Mysterious Soleiman Prison Mountain in Iran’s East Azarbaijan

Soleiman Prison (Zendan-e Soleiman) Mountain in northwest Iran, with an approximate height of 100 meters, was once a place of worship for Zoroastrian priests. 

Probably two thousand years ago, a cone that is empty today and is located at the mouth of the hill was full of water. Residues from reservoirs around the cone indicate that the water of this estuary and the lake inside it are unusable.

Over time, due to the volume of sediments with the collapse of the crater, the springs of this lake, which were located at a depth of 100 meters, were closed and the cone gradually dried up.

Around the conical mouth of the prison mountain, one can see the holy temple related to the first millennium BC.

It seems that the holy site flourished only as long as the mountain lake of the prison had water, and after the water dried up, this site was abandoned as a temple, and until some time after this incident, some of its architectural units were used as fortified castles.

What travelers say about the place:

Here is a selection of comments that visitors to the mountainous site have posted to TripAdvisor, one of the most popular travel websites in the world:

“A volcanic mountain with history”

Evil spirits were once locked up in this mountain. This is the story. True or not, it doesn’t matter. The mountain is impressive and near the historic site of Takht-e Soleyman. It is worth climbing the edge of the volcano and look inside, and smell ... the devilish smell of sulfur. (marekp59 from Gdansk; reviewed Jun. 2019)

“Difficult to climb”

This is a hugely impressive site with an amazing history. It stands out from the landscape amazingly. I managed to climb three-quarters of the way up but found it too steep and difficult to reach the top and so was hugely disappointed. My husband and our guide got to the top and told me about the wonderful, deep pit at the top. Most people would manage the ascent. (Sus1952 from Palmerston North, New Zealand; reviewed: Apr. 2019)

“Wow an amazing place”

This is well worth the climb to get to the top. Looking down into the crater was a great experience. Also stunning views from the top. Be aware there are no bathrooms. (Youngone51 from New Plymouth, New Zealand; reviewed Oct. 2017)

MM/FM