Soltaniyeh Dome

Oljaytu, the Ilkhanid ruler of Persia, built his mausoleum at Soltaniyeh between 1302 and 1312, and its dome spans about twenty-five metres and rises close to fifty, a double-shelled brick structure covered in turquoise faience, and it is generally counted among the largest brick domes anywhere and the oldest surviving double-shelled dome of its size. The scale and the engineering fed directly into later Islamic architecture, and comparisons with Florence Cathedral are routinely made. Inside, the walls carry two layers of decoration: an original scheme of glazed brick and tile, and a later plaster layer painted over it, both partly visible where restoration has exposed them. Eight minarets stand at the corners of the octagonal drum.

History

Under the Mongol Ilkhanids, who ruled Iran from 1256 to 1353, Arghun made Sultaniyya his summer capital, and his son Oljaytu, also called Muhammad Khodabandeh, developed it into the capital of the empire and built his mausoleum there in the first years of the 14th century, between 1302 and 1312 by one dating and between 1307 and 1313 by another, as the centrepiece of a complex with a mosque and residences. It was meant to rival the tomb of the Seljuq sultan Sanjar at Merv of 1157, whose octagonal plan it shares, and its double-shelled dome is almost 25 metres across and about 50 metres high. After Oljaytu's death the city declined steadily, and of its buildings only the tomb and a neighbouring khanaqah, a Sufi lodge, still show its former wealth. It has been a World Heritage Site since 2005 (Wikipedia, Dome of Soltaniyeh).

The main sights

• A twenty-five-metre brick dome - double-shelled, from around 1310.
• Turquoise faience covering - the glazed skin over the dome.
• Two layers of interior decoration - glazed brick beneath painted plaster.
• Eight corner minarets - the octagonal drum below the dome.

When to go

April to June and September to October. Two hours. The interior is often under scaffolding for the long-running restoration, so check what is accessible. Winters here are cold and snowy.

Things to know

Restoration scaffolding has been in and out of the interior for years and often obscures the dome from below. The surrounding town is drab. There is little shade outside. Interpretation is limited given the building's importance.

Nearby

Zanjan is north-west; Katale Khor cave lies south.

Key facts