empire and playing an important role in the political, social and religious life of the Sassanid government. some people state that this collection was of equal importance to the Sassanians as Persepolis to the Achaemenids. Another part of the building dates back to about 700 years ago, during the reign of the Mongol Ilkhanids. The kings used Takht-e Soleyman as their summer capital, and added buildings to their collection depending on their needs.
It is not bad to know, according to experts, the city’s creators were looking to build a city with a variety of uses, including prayer, domination, and war. They employed ingenious techniques to provide the city with all the functions it needs while creating a unified identity; peace for worshipers, glory for rulers, proper defense for soldiers, and safety for residents.
National and World Registration of Takht-e Soleyman
Takht-e Soleyman was listed in the National Monuments List of Iran on 29th of Azar month in 1316 SH with No.308. In 2001, UNESCO World Heritage document opened, and this heritage was recorded as the fourth Iranian heritage site after Persepolis, Choghazanbil and Naqsh-e Jahan Square in July 2003 . Takht-e Soleyman was the first heritage that recorded after Islamic Revolution in Iran, and facilitate the way for subsequent sites.
Different parts of Takht-e Soleyman
Takht-e Soleyman Fence
What initially stands out from this historic site is the remains of the fence and gates that surround it, a median height of 13 meters and the remains of 38 towers and barrows. The fence of the city is circular. This type of fence used in cities maps even before Sassanid era, and famous cities such as Marv and Tisphon were built in the same way; but Takht-e Soleyman Fence was built like an oval because of its well oval shape. Despite rebuilding in various eras, including the Ilkhanids, the fence was greatly damaged by the time and human intervention.
Flat Soleyman Gates, Enter to a historic city
The fence of Takht-e Soleyman originally had two northern and southeastern gates, and during the Ilkhanid period, the southern gate added:
The southeast gate has entrance role of the complex. At top of the gate, like the Firouzabad Pars, there are 7 stone sanctuaries that represent the 7 gods or guardians of Zoroastrianism. You pass under this sacred sign and enter the collection. This is something like crossing Muslims under the Quran as they begin their journey or arrive somewhere. This can be indicative of the similarity of many religions in ancient or modern human religions.
The southern gate is where the car road now leads.
The northern gate is the main entrance to the city and is slightly similar to the southeast gate.
Takht-e Soleyman Spring, A mysterious treasure
Lake Takht-e Soleyman is actually a hot, calcareous spring dating back thousands of years, pumping water from the depths of underground aquifers to the surface of the earth. The construction and operation of Takht-e Soleyman was completely dependent on the existence of this spring and its impact can be clearly seen. The water of this spring, because of its calcareous nature, is not suitable for human or animal drinking and causes digestive problems.
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The legends of Takht-e Soleyman’s Spring
Because of the fact that severity of salts does not allow for deep-water diving and sightseeing, there are many secrets about it. In this situation, local myths and stories increased, and weird stories come up in languages that can never be verified like:
- A treasure trove of Cyrus the Great is buried deep in the lake.
- There are precious objects in the lake since the Parthians.
- Zoroastrian priests believe that lake belongs to the goddess of water named Nahid or Anahita, and in the past used to throw vines into it. It is also said that before the capture of Takht-e Soleyman, the fire temples and treasures were thrown into the lake by the mob to prevent them from reaching the enemy.
- Some stories tell Takht-e Soleyman has a ring on the lake.
