Soltaniyeh and the Mausoleum of Öljaitü

Timeline

1. 1304–1306Soltaniyeh · SoltaniyehAfter Öljaitü's accession in 1304, he designated Soltaniyeh on the Zanjan plain as the new capital, mobilizing craftsmen and postal-relay resources to build palaces, markets, and city walls, transforming a seasonal encampment into the political center of the Ilkhanate.
2. 1305–1312Mausoleum of Öljaitü (Soltaniyeh Dome) · SoltaniyehThe mausoleum has an octagonal plan topped by a double dome of turquoise-glazed brick about 50 meters high, surrounded by slender tall minarets. The main structure was completed between 1302 and 1312, making it one of the earliest surviving double domes in Iran, and it also reflects the Mongol court's large-scale use of Persian brickwork and glazing traditions.
3. 1312–1316Soltaniyeh · SoltaniyehAfter the mausoleum's completion, Soltaniyeh became the stage for Öljaitü's court, chancery, and diplomatic exchanges; bureaucrats such as Rashid al-Din also worked here. Öljaitü died in 1316 and was buried in the mausoleum, and the capital's ceremonial function reached its peak.
4. 1316–1335Soltaniyeh · SoltaniyehAfter Öljaitü's son Abu Sa'id succeeded him, Soltaniyeh remained an important residence and a political center near the burial site. Abu Sa'id died in 1335, the Ilkhanate rapidly fragmented, and the capital's administrative functions collapsed.
5. 1340Mausoleum of Öljaitü (Soltaniyeh Dome) · SoltaniyehAfter the khanate's fragmentation the urban area of Soltaniyeh gradually fell into ruin; the domed mausoleum, as the principal surviving structure, continued to influence Timurid and Safavid memorial architecture. In 2005 the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming key material evidence of Ilkhanid capital planning and brick dome technology.