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Takht-e-Soleiman
the central lake - due to the heat i was dying to swim in it, tho death seemed a horrible option 30 bedbugs bites were worth lighting myself on fire with scotch and a zippo lighter. But alas, as i wrote in my last blog, the self-bitch-slapping became a way of life as I toured western Azarbaijan to learn about Iran (e.g. random info like why small dogs aren't popular in Iran - mullahs/'teachers' preached that life is better without toying with stupid little bitches, hence it is a rare sight to see any poodles on the street, even in Tehran).
Scratching my ass in the village of Takab, I ventured off to the famous sites of Takht-e-Soleiman and Zendan-e-Soleiman nearby. They're remarkable, and worth the bugs. You can even go on donkey rides for $2 climbing up the suicidal steep hills to see the crater of the Zendan, where tourists plummet to their deaths every year. trust me, there aren't any rails or fences at the top of Solomon's prison, so if photography is your priority, you will surely slip down 70metres to the bottom of the pit. Legend claims that Solomon's temple and observatory lay in these sites.
Zendan-e-Soleiman was a tough climb, since my walking shoes were destroyed when certain liquids erupted from their containers in
Takht-e-Soleiman
looking down the once-water-filled crater my suitcase...fine, I admit it, booze. So i hiked up in my high-heeled sandals and a skirt. I fulfilled my japanese stereotype, hurrah, and even received the applause of local shepherds and cows. Regardless, it was a magnificent sight to see after climbing 80 degree slopes in the heat, harrassing the goats and sheep nearby.
takht-t-soleiman is a Sassanian slash Ilkhanid site with a huge lake in the middle of its compounds. the water of this 100metre-deep natural crater lake has a brilliant fountain sytem that allows the H20 to circulate throughout the area - therefore, it's impossible to swim in it unless you want to become a human drain plug, and the water is uber-poisonous. but it's quite a pretty sight. Sassanids and other peoples worshipped at the fire temple here, where an observatory was also built with modern planetarium ceilings (they changed via movable panels according to the season, in a high domed building!).
According to Zoroastrianism, 'eternity' is a vital thought. hence, passageways in temples are designed to be ever-lasting, that is, open rooms and corridors which let you wander about a building complex for ever - no walls blocking your way. This philosophy stayed
Zendan-e-Soleiman
Ready to make the bloody climb in place until the bloody Monguls decided to pop up and build stupid walls in the middle of nowhere throughout the complex. but still, they managed to bring interesting mosaic designs. before them, the redonculous romans came about and destroyed huge chunks of it. bastards!
Some say that the legend of Solomon was all a lie just to protect the beauty of the sites, but I have my doubts. These places were named way before the invasion of the Arab Muslims after all...and perhaps like Troy, there is some element of truth in its history.
we proceeded to our next hotel, which consisted of more killer mosquitoes that deprived sleep from me through a fierce and battlesome night involving hourly cold showers (to battle the humid heat) and crazy bugs vampiringly seeking Asian blood.
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