Gonbad-Qabus

The tower known as the Gonbad-e Qabus (the Dome of Qabus, or Mil-e Gonbad, as the tower is known Loally) inside a large, beautiful, and modern park, is situated in the north-eastern Iran, to the north of Gonbad-e Qabus, and some 3 km to the .remains of the ancient town of Jorjan, capital of Al-e Zyar dynasty. it is a conspicuous landmark for more than 30 kilo meters around and was used as such a landmark by the travelers of Islamic period. This tomb tower was built at the orders of Shams ol-Ma'ali Qabus ibn-e Woshmguir Al-e Ziyar, one of the Ziyarid rulers of Tabarestan (what is now occupied by the provinces of Golestan and Mazandaran), in early years of the 11th century in order to house his remains and last forever. In addition to being a brilliant warrior of his time, Qabus was well-known as a poet, a philosopher, a student of astrology, but he was even more famous as a calligrapher, writer, patron of poets and of learned men, the most eminent of whom was the great AI-Biruni (973-after 1050 AD) who dedicated his encyclopedic Chronology (translated into English in 1879) to him. Although Qabus was a man of culture, his cruelty was such that it led, first to his exile for eighteen years, and eventually after his restoration, to his assassination by an Assassin in 1012 AD. Built on top ofa15- m high mound, this tower is similar to those at Varamin and northern Iran, and rises 55 meters above an artificial hillock (altogether amounting to 70 meters). It consists of two main parts: a) the base and the body of the tower; and 2) solid dome itself; which is built of fired brick and supported by ten buttresses. There are two rows of Kuffic relief inscriptions with repeated content around the foot and the top, one 8 meters above the ground and the other just below the grayish-green conical roof (12 meters), giving Qabus's name and the date of construction (1006 AD).
The height of conical dome itself is 18 meters. The height of the brick body is 37 meters. On the interior portal of the tower, inside the. crescent-shaped arch of the entrance to the south, there is a stalactite cornice which represents the early stages of the development of th1s kind of architectural and plaster decoration. This plain, though beautiful, stalactite is perhaps one of the first specimens of stalactite ornamentation used in the Islamic buildings, which later on, were gradually perfected. The cylindrical interior is completely empty; it is said that the crystal coffin containing Qabus's body had been suspended inside the building high up from the domed ceiling about 45 meters above the ground, so as to be as far removed as possible from the touch of profane hands and be exposed to the rising sun at early hours each morning; and there is good deal of evidence which lends color to this theory.

For example, ' in 1890, the Russians, believing that he might have been buried there, sank a 17-meter shaft in the middle" of the monument. They found only brick foundations, still continuing at that fantastic depth. Again, the only window in the whole building is in the conical roof, and faces due east',' just as the door of the tent traditionally faced the rising sun. This window could have little purpose unless Qabus's body was suspended at the same level. Today, there is no means, within or without, of ascending the tower, and nothing remains to testify to its use as a tomb save an antique and penetrating odor of decay.
Some historians had held the opinion that the monument, looking like an early skyscraper, ranked with the greatest buildings of the world. There is much to support this view. The simplicity of its design is sensational. It is daringly original. It sturdy construction has withstood the test of time a the ravages of men -not to mention the birds which nest in its roof. On the other hand its appearance is strictly utilitarian, and some may find it lacking in refinement or charm.
The artistic origins of this building are unclear although it has been suggested that it is related to some form of Mazdean commemorative monument. A visitor nourished on the more glowing accounts of this extraordinary tomb may therefore experience some disappointment. Yet the tact remains that there is no other tomb tower in Iran of such massive proportions, and it .is one of the unique monuments of the world.