Heritage with Related Tags
Soltaniyeh
The Ojtun Mausoleum was built in 1302-12 in Soltaniya, the capital of the Ilkhanate dynasty founded by the Mongols. Soltaniya, located in Zanjan Province, is one of the outstanding examples of Persian architectural achievement and an important monument to the development of Persian Islamic architecture. The octagonal building is topped by a 50-meter-high dome covered with turquoise colored pottery and surrounded by eight slender minarets. It is the earliest surviving double-shell dome building in Iran. The interior decoration of the mausoleum is also outstanding, and scholars such as AU Pope have described it as "the forerunner of the Taj Mahal."
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi
The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is located in the town of Yasi, in present-day Turkestan, and was built during the Timurid period, between 1389 and 1405 AD. In this partially unfinished building, Persian master builders experimented with the architecture that would later be built in Samarkand, the capital of the Timurid Empire. Today, it is one of the largest and best-preserved buildings from the Timurid period.
Pasargadae
Pasargadae was the first dynastic capital of the Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus II the Great in the 6th century BC in Pars, the homeland of the Persians. Its palaces, gardens and the Mausoleum of Cyrus are outstanding examples of royal art and architecture of the first phase of the Achaemenid Empire and an outstanding testimony to Persian civilization. Particularly noteworthy remains of the 160-hectare site include: the Mausoleum of Cyrus II, the defensive terrace Tal Takht, as well as the Royal Gatehouse, the Audience Hall, the residential palaces and gardens. Pasargadae was the capital of the first great multicultural empire of Western Asia. Stretching from the eastern Mediterranean and Egypt to the Indus River, it is considered the first empire to respect the cultural diversity of different peoples. This is reflected in Achaemenid architecture, which is a comprehensive representation of different cultures.
Bisotun
Located on the ancient trade route that connected the Iranian plateau to Mesopotamia, Bisotun has remains from prehistoric times to the Median, Achaemenid, Sassanian and Ilkhanate periods. The main monument of this archaeological site is a bas-relief and cuneiform inscription commissioned by Darius I when he ascended the throne of the Persian Empire in 521 BC. The bas-relief depicts Darius holding a bow and arrow (as a symbol of sovereignty) and stepping on the chest of a man lying in front of him. According to legend, the figure represents Gaumeta, a wise man and pretender to the throne of Media, whose assassination led to Darius's rise to power. Under and around the bas-relief, there are about 100 cuneiform inscriptions. The 1,200-line inscription tells of Darius' battles in 521-520 BC against rulers who tried to dismantle the empire founded by Cyrus. The inscriptions are written in three languages. The oldest is the Elamite text, which mentions a legend describing the king and the rebellion. Next is the Babylonian version of a similar legend. The last part of the inscription is particularly important, as it is here that Darius first presented the Old Persian version of his res gestae (what was done). This is the only known Achaemenid monumental text that records the restoration of the empire by Darius I. It also bears witness to the exchange of influences on the development of monumental art and writing in the Persian Empire. There are also remains from the Median (8th-7th century BC), Achaemenid (6th-4th century BC) and post-Achaemenid periods.
Aksum
The ruins of the ancient city of Aksum are located near Ethiopia's northern border. This was the heart of ancient Ethiopia, when the Kingdom of Aksum was the most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Persian Empire. These vast ruins date from the 1st to the 13th century AD and include huge obelisks, giant stelae, royal tombs and the remains of an ancient castle. Ethiopian emperors were still crowned in Aksum, long after its political decline in the 10th century.
Taxila
From the Neolithic tombs of Saraikara to the walled city of Sirkap (2nd century BC) and Sirsuq (1st century AD), Taxila illustrates the different stages of urban development along the Indus River. The city was influenced by Persia, Greece and Central Asia, and was an important center of Buddhist learning from the 5th century BC to the 2nd century AD.
Susa
The site is located in southwestern Iran, in the lower Zagros Mountains, and includes a group of archaeological mounds on the eastern bank of the Savur River, and the palace of Ardashir on the other side of the river. Excavated architectural remains include administrative, residential and palace buildings. Susa contains multiple layers of continuous urban settlements that lasted from the late 5th century BC to the 13th century AD. The site is an outstanding testimony to Elamite, Persian and Parthian cultural traditions that have largely disappeared.
Golestan Palace
The ornate Golestan Palace is a masterpiece of the Qajar dynasty, reflecting a successful fusion of early Persian craftsmanship and architecture with Western influences. One of the oldest complexes in Tehran, this walled palace became the seat of government for the Qajar family, who came to power in 1779 and established Tehran as Iran's capital. Built around a garden with pools and green areas, the palace's most distinctive decorations and rich ornamentation date from the 19th century. It became a center of Qajar art and architecture, an outstanding example of it, and remains a source of inspiration for Iranian artists and architects to this day. It represents a new style that combines elements of traditional Persian art and crafts with 18th-century architecture and technology.