The 'Mosque of Solomon' at Istakhr
مسجد سليمان باصطخر
A ruined fire-temple a farsakh from Istakhr — made a fire-house by Queen Humay, later stripped and ruined — which al-Mas'udi entered and found marvellous: rock pillars crowned with stone horses and statues locals called prophets, and a wind that never stops moaning through it, said to be Solomon's chained wind; folk add he lunched at Baalbek and dined here, stopping at Palmyra 1.
At a glance
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Overview
The Mosque of Solomon at Istakhr is a great structure about a farsakh from the city of Istakhr. Al-Mas'udi relates that in ancient times it was a fire temple, and that the fire was later moved from it and the building fell into ruin. In his time people said it was the mosque of Solomon son of David, and it is known by that name. 2
He mentions that he entered it and saw a wondrous structure, with stone columns bearing images of horses, animals and human figures, which the people living beside it claim are images of the prophets. He also relays from the people of the place that the wind is confined within it. This is their saying, not the museum's. 2
Sources
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p. 550
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p.550
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The 'Mosque of Solomon' at Istakhr”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/place/masjid-sulayman-istakhr/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.