TEHRAN – Tourism infrastructure at the UNESCO-registered Takht-e Soleyman, an ancient sanctuary in northwest Iran, has been reinforced through building a cobblestone road and parking space, as well as improving sanitary services.

Takht-e Soleyman (“Solomon’s Throne”) bears testimony to various eras of the nation’s history. It is situated in the southeastern highlands of West Azarbaijan province overlooking a lake with a backdrop of a snowcapped mountain range.

“During this [Iranian calendar year], 22,000,000 rials have been spent for reinforcing tourism infrastructure of the World Heritage site of Takht-e Soleyman,” provincial tourism chief Jalil Jabbari announced on Monday.

Building a water supply network, constructing a cobblestone road toward the monument, enhancing sanitary services, as well as landscaping and lightening were implemented during the project, the official noted.

The historical ensemble was established in a geologically anomalous location as the base of the temple complex sits on an oval mound roughly 350 by 550 meters. Inspired by natural context, the rich harmonious composition draws local and foreign travelers who want even for minutes revel in its peaceful atmosphere.

According to Britannica Encyclopedia, the surrounding landscape of the sanctuary was probably first inhabited sometime in the 1st millennium BC. Some construction on the mound itself dates from the early Achaemenian dynasty (559–330 BC), and there are traces of settlement activity from the Parthian period.

AFM/MG