Takht Suleiman Takab

According to Tabnak, in the center of the complex, there is a lake that is the beating heart of the complex. Lake Takht-e-Soliman is a spring of thousands of years of boiling and calcareous springs that pump water from the depths of the aquifers to the surface.

The lake has always been studied by experts in geology, archeology, mythology and religion, and many speculations have been made about it. The construction and operation of Takht-e Soleiman has been completely dependent on the existence of this spring and its impact can be clearly seen in this complex.

Due to its calcareous nature, the water of this spring is not suitable for drinking by humans or animals and causes digestive problems. On the other hand, the intensity of the salts does not allow diving and sighting in the depths of the spring, and for this reason, there are many secrets about it. Under these circumstances, the market for local myths and legends heats up and strange tales fall on the tongues, the accuracy of which can not be verified.

Swimming equals death!
Around the throne of Solomon, there are several paintings with the theme of “no swimming”. Remember that Lake Solomon only welcomes its inexperienced guests with death. Next to this lake, you can see the tombs of some of our compatriots who went into the lake and never returned. Of course, the lake returned the body of one of them, who was buried there.

National and global registration
This lake is a part of Takht-e Soleiman complex, which was registered in the list of historical monuments of the country on December 20, 1316, number 308. In 2001, the world registration file of Takht-e Soleiman complex was opened in UNESCO and in July 2003, it was registered as the fourth Iranian work after Choghaznabil, Persepolis and Naghsh Jahan Square, number 1077.

A famous indigenous story about the formation of Lake Takht-e-Soliman
A local story tells that the boiling spring of the lake was created as a result of the beating of Solomon’s staff at this point. In this story, it is said that Prophet Solomon strikes his staff on the ground and at this point, springs begin to boil, which over time turn into a modern lake.

Another belief states that Hormozd, the king of Iran, learned that a holy son was born in Bethlehem. He sends a messenger to commemorate the baby’s birth and tells him:

Tell the mother of that child that your child will be an honorable, virtuous, famous and honorable person.

The envoy acts according to the order and when he returns, the mother of the child, who was Mary, gives him bags of dirt and tells the envoy such a message:

Tell your king that this soil contains construction.

On the way back, the envoy fell ill at Solomon’s throne and buried the bag there before he died. When the news reached the king, he ordered that buildings be erected at this point. At the same time, from the burial place of the soil bag, a spring from the ground boils to become a source of prosperity.

Legends about Lake Takht-e-Soliman
The legends of this mysterious lake are not one or two, and there are many stories in many circles about languages ​​that show this phenomenon much more complex than an ordinary lake. The most famous myth is the existence of countless treasures in the depths of the lake. It is said that there was a city under the lake where precious objects are left today and there are signs of them. It is interesting to know that no trace of these treasures has been found in any of the historical periods, and due to the unavailability of the depth of the lake and the lack of proper search, it is difficult to expect that traces of that city and its treasures can still be found. Here are the most interesting stories about the lake treasure:

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Treasure of Cyrus the Great
Perhaps the most distant historical event that refers to the existence of valuables in the lake is related to the time of Cyrus the Great, the Achaemenid king. It is said that in 547 BC, this powerful king, after defeating the king of Lydia named Croesus, brought him to Iran and settled in a place called Barn near present-day Hamedan.

Croesus is a kingdom that is still known as rich in the history of the world, and Europeans liken very rich people to Croesus. He was the first king to introduce coinage and hoarded much wealth. When he was brought to Iran, Cyrus took the treasury of his valuables and threw it in the water of the holy lake of Takht-e Soleiman as a vow.

Parthian Treasure
Historical documents contain accounts of wars between the Roman Empire and the Parthian Empire. One of these sayings, known in the history of Rome, Egypt and the world as the historical story of Cleopatra and Anthony, tells an interesting story. The story goes that a Roman general named Antonio besieged the throne of Solomon, which was then called Ganzak, in 36 BC. In the midst of this siege and the conflicts that ensued, the guards of the Holy Temple, when they felt threatened and the castle might fall, threw valuables in the fire temple and the temple into the lake so that no one would have access to them and no vows. To protect them from the enemy.

Sassanid treasure
Khosrow Parviz, the Sassanid king, was always at war with the Roman king Heraclius. The Roman forces were able to capture the throne of Solomon in 624 AD after many conflicts and wars. Before the complete conquest of the Throne of Solomon, the vows and treasures in the fire temple were thrown into the lake by the priests so that the enemy would not have access to them.

Zoroastrian priests believe that this lake is the goddess of waters

It belongs to the name of Venus or Anahita, and it has been customary to pour votive items into it. This was done by the owner in order to preserve these objects and was considered permissible.

With the outbreak of Persian-Arab wars in the early days of Islam and the occupation of Iran, the forces of the second caliph were able to besiege the fort. At that time, it is not unlikely that treasures and vows were dumped in the lake.

Antiquities in the village of Takht-e Soleiman
The complex of historical buildings in Takht-e Soleiman is built around a sedimentary spring. The water of this spring, which rises from a depth of more than 120 meters from the ground and flows into the surrounding lands, has a lot of salts that make it unsuitable for drinking and agriculture. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a lake and no water flows into it. Sediments from these salts have shaped and changed the edge of the spring over the centuries.

Traces and buildings of the Parthian, Sassanid and Mongol dynasties have been found in this place. The most important remnants of it are fire temples and halls of the Sassanid period. Some other Sassanid works have been made in Belqis Mountain and Suleiman Prison near Takht-e Soleiman village. The ancient Shizah Archaeological Site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and major projects are underway to reconstruct and excavate it.

Source of Iranian sites