TEHRAN- On Tuesday, Dhaka’s ambassador to Tehran, Gousal Azam Sarker paid a visit to the UNESCO-designated Soltaniyeh Dome, which is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture sometimes referred to as ‘Iran’s Taj Mahal’. 

It was for the second time that Sarker, who was accompanied by his wife, toured the 14th-century monument in northwestern Zanjan province, the provincial tourism chief said on Wednesday. 

“Upon seeing this monument, the ambassador expressed his amazement at its extraordinary grandeur and architecture,” CHTN quoted Amir Arjmand as saying. 

Visits by foreign diplomats and authorities to Zanjan province’s attractions could motivate more international arrivals in the region, the official added. 

Last August, Sarker traveled to Zanjan, praising the province for its extraordinarily beautiful tourist sites. He considered the tourist attractions as one of the most important capabilities and advantages of the tourism industry in the region.

Moreover, the envoy paid visits to Rakhtshooy Khaneh Edifice Museum and Zolfaqari Archaeological Museum and proposed joint ventures in the field of tourism and handicraft exports. 

Locally known as Gonbad-e Soltaniyeh, the UNESCO-registered Mausoleum of Oljaytu is highly recognized as an architectural masterpiece particularly due to its innovative double-shelled dome and elaborate interior decoration. The very imposing dome stands about 50 meters tall from its base. Covered with turquoise-blue faience tiles, the stunning structure dominates the skyline of Soltaniyeh, an ancient city in Zanjan province. 

Meaning “Town of the Sultans”, Soltaniyeh was briefly the capital of Persia’s Ilkhanid dynasty (a branch of the Mongol dynasty) during the 14th century.

The monument is, in fact, the mausoleum of Oljaitu, also known as Muhammad Khodabandeh, who was the eighth Ilkhanid dynasty ruler from 1304 to 1316.

According to UNESCO, the mausoleum’s interior decoration is so outstanding that scholars like A.U. Pope described the building as “anticipating the Taj Mahal”.

The UN cultural body has it that the Mausoleum of Oljaytu is an essential link and key monument in the development of Islamic architecture in central and western Asia. The fairly large dome is the earliest extant example of its type in the country and became an important reference for the later development of the Islamic dome.

ABU/AFM