Uljaito’s tomb is located in northwest Iran in the city of Soltanieh in Zanjan province, which was briefly the capital of Iran’s Ilkhanid dynasty (a branch of the Mongol dynasty) in the 14th century. The tomb of the 8th Ilkhani ruler, which was built in 1302, is the main remaining feature of this ancient city. Today, this building dominates a rural settlement surrounded by fertile Soltanieh pastures. Soltanieh is one of the prominent examples of Iranian architectural achievements and a key work in the development of its Islamic architecture.
The octagonal building is crowned with a 50 m tall dome covered in turquoise-blue faience and surrounded by eight slender minarets. It is the earliest existing example of the double-shelled dome in Iran. The mausoleum’s interior decoration is also outstanding and scholars such as A.U. Pope have described the building as ‘anticipating the Taj Mahal’.
As the ancient capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty, Soltaniyeh represents an exceptional testimony to the history of the 13th and 14th centuries in Iran.
