Ilkhanid-era royal cemetery discovered near Soltanieh Dome

TEHRAN (Iran News)  An Ilkhanid-era royal cemetery has been discovered in the vicinity of the Soltanieh Dome, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the northwestern Iranian city of Zanjan.

Abolfazl Ali, the director of Soltanieh Site, made the announcement on Sunday evening, citing the provincial Cultural Heritage Organization that remains of an underground tomb, dating back to the Mongol era, was unearthed during an archaeological excavation in the area known as Abvab Al-Bar.

Ali said that based on the existing evidence and historical sources, the tomb and skeletons belong to the royal family of Mongol Ilkhans.

Calling the cemetery an important part adjacent to the Soltaniyeh Dome, Ali said that some members of the royal family, including one of the wives and children of Oljaitu, the eighth Mongol Ilkhan, were buried there.

Abolfazl Ali, the director of Soltanieh Site, made the announcement on Sunday evening, citing the provincial Cultural Heritage Organization that remains of an underground tomb, dating back to the Mongol era, was unearthed during an archaeological excavation in the area known as Abvab Al-Bar.

Ali said that based on the existing evidence and historical sources, the tomb and skeletons belong to the royal family of Mongol Ilkhans.

Calling the cemetery an important part adjacent to the Soltaniyeh Dome, Ali said that some members of the royal family, including one of the wives and children of Oljaitu, the eighth Mongol Ilkhan, were buried there. “Ilkhanid-era”

Abolfazl Ali, the director of Soltanieh Site, made the announcement on Sunday evening, citing the provincial Cultural Heritage Organization that remains of an underground tomb, dating back to the Mongol era, was unearthed during an archaeological excavation in the area known as Abvab Al-Bar.

Ali said that based on the existing evidence and historical sources, the tomb and skeletons belong to the royal family of Mongol Ilkhans.

Calling the cemetery an important part adjacent to the Soltaniyeh Dome, Ali said that some members of the royal family, including one of the wives and children of Oljaitu, the eighth Mongol Ilkhan, were buried there.

The head of the excavation and director of the Soltanieh World Heritage Site underscored that the latest discovery could provide valuable information about history, culture, and customs during the Mongol era in the 13th and 14th centuries.

He continued by saying that the burial practice and the objects accompanying the dead can also give insights into the religious beliefs and rituals of that period.

The Soltanieh Dome is the 3rd biggest brick dome in the world and the Mausoleum of Ilkhan Oljaytu (Sultan Mohammad Khodabandeh), highlighting the accomplishment of Iranian architecture.  It was built upon the order of the Sultan and was designed by Fazlullah Hamedani, the Ilkhanid minister.