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City &
Highlight Sightseeing ::
Soltanyeh ::
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SOLTANYEH
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Soltaniyeh (Persian:
سلطانيه) situated in the Province of
Zanjan,
Iran, some 240 km to the north-west from
Tehran, used to be the capital of
Ilkhanid rulers of
Persia in the
14th century. Its name translates as "the
Imperial". In
2005,
UNESCO listed Soltaniyeh as one of the
World Heritage Sites.
The principal among Soltaniyeh's several ruins is
the Mausoleum of
Il-khan
ljeit (Persian اولجايتو), traditionally known
as the Dome of Soltaniyeh. The structure,
erected from
1302 until
1312, boasts the oldest double-shell
dome in the world. Its importance in the Muslim
world may be compared to that of
Brunelleschi's cupola for the Christian
architecture. The Dome of Soltaniyeh paved the way
for more daring Muslim cupola constructions, such as
the
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi and
Taj Mahal. Much of exterior decoration has been
lost, but the interior retains superb
mosaics,
faience, and
murals.
The estimated 200 ton dome stands 49 meters (161
ft) tall from its base, and is currently undergoing
extensive renovation.
SULTANIEH
On the way to Zanjan, Tabriz, Ardabil and Rasht by
road, you will have the opportunity to visit some of
Irans historic sites in towns along the highway
from Tehran to the north and northwest Iran. Your
probable stay in Zanjan will give you the chance to
see the Mausoleum of Oljaitu at Sultanieh, and
prepare your imagination to visualize the metropolis
that was once Tabriz. Sultanieh the town of
Sultans 285 km to the northwest of Tehran in
Zanjan province, in an altitude of 1,900 m above sea
level, is six km along a road which turns south off
the main road which turns south of the main road
from Qazvin to Zanjan, 37 km southeast of Zanjan.
The y-junction (the Serah-e Sultanieh) can be
reached by bus from Qazvin or Zanjan, and from there
you hitch. Like the latter, Sultanieh was built by
the Mongols as belated expiation for the wholesale
destruction they wrought during the conquest of
Iran. Arghun Khan founded Sultanieh in the last
decade of the 13th century, and it was enhanced
during the reign of his sons Ghazan and Oljaitu
during the early 14th century. By the command of
Oljaitu, Ghazans younger brother and successor
(1304-16), there arose on the beautiful open meadows
of Sultanieh a wonder city planned to be the
imperial capital. Begun in 1305 and dedicated in
1313, it was built magnificently and rapidly. The
result was a complex almost the size of Tabriz,
dominated by Qlijatus Mausoleum, one of Irans
supreme architectural achievements. The building was
the climax of a congeries of subordinate buildings
no longer extant. Founders is one of the most
curious stories in Central Asian religious history.
He was baptized Nicholas as an infant and had been
converted to Buddhism before he became a Sunni
Muslim of the Hanafi sect. But after visiting Najaf
in the winter of 1309-10 this most impressionable
Mongol was persuaded to Shiite Islam and decided to
dedicate the great mausoleum at Sultanieh not to
himself (as its popular name indicates) but as the
final glorious resting-place of the remains of Ali
(the Prophets son-in-law) and Hossein, the first
and third Imams revered by Iranian Shiites. Faced
with the Najafis refusal to part with the remains
of their Imams, Oljaitu found himself in rather an
awkward position; but he himself was the only one to
be buried there upon his death in 1316. It is
difficult to recall a mausoleum equaling the
grandeur of this one anywhere else in Iran. Visible
from far across the surrounding plain, the
mausoleums very striking egg-shaped dome is said to
be the largest Islamic version ever built. The
mausoleum is 53 meters high and 25 meters in
diameter. Octagonal in shape, it is dominated by a
superb dome that soars almost as impressively
without the eight elegant minarets or superb
portals, which no longer survive. The second-story
galleries open outward, anticipating monuments such
as Taj Mahal. Its impressive scale provides for an
interior of great power. Here space is ample and
majestic not mere emptiness but space more
intensely realized than an open landscape. The walls
are made less conspicuous by the stately rhythm of
eight huge and soaring arches. Mediated by shallow
stalactites, the angles between these arches seem to
melt quietly into the circular base of the enormous
dome. The walls were originally faced with light
gold-toned brick, punctuated with small, dark blue
faience tiles strung out to form large inscriptions
of rectangular Kuffic, but in 1313 the interior was
redecorated with plaster. Designs were varied; huge
lacy medallions or painted mosaic and floral
patterns, sacred inscriptions proclaimed the divine
message, their undulating scripts kept alive a
gentle flowing movement. The vaults of the outer 24
galleries (three on a side) were decorated with
painted panels of intricate geometric ornament,
exceedingly lovely in design and vibrant in color.
Unfortunately, very considerable restoration work
had rendered it inaccessible for several years in
past. There is a less interesting 14th century
octagonal Mongol tomb tower in the village. Like the
Gonbad-e Oljaitu nearby, it was spared destruction
by the Timurids when they sacked the town in 1384.
Zanjan ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS ACCESS AND
DISTANCES: (Zanjan) 319 km to Tehran, 278 km to
Tabriz, 348 km to Rasht, 374 km to Ardabil, 375 km
to Orumieh, 275 km to Hamadan. ACCIDENTS: 24644,
4020 BANK MELLI IRAN: Cooperative No 1: 24088;
Cooperative No 3 and No 15: 28126; Cooperative No 8:
34445. CITY DIALING CODE NUMBER: Dialing codes are
as follows: Zanjan 02821, and Sultanieh 02846. DRUG
STORE (24-HOUR): Shahrokh 27300. EMERGENCIES: 115,
22806. MEDICAL SERVICES: Zanjan 115, 22806.
Sultanieh 115, 2010. POLICE: Zanjan 24644, 28001.
RAILWAY STATION: Zanjan 22074. RESTAURANTS: Chashm
Andaz, Zanjan Blvd 23041, 29644. Nemuneh, Imam
Khomeini Ave 39978. Salar, Imam Khomeini Ave 29330.
TAXI AGENT: Rakhsh 27276. Oghab 29790. Shabruz
33500. Kaleskeh 28559. TOURIST MAP: Available in
English and Persian. TOURIST OFFICE: 28022
Annual
Temperature average:
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