Tehran – UNESCO registration of the cultural landscape of UNESCO, was found in Masle, agreeing with officials of two metal oil lamps in the Seljuk (11th-12th centuries) and two metal oil lamps in the period discovered in Masle in the Dolkanid (13th-14th centuries).
Dr. Mostafa Pourali said these artifacts were discovered during the excavation of archaeological tests in 2012, determining the boundaries of the historic site. The excavations led by Behrouz Hamrang took place in the northern part of Masle, an ancient city near the archaeological site of the old Masle, a National Museum official told the Tehran Times on Monday.
The oil lamp features unique decorative elements, including iconic bird motifs, reflecting the region’s rich metalworking heritage. Experts confirm that these works date back to the time of Seljuk and Ilhonid and have typological similarities with contemporaneous examples of Khorasan and Herat in eastern Iran.
Pourali emphasized that the discovery highlights Masle’s artistic and cultural connections with other major centres of Islamic metalworking during that period. Given its importance, with the approval of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, the artifacts were transferred to the Iranian National Archaeology and Islamic Arts section. They will soon be exhibited in the gallery of Seljuk and Ilhanid.
He further noted that Masle was a prominent region during the era of Seljuk and Ilhanid. Archaeological research in the area has discovered many sites from these periods, some related to iron mining, smelting furnaces and metalworking, and they are seasonal settlements of pastoralists.
Furthermore, the joint Iranian-China excavation at the Khan Baj Sera site near Masule reveals late metal processing furnaces of the Seljuk period, indicating strong central Asia influences. Pourali concluded that these findings highlight the historical importance of Masle and its broad relationship with eastern Iran.
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