It's located 14Km north of Mashta Helou on the northwest feet of Prophet Saleh mountaintop on a lowland surrounded by mountains from all sides. It's about 570m see level rise.
It's called "fortress", because its walls were built up of huge stones like forts. As to the word "Souleiman" it came from Souleiman jinns as the people who passed by it thought that it's impossible for ordinary human beings to build such a huge thing, so they thought that maybe Souleiman's jinnes had built this enormous thing.
Since it isn't a fort, so what is it then?? Actually it's an ancient Aramaean temple. it's built as a place for prayer. it's devoted to worship a domestic Aramaean god called "Betto Khikhi". It's renewed & widened during the 3rd quarter of the second century.
Aramaean Kingdoms were unable to protect themselves against Assyrians who exhausted them by taxes, so they escaped & came to the coastal mountains. When they enlarged their territories they became in growing need of having a temple for their god "Betto Khikhi" or as Greek called it Zeius. Therefore, they built their temple "Souleiman Fortress" during 2nd century & middle of 3rd century.
Every visitor who might pass by Soulieman Fortress and watch its huge stones, which every one weights more than 70 Tons, would wonder at the beauty of this huge building & he would absolutely ask about the builders also he might ascribe this act to Souleiman Jinns as the ancients had done before.
There are important writings in this temple but the most important one is engraved on the main gate outside.
© 2003-2007 Mashta Helou Website. All Rights Reserved
التحديث Tuesday, 20 February 2007 last updating was on