Shafaqna English- The Dome of Soltaniyeh in Zanjan is one of Iran’s national monuments and UNESCO-listed tourist attractions. This building is considered one of the important architectural works of Iran and Islam. It is the second largest brick dome in the world after the Florence Cathedral and alao the third-largest dome in the world is the Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia Mosque.
This dome was built during the Ilkhanate period and can be seen from a distance due to its turquoise color and tall height. Soltaniyeh, was a region that used to be a scenic woodland area and was used for recreation and hunting. Arghun Khan, the fourth emperor of the Mongol Ilkhanate dynasty, ordered the construction of Soltaniyeh city for his residence during his reign. Soltaniyeh was considered the third capital of the Ilkhanate dynasty after Maragheh and Tabriz.
During the reign of Sultan Mohammad Khodabandeh (also known as Uljaytu), the eighth Mongol ruler, he converted to Shia Islam under the influence of one of his wives and his minister Sheikh Fazlullah.
Sultan Mohammad Khodabandeh died at the age of 34, two years after the completion of the Soltaniyeh Dome, due to illness. He had instructed to be buried inside the dome. His name and his son’s name can be seen on all the inscriptions in this building. Additionally, the name Taj Ad-Din Ali Shah can also be found on some inscriptions, who, according to some sources, was the architect of the Soltaniyeh Dome. More than 3,000 workers participated in the construction of this building, and Khwaja Rashid Al-Din Hamadani, the Sultan’s minister, was the designer and supervisor of this construction project.