Iran > The Throne of Solomon

The Throne of Solomon (Takht-e-Soleyman) lies about forty kilometers outside Takab. The archaeological site houses a Zoroastrian temple and a temple built by the Sassanids. Around the temples lay a city enclosed within its walls. In the middle of Takht-e-Soleyman is a hundred-meter-deep crater lake with volcanically heated water. Along a sloping path, I walk up to the entrance gate. I buy a ticket and enter the fortress. Immediately the large crater lake in the center of the site catches my eye.

Iran - The remains of the Zoroastrian temple and crater lake in the Throne of Solomon Takhte Soleyman fortress

In the almost rippleless water, the remains of the ancient temple are reflected. I wander among the ruins, crawling through little gates and climbing stairs. The complex is too large to explore every passageway. Finally, I visit the small museum. The photographs of the site in winter, covered in snow, are particularly nice to see. The volcano, located two kilometers further on, once served as a prison. Niches were built against the crater wall on the hill. Many prisoners did not survive the sulfur fumes. I climb the steep crater. Soon, I smell the sulfur fumes. Following a zigzagging path, I reach the old prison cells.

Iran - The central square of Sanandaj in the evening

From there, I scramble over rocks to the crater rim. Some Iranians, already at the top, point out the best route to climb. At the very end, they help me with the last stretch. I look over the rim into a sixty-meter-deep crater. When I turn around, I have a wide view across the entire surrounding landscape. For lunch, we drive back to Takab. The order had already been placed earlier, so the meal—kebab—is quickly on the table. I would like something other than kebab, but there aren’t many alternatives. If they do exist, I haven’t discovered them because of the language barrier. In the course of the afternoon, we drive on to Sanandaj, a trip of more than 350 kilometers. This is actually more than I would have expected from the phrase “a two-hour ride” in the travel description. On the way, the bus winds through mountainous terrain. Koserov maneuvers the bus over the winding roads. Often, he has to overtake heavily loaded trucks that crawl up the mountain at walking speed—a real feat given the extreme speed differences. Around five o’clock, Sanandaj appears on the horizon. A city with 400,000 inhabitants. Unfortunately, the neat Turist Inn hotel is located far from the center. I take a taxi into town.