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The Dome of Soltaniyeh is the biggest brick
dome in the world and the Mausoleum of Ilkhan
Oljaytu. The structure is a very exquisite mosque
which is well-known in the world from the
viewpoint of architecture, interior design and
space. The dome is located 30 km east of Zanjan
inside the rampart of the old city of Soltaniyeh.
It is an octagonal building, each side of which is
almost 80 meters. The Soltaniyeh Dome is built
in the Arg city or old fortification of Sultaniyeh,
the capital of Oljaytu, an Ilkhan ruler.
The Hottest Spring in the World
Qinarjeh hot-water spring in south of the city
of Meshkin Shahr, East Azarbaijan Province,
is located at a height of 1,240 meters from
the sea level on the northern slope of Sabalan
Mountain close to four other mineral springs.
This spa, whose temperature stands at 86 degrees
Centigrade, is the world’s hottest chloridemineral
spring and has three mouths. Due to therapeutic
effects of minerals present in its water, especially
high sulfur, the water of the spring is effective
in treating such diseases as rickets and chronic
forms of rheumatism. The high temperature of
the spring also allays various kinds of pain and
inflammation. There is a waterfall close to the
spring which has added to the natural beauty and
tourism attraction of Qinarjeh spring.
World’s Oldest Cedar Tree
A cedar tree near the city of Abarkouh is
believed to be the oldest of its kind in the world
as its age has been
estimated at about
4,000-4,500 years.
The girth of the tree
is 11.4 meters on the
ground and its height
has been estimated
at 25-28 meters.
According to some
local myths, the tree
has been planted by
the ancient Iranian prophet, Zoroaster.
The Most Ancient Useable Bridge in the
World
This bridge is located at the center of the
southwestern Iranian city of Dezful, in Khuzestan
Province, and connects the eastern and western
parts of the city. It has been a crossroads
connecting the cities of Shushtar, Andimeshk
and Dezful since very old times. According
to historical accounts, the Dezful Bridge was
built in 260 AD when Shapour I, the powerful
Sassanid king, make 70,000 Roman captives
to build the strong bridge. The bridge has 14
mouths and the Dez River flows underneath. The
structure had been first repaired by the Iranian
king, Azed-od-Dowleh Deylami, followed by
further reconstructions under Safavid and Pahlavi
dynasties. The pillars of the bridge, however,
have remained unchanged as they were built by
the Sassanid king.