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CAIS
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
& CULTURAL NEWS©
19
September 2005
Archaeologists’
excavations in the historical-Islamic site of
Soltaniyeh led for the first time ever to the
discovery of some Achaemenid remains.
Situated in Zanjan Province, the Soltaniyeh Dome,
the mausoleum of Oljaitu, was constructed from
1302 to 1312 in the city of Soltaniyeh, the
capital of the Ilkhanids, Mongol descendents of
Genghis Khan who controlled large parts of Iran
from 1256 to 1349.
More than 16 excavations have so far been carried
out in Soltaniyeh site, and several evidence
belonging to different periods of time have been
discovered, but it is the first time that some
evidence from the Achaemenid culture have been
discovered in the region.
“In the previous excavations of Soltaniyeh, some
evidence from the Iron age, Parthian, and Sassanid
periods had been discovered, but it is the first
time that some clays pieces particular to the
Achaemenid era have been discovered,” says
Abolfazl Aali, head of the archaeological team of
Abhar city.
Evidence from the Acha6emenid era in Zanjan
province are rare, therefore these discoveries are
considered significant.
During the previous excavations around the
Ilkhanid city of Soltaniyeh, some evidence
belonging to the Islamic period had been
discovered. Recent excavations have led to the
discovery of pre-Islamic evidence belonging to the
Iron age and Achaemenid era in the Nour Tepe of
Zanjan.
Aali believes that the possibility of the
existence of Achaemenid remains in other sites of
Abhar city should be considered as well.
The excavations have been done west of Soltaniyeh,
in an area located 6 kilometers from the dome and
tower of Sutanieh. The excavations will continue
until 22nd of September.
Soltaniyeh was registered on the UNESCO World
Heritage List on July 15, 2005 during the 29th
Session of the World Heritage Committee, which was
held in Durban, South Africa.
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