Primary sourceArtifact
Prison of Solomon
A tall stone tower at Pasargadae, Cyrus the Great's capital, likely built on his orders for an unknown religious or funerary purpose.
This tower stood in Cyrus's own capital city and was likely commissioned under his rule.
About this source
What it is
This is a stone tower, known locally as Zendan-e Soleyman, standing at Pasargadae, the first capital of the Achaemenid Empire founded by Cyrus the Great. It is built of pale sandstone blocks and still stands today, though partly supported by modern scaffolding.
Why it matters
Historians are not certain what the tower was used for — it may have had a religious or funerary role. It is important because it became a model for a later, similar tower, the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht, showing how Achaemenid builders repeated architectural ideas across generations.
Look closer
- Why might a building's original purpose be forgotten over time?
- What can the materials and construction of a tower tell us about the builders' skills?
- Why do you think modern scaffolding has been added to the structure?
This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Cyrus the Great on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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