Maragheh

Maragheh was the first capital of the Ilkhanid Mongols in Iran, and it holds two things worth the detour. The first is a group of five brick tomb towers from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Gonbad-e Sorkh, Gonbad-e Kabud and others, small polygonal or cylindrical buildings with brickwork and tile of high quality, standing among the modern streets. The second is on the hill above: the site of the observatory founded in 1259 by Nasir al-Din al-Tusi under Hulagu Khan, which was the most advanced in the world in its day, with instruments and a library, and produced the Zij-i Ilkhani star tables used for centuries. The foundations of the main tower and the instrument platforms have been excavated and are under a protective dome.

History

Maragheh has long been identified with Phraaspa, the winter capital of Atropatene, and the historian al-Baladhuri, who died in 892, says it was first called Akra-rudh. The Umayyad prince Marwan ibn Muhammad stayed here in 740, when it took the name Maragheh, "place where an animal rolls", and around 803 the governor Khuzayma ibn Khazim had a wall built round it (Wikipedia, Maragheh).

What's there

• Five medieval tomb towers - brick and tile buildings across the town.
• The observatory foundations - excavated platforms under a protective dome.
• The Gonbad-e Kabud - the blue tower, the finest of the group.
• The hill site - the observatory position above the town.

When to go

April to June and September to October. Half a day. The towers are locked and need a keyholder from the heritage office, which takes arranging. Winters are cold and snowy.

What to expect

Tomb towers are usually locked and access depends on finding staff. The observatory is foundations under a modern shelter with limited interpretation. The town itself is plain. There is little English signage anywhere.

Nearby

Lake Urmia lies west; Tabriz is north.