Dome of Soltaniyeh (Soltaniyeh)

 memorial, monument, place with historical importance, interesting place, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Dome of Soltaniyeh is the Mausoleum of Il-khan Öljeitü also known as Muhammad Khodabandeh. The structure, erected from 1302 until 1312. Its importance in the Muslim world may be compared to that of Brunelleschi's cupola for the Christian architecture. In 2005, UNESCO listed Soltaniyeh as one of the World Heritage Sites.

The dome of Soltaniyeh, a masterpiece of architectural innovation, is the largest brick dome in Iran. Moreover, it ranks among the largest domes ever constructed in the Middle Ages and was the tallest double-shelled dome in the world, at its time. It is one of the outstanding examples of the achievements of Persian architecture and a key monument in the development of its Islamic 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.

The octagonal building is crowned with a 50m-tall dome covered in turquoise blue faience and surrounded by eight slender minarets. Its remarkable interior decorations is in the form of glazed tiles, brickwork, marquetry, stuccos and frescoes. The decorated surface in the monument was estimated as 9000 square meters, making the dome of Soltaniyeh one of the most decorated monuments in Iran. The dense use of stucco designs in the interior decoration of the mausoleum is also one of the rare examples in Iran of the 14th century.

UNESCO World Heritage: whc.unesco.org/en/list/1188/
(360 virtual tour) www.world-heritage-tour.org/asia/central-asia/iran/solt...