Takht-E Soleyman: Harmonious Sanctuary Inspired by Natural Context
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Overlooking a lake with a backdrop of a snowcapped mountain range in northwest Iran, lies the UNESCO-registered Takht-e Soleyman (“Solomon’s Throne”), an archeological and touristic site that bears testimony to various eras of the nation’s history.
Situated in the southeastern highlands of West Azarbaijan province, the property encompasses a lake roughly 80 by 120 meters and a Sassanid-era Zoroastrian temple complex dedicated to Anahita, an ancient goddess of fertility, parts of which were rebuilt in the 13th century during the Ilkhanid era.
The ensemble was established in a geologically anomalous location as the base of the temple complex sits on an oval mound roughly 350 by 550 meters.
Inspired by natural context, the rich harmonious composition draws local and foreign travelers who want even for minuets revel in its peaceful atmosphere.
According to Britannica Encyclopedia, its surrounding landscape was probably first inhabited sometime in the 1st millennium BC. Some construction on the mound itself dates from the early Achaemenian dynasty (559–330 BC), and there are traces of settlement activity from the Parthian period.
Source: Tehran Times
