Seh Gonbad Tower, Urmia

🕰️When was it built?

The three stone inscriptions at the entrance give the date Muharram 580 AH (May 1184). That places the building in the 6th century AH, in the Seljuk period. The tower was registered as a national monument in 1935.

🏛️What was it built for?

The tower was built as a tomb and has two separate spaces: a crypt below and the tomb chamber above it. The vaulted crypt separates the two levels, and the stone lower part and the brick upper part also mark the difference.

👀What you will see

• The body of the tower is cylindrical and stands on a high platform, with openings on four sides.
• The three entrance inscriptions are carved in Kufic script on stone, and the date of construction appears at the end of the text.
• The doorway to the tomb chamber is set into the tower among shallow arches, and its frame is full of carved patterns.
• The door on the lower level is about 1.7 metres high, while the door of the tomb chamber above is about 2.5 metres high.
• A brick entrance porch is on the north-east side of the tower, and the lower part of the building is stone.

💡Something interesting

Although its name means three domes, the present building has two levels. There are different stories about the name; some link it to three domes and others to two other buildings near Chehriq. The real reason for the name is not known.

🎒Good to know before you go