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ORUMIEH :

Where To Stay
in Shiraz
Hotels & Guesthouses

Where to Eat & Drink

in Shiraz
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Always try a new local cuisines , you never forget it.

	The Historical Monuments: ::Palaces Ancient Cities and Archeological Hills Castles and Forts Tombs Fire Temples Historical Caves Old and Historical Houses Water Reservoirs Ancient Graveyards Details >>

The Towns:

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The natural attractions:
::Persian Gulf and Wetlands
Islands
Protected Zones
Springs and Water treatment Centers
Altitudes and Summits
Rivers Details >>

	The Art & Culture: ::Museums Special Local Ceremonies Handicrafts, Music, and Food Special Villages Details >>

The Sacred & religious monuments:
::Old Mosques
Mausoleums and Imamzade
Old Churches Details >>

Friday Mosque

Hall of the mosque are of particular architectural interest as regards the construction of vault, thickness of the foundation, and the solid stone body of the building. Seen from the outside, the cupola rests upon a polygonal brick base of sixteen sides which gradually rise up to the top of the cupola growing into circular shape. The mihrab room richly adorned with the typical decoration of the period exuberant foliage and geometric patterns framed within panels of beautifully executed Kuffic script as well as its fine carved stucco work is of the square Seljuk "kiosk mosque" type, influenced not by Islam at all, but by the square Sassanian fire-temples seen, for instance, at Naqsh-e Rostam. Stucco plaster is known to have been used as a building material in Iran for at least 2,500 years; it was developed as a decorative medium by the Sassanians and continued to be used as such in mosques and shrines, as well as private houses, from early Islamic day until the present. Lower down, the mihrab is enframed by two engaged columns decorated with plaster moldings. In the middle, there is an inscription which contains the name of the artist and the date 1277 AD. Besides this inscription there is another one of the inner side of the walls and the cupola, giving an account of the construction of the mosque and its later reparations.

Seh Gonbad

Besides its almost 9 meter high cupola with beautiful stalactite work, the colourful decorations and fine stone ornaments of the monument bestow a particular artistic charm on it. The monument bears great resemblance to the Tower of Ala ad-Din in Varamin, and has two separate rooms, built inside the tower. Its main cupola is coupled by two smaller ones. Hence the popular name Seh Gonbad, under which it is generally known

Kara Kelisa

Among the Armenians he is revered as the apostle of the Christian church in Persia and one of its first martyrs.

The present cruciform building, said to be on the site of this early church, stands on a hill within fortified walls and consists of two distinct parts: a domed sanctuary end built largely of dark stone, probably dating from the tenth or eleventh century, and the main body of the church, built of light sandstone, under a second and larger tent dome whose twelve-sided drum is pierced by an equal number of windows.

According to an inscription dating 1329 this latter section was rebuilt after an earthquake in 1319; considerable additions were, however, made during the 19th century, possibly when there was an abortive move to transfer here from Echmiadzin in Russia the seat of Armenian Catholics.

The exterior walls are, like those of other early Armenian churches, decorated with bas-reliefs, the effigies of saints and a lively frieze of vine leaves and animals on the newer building being particularly striking. Ruined buildings within a walled compound adjoining the western fortified walls indicate that a considerable monastic settlement once existed there.

The church has one service a year, on the feast day of St. Thaddeus (around 19 June), when Armenian pilgrims from all over Iran camp for three day to attend the ceremonies. At other times, this isolated church is rarely visited. Enter through a south gateway, the key for which is kept in the hamlet; ask for the Kelid-e Kelisa. The keys for the outer monastery buildings are not kept in the Kara Kelisa.

There are a few Urartian sites around Maku and to either side of the road to and from Orumieh to the south, but none of these can be easily reached from Maku. If you are interested, you could hire a taxi to the small Urartian citadel or Sangar about 10 km to the west of Maku, just to the north of road to Bazargan.

Takhte Soleiman

The present monument is believed to have originally been the site of the famous Azargashasb Shiz fire-altar and the birth place of Zaroaster, and its construction has been attributed to the Parthian and Sassanian sovereigns. In the central part of the hill there is a large pool built of stone for water storage purposes. During the 1970s a joint Irano-German excavation mission was involved in scientific investigations at the site and discovered a number of remains belonging to the Sassanian and Moghul periods.

The most important part of the Takht-e Suleiman ruins is that which comprises the entrance gate, the entrance door to the Azargashasb fire-altar, the fortification towers, the walls of the complex, the Sassanian ivan ( repaired during the reign of Moghuls), the central pool of the fire-temple, and a number of Islamic structures. From the view point of construction and architecture, the monument is highly remarkable. Adjoining the site are the ruins of Takht-e Bulqais and Suleimans dungeon (Dakhmeh-ye Zendan-e Suleiman).

Tape Hasanlu

There is a House of Pearls named after the many white pearls and shells that were found there; these probably came from the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean islands. Craftsmen and merchants took refuge there in times of war, abandoning their houses outside the walls. It is best known for a gold bowl with relief decoration of weather gods and scenes from the mythology of the Hurri unearthed during the summer of 1958. This had been looted about 800 BC by soldiers from Urartu ( a kingdom adjoining Lake Van, to the east) who, however, were killed by the collapse of a burning roof before they could escape. The bowl is related artistically to the finds from Marlik and Ziwieh.