Name
Takht-e Belqeys تخت بلقیس
Map
Historical Period
Sasanian, Islamic
History and description
The Belqeys Mountain, with its two closely located summits, is 3300 meters high and situated 7.5 km northeast of Takht-e Sōleymān (fig. 1). On the highest part of this mountain, there are remains of fortifications dating back to the Sassanian period. They have a close architectural and historical relationship with the monuments of Takht-e Soleyman.
The fortress is enclosed in an area of approximately 60 x 50 m. The fortifications (fig. 2) follow the slopes of the mountain, roughly taking the form of a square, with slight curves on its northern and western sides (fig. 3). The fortress’s gate is on the south wall. Inside the walled fortress are two distinct constructions: the citadel and the auxiliary rooms. The citadel is a square-shaped hall with an eyvān on its southwestern side (fig. 4). The fortress' gate may have been on the southeastern side or close to the southern angle. There is a square-shaped hall inside the enclosing walls provided with an eyvān on its southwestern side. Facing the citadel stands a multi-tiered terrace with vaulted shelter-like chambers. The construction techniques such as rubble masonry and dimensions of bricks strongly suggest a date in the late Sasanian/early Islamic period. As for Takht-e Belqeys’ function, it has been suggested that it served a dual function: as a watch tower overlooking the fire temple at Takht-e Sōleymān and as a small hunting palace. Wild boars and deer were abundant in the area until a recent time.
Fig. 1. View of the Belqeys Mountain from Takht-e Soleyman (image: A. Mousavi)
Fig. 2. Dietrich Huff’s topographic plan of the Belqeys fortress (image: D. Huff, “Tacht-e Belqis,” pl. 196)
Fig. 3. The surviving southwestern wall of the fortress and its bastion in 1970 (image: M. Mousavi)
Fig. 4. The southwestern wall and its bastion in 2003 (image: A. Mousavi)
Archaeological Exploration
The ruins of Takht-e Belqeys were first inspected in 1959 by Hans Henning von der Osten and Rudolf Naumann while excavating at Takht-e Sōleymān on behalf of the German Archaeological Institute. The fortifications were later the object of careful investigation by Dietrich Huff in 1966 and 1969. Takht-e Belqyes’ distant setting, necessitating a three-hour hike, and its high altitude have deterred any further archaeological exploration.
Bibliography
Huff, D., “Sasanidische-Frühislamiche Ruinenplätze im Belqis-Massiv in Azerbaijan,” Archaeologische Mitteilungen aus Iran, vol. 7, 1974, pp. 203-213, pls. 42-45.
Huff, D., “Tacht-e Belqis,“ Archäologischer Anzeiger, 1975, pp. 196-204.
Naumann, R., Die Ruinen von Tach-e Suleiman und Zendan-e Suleiman und Umgebung, Berlin, 1977, pp. 116-119 (for Takht-e Belqeys).
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