TEHRAN – Archaeologists have discovered parts of the Royal Ilhonid Cemetery adjacent to the UNESCO-registered Soltanie dome in the west-central Iranian region, the excavation chief said on Sunday.
Abolfazur Ali, who also manages the World Heritage Site in Soltanier, said the discoveries were made during excavations in an area known as Abuwab al-Ber, revealing a section of the underground tomb.
“Based on existing evidence, historical texts and skeletons discovered, the burial site is likely to belong to members of the Mongol Ilhonid royal family,” Aali said.
He said the cemetery may have been a resting place for some relatives of Orjaitu, the ruler of the 8th Ilhanid, which included one of his wife and children, as recorded in the historical account.
Archaeologists say royal cemeteries can provide information about social classes and individual circumstances in past societies. The objects where the dead were buried and buried with them can provide insight into the beliefs and religious practices of the era, Ali explained.
The excavations that began in the southwest of Soltaniyeh Citadel in early August are expected to continue until late September. Items usually found in such burials include human remains, valuable objects, architectural structures, and inscriptions.
Built in the 14th century by Sultan Mohammad Kodabande (Orjait), the Soltanyer Dome is the world’s largest brick dome and a major tourist attraction. Recognised for its innovative double-shell construction and intricate turquoise tilework, it is considered a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.
The city of Soltanyer briefly serves as the capital of the Persian Ilhonid dynasty, a branch of the Mongol Empire, and is considered by UNESCO as an important link in the development of Islamic architecture in Central and Western Asia.
According to UNESCO, the interior decoration of Spirit US is so outstanding that scholars like Au Pope describe the building as “predicting the Taj Mahal.”
The dome is decorated in turquoise Faien style. The stunning structure rules the skyline of Soltanie, an ancient city of the same name in Zanjan province in northwestern Iran. A neighbor rises dramatically 48m above its base from dusty archaeological digging and crumbling walls.
UNESCO says that the Spirit of Orgite is an important link and an important monument in the development of Islamic architecture in Central and Western Asia.
The rather large dome was the earliest existing example of that type in the country and became an important reference for the later development of Islamic domes.
Also, the extremely rich interior of the Spirit US, including elaborate brickwork, glass-walled tiles, elephant materials, stucco and fresco designs, can be considered as a masterpiece of the arena of Islamic architecture.
Ilhonid dynasty
The Il Honeyd dynasty, also known as Il Honeyd, was the Mongol dynasty that ruled Iran from 1256 to 1335. Il-khan is the Persian word for “lower khan.”
Hulegu, the grandson of Jingis Khan, received orders from Mongol Chieftain Mongke Supreme to conquer Iran. Hulegu began around 1253 with a Mongol army of approximately 130,000. According to Britannica, he founded the Il-khanid dynasty in 1256, and by 1258 he conquered Baghdad and all Iran.
The IL-Khanids united their position in Iran and unified the region as a political and territorial entity after centuries of fragmented rule by small dynasties. During the reign of Il-khanid Maumud Ghuzun (r. 1295-1304), Il-khanids lost all contact with the remaining Mongol chiefs of China. Mahmoud Guzhn himself embraced Sunni Islam, and his reign was in the period of Iranian cultural renaissance, with scholars such as Rashid Al Din thriving under his auspices.
Gazan’s brother Orjait (r. 1304-16) converted to Shia Islam in 1310. Orjait’s conversion caused great anxiety, and when he died in 1316, the civil war was imminent. His son and successor, Abu Saad (r. 1317-35), converted to Sunni Islam, and thus managed to prevent war.
However, during Abu Saad’s reign, faction conflicts and internal unrest continued to spread. Abu Sayed died without leaving his heir, and his death broke the unity of the dynasty. After that, various Il-khanid princes ruled part of the dynasty’s old territory until 1353.
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