Ganj Soltanieh suffers from lack of tourism infrastructure
37 km from Zanjan, there is a historical and beautiful city that has a blue and unique historical dome in its heart. The soaring dome is on the list of the tallest brick domes in the world and is the third tallest dome in the world in terms of height, after the Church of Santa Maria and the Hagia Sophia.
Soltanieh Dome is the tallest brick dome in the country and is one of the monuments registered in the UNESCO list, which was built by the Mongols in the city of Soltanieh (capital of the Ilkhanids) from 1302 to 1312 AD as the eternal tomb of the eighth Mongol Ilkhan, Sultan Mohammad Khodabandeh Be used; A work that is on the list of world treasures along with great works such as Persepolis, Bam Citadel and Naghsh Jahan Square in Isfahan.
The city of Soltanieh was inhabited by the Sacraments in the eighth century BC and was called Aribad and Arsas by the Medes. To a thriving and commercial center. This place was called Shahriaz or Shahriar. The dome of Soltanieh is unique and amazing in every way, but apparently it was inspired by the tomb of Sultan Sanjar in Merv, with the difference that the tomb of Sultan Sanjar is square; While Soltanieh has 8 sides. This dome was so famous in its time that 100 years after its construction, the dome of the Church of Santa Maria, del Fiore Florence was inspired by it.
The main color in the decoration of the building is blue, which can be seen from pale and sky blue to turquoise and even garlic green. The building has three entrance doors, the main door of which is now closed. There are also eight spiral staircases that connect the floors, and there are four large windows above the four main porches.
Gonbad Soltanieh is a unique example and a turning point in Islamic architecture in terms of volume, architectural style, relationship of spaces, proportions in different components, statics and strength of the building, as well as aesthetics and decorations. The greatness of this magnificent building has been mentioned in many historical texts and travelogues, and many Western orientalists and archaeologists have emphasized its extraordinary importance. The main body of the dome and all its buildings are made of bricks and the dome is decorated with turquoise and azure tiles and is decorated in a mosaic style.
The dome of Soltanieh or the tomb of Oljaito is the most famous building in the city of Soltanieh and even in the whole province of Zanjan. This building, which was built between 702 and 712 AH by the order of Sultan Mohammad Khodabandeh and under the supervision of Khajeh Rashid al-Din Fazel Hamedani, was actually built from the beginning with the intention of using a tomb, is an octagonal building with eight minarets The famous colored turquoise is placed on it. In all buildings, verses of the Qur’an and religious writings can be seen in the third and Kufic scripts on the walls and inscriptions. This dome is the highest example of patriarchal architecture.
It is said that at first, after the construction of the tomb, the holy bodies of Imam Ali (AS) and Imam Hussein (AS) were moved to this place, which was later opposed by Shiite scholars in Najaf and Karbala and the exhumation in Islam, Sultan Muhammad God forbid he does this. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the tomb of Oljaito, Sultan Mohammad Khodabandeh. His grave is in the mountains around Soltanieh. The dome has eight thick walls that support a weight of 1,600 tons, and there are eight minarets at the angle of each wall. The height of Oljaito dome is 5.5 and its diameter is 30.6 meters. This dome is the largest historical dome in Iran and the largest brick dome in the world.
In terms of antiquity, Soltanieh Dome is the oldest two-fold dome in the world. The dome is about 160 cm thick and the false space between the two domes is 60 cm. The duality of the dome is one of the reasons for its durability, to the extent that the dome has remained stable even against earthquakes. The only change that has taken place during the 700 years that have passed since the construction of this dome is its 2 to 8 cm subsidence.
Apart from the tomb aspect, Soltanieh dome was also used as a sundial and at noon it was recognizable by the light that shone through the main window of the roof, the light that passed through large windows around the clock and the light that passed through the small windows around Specifies the minute.
The building that became global
This building has been restored several times in different periods, in the Safavid and Qajar periods, repairs were done on it, but the basic restoration of the dome has been underway for several years. Inside the space of the dome and below it, for 35 years, scaffolding has been seen, which was installed by the Italian delegation, the dome restorer, and it still exists there without any fundamental change in the restoration.
The sufferings of Soltanieh
In addition to all the beauty and charm that the dome of Soltanieh has, it has cast a shadow over it at times of adversity. Sometimes there is a herd of barren land, sometimes a herd of decaying grass, and sometimes rumors of unauthorized construction around the dome that are never confirmed.
The lack of booths for the supply of handicrafts that can not only create employment, but also be effective in creating a sustainable income for the dome, is a constant complaint of tourists. The area suffers to the point where it is safe to say that there is not a single hotel suitable for foreign travelers in the city.
All these shortcomings are while tourism is the best alternative to oil revenues, and the increasing development of the tourism industry in this city can be a healing prescription for the youth of Soltaniyeh to get rid of unemployment, in addition to the foreign exchange earnings that the country receives.