11th-century twinned domes in Avaj County, Qazvin Province, Iran
Kharraqan towers برجهای خرقان
The Kharāghān twin towers
Religion
Affiliation
Muslim
Year consecrated
First tower 1067 Second tower 1093
Location
Location
Hesar-e Valiyeasr, Qazvin Province, Iran
Architecture
Architect(s)
Muhammad bin Makki al-Zanjani
Specifications
Width
4 m
Height (max)
13 m
The Kharraqan towers (as known as the Kharrakhan or Kharaghan towers; Persian: برجهای خرقان) are a pair of mausolea built in 1067 and 1093, in the Kharraqan region of northern Iran, near Qazvin. They are notable for being an early example of geometric ornament,[1] an early example of double domes,[2] and one of the earlier tomb towers that appeared in the Seljuk period of medieval Iran during the 11th century.[3][2]
The octagonal brick structures stand 13 metres (43 ft) tall, and each side is 4 metres (13 ft) wide.[4] The surface of both mausolea demonstrate extensive use of geometry. The interior walls of the older mausoleum are decorated with paintings of various subjects.[5] The eastern tower dates from 1067–68, and the western tower dates from 1093.[2]
^Grabar, Oleg (1992). The mediation of ornament. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. pp. 142–144. ISBN 978-0691040998. OCLC 25632729.
^ abcCite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Hillenbrand, Robert (1974). "The Development of Saljuq Tombs in Iran". The Art of Iran and Anatolia, from the 11th to the 13th Century A.D.: 40–59.
^Ettinghausen, Richard (2001). Islamic art and architecture 650-1250. Grabar, Oleg., Jenkins, Marilyn, 1940- (2nd. ed.). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. pp. 146. ISBN 978-0300088670. OCLC 44764251.
^Daneshvari, Abbas (1986). Medieval tomb towers of Iran : an iconographical study. Lexington, KY, U.S.A: Mazdâ Publishers in association with Undena Publications. p. 42. ISBN 978-0939214341. OCLC 13700552.
The Kharraqantowers (as known as the Kharrakhan or Kharaghan towers; Persian: برجهای خرقان) are a pair of mausolea built in 1067 and 1093, in the Kharraqan...
Ananda Temple built in Bagan, Pagan Kingdom capital. 1093 Second of the Kharraqantowers mausoleums built in Qazvin, Seljukid Iran. Durham Cathedral in the...
Mansur Iltai, son of Takin — located in two separate towers known as the Kharraqan twin towers. Constructed in 1067, these were the first monuments in...
Mausoleum, Ziyarid period, e.g. Gonbad-e Qabus, Seljukid period, e.g. Kharraqantowers, The Azari style (from the late 13th century to the appearance of the...
indicate a specific message is visible over the entrance of one of the Kharraqantowers, where star-shaped polygons frame the word "Allah" (God). The development...
Turkmenistan), which has a square base. KharraqanTowers, a set of mausoleums built in 1068 and 1093 in Iran Tughril Tower in Rayy, south of present-day Tehran...
Iran and Central Asia until the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. KharraqanTowers, mausoleums of Seljuk princes, built in 1068 and 1093 in Iran The minaret...
centuries, as in the carved stucco panels with interlaced girih of the Kharraqantowers (1067) near Qazvin, Iran. Stylized plant decorations were sometimes...
consecrated. 1067 Abbey of Jumièges, Normandy consecrated. First of the Kharraqantowers built in Qazvin, Seljukid Iran. Sankt Gereon, Cologne begun. 1068 –...
Global Information