Maragheh in East Azerbaijan province is a city of historical structures and signs. The architecture of its structures is beautiful and one of the outstanding examples of Iranian art. One of the sights of this city is a historical tower known as the “Round Tower.”
Maragheh Round Tower can now be seen near Khaja Nasir Street. It was built in the 6th century of the lunar calendar when Atabkan Seljuk ruled Azerbaijan. Ten meters from the circular tower, another historical structure called “Blue Dome” can be seen, a survivor of the Ilkhanate era in the 8th century of the lunar calendar. The blue dome is said to be the tomb of the mother of Holakukhan Mughal, the founder of the Ilkhanate dynasty. The construction date of the round tower was known from its stone inscription, which we will talk more about later.
Structural feature of the circular tower
The shape of the circular tower is simple. Still, this simplicity is so magnificent that the absence of arrays does not reduce its beauty The tower’s wall is without array and is made of bricks. Its only array is on the structure’s entrance, which has beautiful designs. This tower has two stories. Its eye-catching entrance is crescent shaped, and unfortunately, its roof and dome have collapsed over time. The canopy cover on the building was placed to prevent further damage to the structure.
The architecture and construction of this tower has kept it standing, but, as we mentioned, part of its roof has collapsed. It is 12 m in height. You have to climb a two-meter platform to step inside the tower. A metal staircase has been installed in this part of the structure in the past years. The room inside has 10 sides, and the walls have arched facades. What is the circular tower built for? It needs to be clarified. It is believed to have been a tomb But, there is no mention of the founder and builder of the tower.
Earlier, we talked about the circular tower inscription. This inscription can be seen under the crescent arch of the structure. Its two-line writing is in Kufic script, and its patterns are made on the background of bricks and turquoise tiles. The date 563 of the lunar calendar is written on it, which is the year of construction of the round tower. Still, there is no mention of the founder and builder of the structure.
The city of Maragheh has four historical domes. One is the Round Tower, and the others are the blue dome, red dome, and Ghaffarieh Dome. But the circular tower is the only structure among these four domes built circularly. The historical structures of Maragheh are the beginning of Azeri architecture in Iran. This style of architecture starts from the Red Dome of this city and reaches the peak of prosperity in the Blue Dome and Ghaffarieh Dome. Ghaffarieh Dome was built northwest of Maragheh city and next to the Sufi Chai River. The date of its construction goes back to the reign of Abu Saeed Bahadur Khan, the Mughal Ilkhan, and it is a surviving historical work from the first half of the 8th century.
In 2016, the roof of the circular tower, which was built 60 years ago in the form of a metal roof, was rebuilt to prevent rain and snow, which damaged the structure due to the decay of the top. In May 2019, the Maragheh Cultural Heritage Department clarified the boundaries of the round tower and the blue dome. Based on this definition, any construction around these towers must follow the guidelines of the new map (ISNA report).
The Maragheh Round Tower should be considered an outstanding example and a masterpiece of Iranian architecture in Azerbaijan province. Despite its unknown use and the simplicity of the structure, its historical and architectural value should be kept in mind.
