☰Zendan-e Soleiman (Prison of Solomon)

A square stone tower near the tomb of Cyrus, built from precisely cut white limestone blocks with a single blind window on each side. Its purpose is still debated — fire temple, tomb, or treasury are the main theories — but a near-identical structure stands at Naqsh-e Rostam near Persepolis, suggesting it had a specific ritual or ceremonial function in Achaemenid religion. The name "Prison of Solomon" was given by later inhabitants who had forgotten its original purpose; it has nothing to do with Solomon. The craftsmanship of the stonework is striking up close.