The Throne and the Prison of Solomon
In the mountains of Iran, a sacred fire temple surrounds a lake said to have no bottom. Nearby is a hollow hill where King Solomon is said to have imprisoned monsters.
What was reported
Takht-e Soleyman, the 'Throne of Solomon', is a ruined complex on a plateau in north-western Iran. It was one of the great fire temples of the Sasanian kings, who were crowned there, and it's built around a lake fed by a spring from deep underground, which people believed had no bottom.
A few kilometres away is Zendan-e Soleyman, 'Solomon's Prison', a cone-shaped hill with a deep pit in its top. Legend says King Solomon imprisoned monsters and demons in it, and the names come from that story.
Explanations offered
Both were formed by mineral-rich hot springs. The water built up layers of rock as it flowed, creating the hollow cone of 'Solomon's Prison' and the walls of the lake, which is very deep but not bottomless. The site is protected by UNESCO.
- When
- Told since the Middle Ages
- Where
- Takab, West Azerbaijan, Iran
- Witnesses
- Pilgrims and travellers
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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