UNESCO-registered Soltaniyeh Dome cleaned up for Nowruz

The UNESCO-tagged Soltaniyeh Dome, world's largest brick dome, in the northwestern Iranian province of Zanjan has been cleaned by some locals and history buffs in preparation for the Iranian New Year, which begins on March 21.  

It is a cultural and symbolic movement that has taken place in historical sites across the country since 2016 to welcome Nowruz.   

Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, the cleaning project was not undertaken last year, but this year in collaboration with NGOs, the project was conducted under strict health protocols to encourage members of local communities and citizens to take part in preserving and protecting historical monuments.

The 14th-century Gonbad-e Soltaniyeh is highly recognized as an architectural masterpiece particularly due to its innovative double-shelled dome and elaborate interior decoration.  

It is believed by the UN cultural bodies that Soltaniyeh Dome is an essential link and key monument in the development of Islamic architecture in central and western Asia. The dome is the earliest extant example of its type in the country and became an important reference for the later development of the Islamic dome.

According to UNESCO, the mausoleum’s interior decoration is so outstanding that scholars like Arthur Pope, American expert on Iranian art, have described the building as “anticipating the Taj Mahal”.

MM/FM