The plain of Soltaniyeh is a working landscape, and Tappeh Nur, the mound of light, sits right in the middle of it, with wheat or barley growing around its base. What I can tell you is what the farmers do, because the people who work these fields are the real guardians of the site.
In the Zanjan plain, grain is the main crop. Wheat is sown in autumn or early spring, and it ripens in June, when the whole plain turns gold and combine harvesters crawl across the fields in clouds of dust. After the harvest, flocks are brought in to graze on the stubble, and the straw is baled for winter feed. Alfalfa is grown for fodder, and potatoes, sunflowers and sugar beet appear in rotation. Irrigation is by pumps from deep wells, which has lowered the water table in recent decades, a problem across much of Iran.
For a rider this is quiet, open country, with long straight roads and almost no traffic on the side lanes. The wind is nearly always present, and in spring it can be bitterly cold on the high plain even when the sun is out. Tracks to the mounds are unpaved, and you should stay on them rather than ride across crops. Dogs guard the flocks, and they can be aggressive, so keep your distance and do not stop beside a flock.
Abhar, about thirty-five kilometres to the south-east, has fuel stations and a market, and Zanjan, a bit further north-west, has a full range of services and a lively bazaar. On the way, look for roadside stalls selling local honey and walnuts. A picnic on the top of the mound, with bread, cheese and cucumbers, is a pleasant way to take in the view, and the dome of Soltaniyeh appears in the distance, pale against the hills. Take your litter with you, and watch for scorpions under flat stones.