Gonbad Soltanieyeh and All About It

Gonbad Soltanieyeh. It is an amazingly beautiful and historic mausoleum of Oljayatu that was constructed back in the year 1301 to 1312. That's a long time, but it was worth the hard work and the years that it took to make this amazingly beautiful Gonbad Soltanieyeh.
You will find this masterpiece in the province of Zanjan in Iran, a great example of our great ancestor's architectural talent. The key monument here was developed by the Islamic architecture that did a great job.
Formerly known as the Dome of Soltanieyeh, it is and was one of the great and largest religious endowments back in the 14th century. 
A lot of functions took place in Gonbad Soltanieyeh during that time, like praying, reading the holy Quran, for medical purposes, and even teaching. You should know that the main building lies about 125 feet across and is crowned by a dome.
In this regard, let us read till the end to understand why this place is so unique and special that it is even listed as a World Heritage Site of UNESCO.

Know more about the Dome of Soltanieyeh

You should know that this unique construction features a lot of architectural similarities to that Brunelleschi's dome.
People find a lot of similarities between these two domes. Looking at their structure, we can say that both domes have an arched network is herringbone bricks. The difference is that the Gonbad of Soltanieyeh has a high sphere-conical dome, and there are eight ribs that support each of these structures.
Still, proudly we can say that the Gonbad Soltanieyeh remains the same, with an arch and ribs that support the dome itself.
It should be added that because of these similarities, even the academics argue that Gonbad Soltanieyeh has influenced the dome of Santa Maria Del Fiore, which was built around 109 years after the Gonbad Soltanieyeh was constructed.

 

You can plan a tour to Zanjan province and visit the Gonbad Soltanieyeh from close to understand the art and the hard work behind its construction. It is a great tourist attraction as it surrounds meadowland.

We spoke so much about the Gonbad Soltanieyeh but did we know the details about the construction?

Read till the end. 
It was originally constructed as the mausoleum of Olijayto, as we mentioned earlier. The ruler of the Ilkhanates and he was commissioned Soltanieyeh and made it a great city. His mother, on the other hand, was Christian, and he was baptized by the name of Nickola.
Soon after the death of his mother, he married a Sunni Muslim girl and got attracted to Islam, and changed his name again to Mohammed khodabandehloo. Again he changed from Sunni to Shia branch for political reasons and turned Soltanieyeh into a pilgrimage destination.
Apart from its historical values, this Gonbad is also known for its exquisite decoration as it is decorated into two phases. The initial phase is the tile work, along with the geometrical brickworks that are awesome, and the second phase is the decoration which is marked by the process of covering the initial one with the help of plaster.
Overall, Gonbad Soltanieyeh is a very attractive and highly visited site and plays a vital role in history.

There are different parts to this historic yet unique Gonbad Soltanieyeh. The three parts are:

• The Torbat Khane 

It is located right on the southern side of the area and is about 16 meters tall. Torbat here means an amount of soil that belongs to none but the holy shrine. 

• The Sarabeth

The second part is the Sardabeh which is located on the southern part of the site right under the Torbat Khane. It was initially the place where the Oljayatu was buried, and its entrance is made in a way to be really low with respect to the dead person. 

• The Gonbad Khane

The third place is the Gonbad Khane which is considered to be the dome. It contains a two-shell dome that is 50 meters tall in height. The dome has light walls that were used as clocks once upon a time.

 

 

Some Facts About Gonbad Soltanieyeh You Should Know

Every place has its facts and values because of what people like it. Some are liked for their beauty, and some are liked for their history. Gonbad Soltanieyeh has its facts worth knowing as well, such as:

• It is considered to be one of the largest brick domes in the world. 

• The building is on the fourth floor, and each floor is designed for a separate purpose. The first floor is for ceremonies, the second is a cozy balcony made for women, the third floor has rooms that were made initially outside the dome room, and the b for the floor, which is last one, is the roof.

• Gonbad Soltanieyeh is a beautiful artwork that is made with stucco works and tiles, and it has a finely detailed decoration to it that are visible to the bare eyes.

• Due to its glam and beauty, it is also known as the Taj Mahal of Iran.

You see, there is not a single city in Iran that does not have any historical sites that are really valuable. All the cities are blessed with fantastic artwork that tells us all about who we are and our ancestors were.

Go ahead and plan a visit to this beautiful Gonbad Soltanieyeh and add more to your knowledge about the place and its history. Iran welcomes all to it with its arms open.