Prison of Solomon

The Prison of Solomon (Zendan-e Soleyman) is a 100m cone-shaped hill with an 80m deep pit roughly 65m in diameter, located about 3km west of Takht-e Soleyman in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. The hill formed over millennia from sediment layers of mineral stones deposited by an ancient spring and lake. It served as a temple between 830 and 660 BCE, with surrounding sulphur hot springs used for medical treatment. During the Sassanid dynasty (224-651 AD), Zoroastrian priests conducted sacrifices there. Local legend holds that King Solomon imprisoned demons in the crater, giving the site its name.