Gonbad-e Jabaliye

At the edge of town is the mysterious, octagonal Gonbad-e Jabaliye, which houses a mildly interesting and poorly labelled museum of old gravestones. It’s mysterious because its age and original function remain unknown – a Kerman Tourism brochure sums it up as ‘A big, strange dome in the eastern part of Kerman’. Quite! Some scholars date it to the 2nd century AD and think it may have been an observatory. Others say it was a tomb. Whatever its function, it is remarkable because it is constructed of stone rather than the usual brick; though the double-layered dome, added 150 years ago, is brick. When taking photos (outside only) be careful to point your camera away from the neighbouring army base.