Monument sights in Middle East
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Dome of the Rock
The jewel in the Temple Mount crown is the gold-plated Dome of the Rock, the enduring symbol of the city and undoubtedly one of the most photographed buildings on earth. As its name suggests, the dome covers the slab of stone sacred to both the Muslim and Jewish faiths. It was here that Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son and from which, according to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Mohammed launched himself heavenward to take his place alongside Allah.
The building was constructed between AD 688 and 691 under the patronage of the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik. His motives were shrewd as well as pious - the caliph was concerned that the imposing Christian Church of the Holy…
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The Peacock Throne
There has long been confusion about the origins of the Peacock (or Naderi) Throne that now sits in the National Jewels Museum. The real story is this: In 1798 Fath Ali Shah ordered a new throne to be built. His artists made quite a job of it, encrusting the vast throne that looks more like a bed with 26,733 gems.
Set into its top was a carved sun, studded with precious stones, so the throne became known as the Sun Throne. Later Fath Ali married Tavous Tajodoleh, nicknamed Tavous Khanoum or Lady Peacock, and the throne became known as the Peacock Throne in her honour.
Fath Ali certainly had a taste for gems, but one of his predecessors, Nader Shah, liked the finer things…
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Darvazeh-ye Quran
The Darvazeh-ye Quran, a modern and not desperately impressive structure built in 1949 to replace two earlier gateways. The gateway holds a Quran and travellers have traditionally passed underneath it before undertaking any journey. The fine original Quran, installed during the Zand period, was stolen from the Pars Museum in 2003.
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Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (Haram-e Razavi)
Imam Reza's Holy Shrine is enveloped in a series of sacred precincts collectively known as the Haram-e Razavi , or Haram for short. This magical city-within-a-city sprouts dazzling clusters of domes and minarets in blue and pure gold behind vast fountain-cooled courtyards and magnificent arched arcades. It's one of the marvels of the Islamic world whose moods and glories should be fully savoured more than once at varying times of day. Compare the orderly overload of dusk prayer-time to the fairy-tale calm of a floodlight nocturnal wander.
No bags or cameras are allowed within the complex, though curiously snapping photos with mobile phones is accepted. There are…
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Rachel's Tomb
In a desolate corridor near the entrance to town is Rachel's Tomb . Another Bethlehem sojourner in labour, Rachel is said to have died here in childbirth, on the way south to Hebron. Her husband Jacob 'set a pillar upon her grave' (Genesis 35:20). Revered by followers of all three Abrahamic religions (Jews and Muslims in particular), the place has been enshrined and guarded for centuries, from the Byzantine and Islamic eras to the Crusaders, Ottomans and Israelis.
Located near the former checkpoint to Bethlehem from Jerusalem, the tomb complex was flanked by businesses that now stand defunct due to the construction of the 8m-high wall effectively annexing the…
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Takieh Mo’aven ol-Molk
Distinctively Shiite, Hosseiniehs are shrines where plays are acted out during the Islamic month of Moharram, commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hossein at Karbala (AD 680). The finest in Kermanshah is the 1913 Takieh Mo’aven ol-Molk. Enter down stairs, through a courtyard and domed central chamber decorated with grizzly scenes from the great Karbala battle. The shrine remains very much active, pilgrims kissing the doors and looking genuinely moved by the ‘footprint of Ali’ on the wall of the second courtyard. This is set amid tiles depicting a wacky gamut of images from Quranic scenes, to pre-Islamic gods including Shahnameh kings, European villages and local notables…
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Jameh-ye Atigh Mosque
Walking through the southeastern (back) entrance to the Shah-e Cheragh courtyard and turning right after about 50m leads to the ancient Jameh-ye Atigh Mosque. Dating from 894 this is Shiraz's oldest Islamic structure, though most of what you see is from the late Safavid period onwards.
While the dome of the north iwan and the hypostyle columns in the ancient prayer hall in the southeast corner are impressive, the highlight is the rare turreted Khodakhaneh. It was built in the mid-14th century (or perhaps earlier) to preserve valuable Qurans; poet Hafez is believed to have worked here. The Khodakhaneh (House of God) bears an uncanny likeness to the Kaaba at Mecca, and…
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Aramgah-e Hafez
Iranians have a saying that every home must have two things: first the Quran, then Hafez. And many would reverse that order. Hafez the poet is an Iranian folk-hero – loved, revered and as popular as many a modern pop star. Almost every Iranian can quote his work, bending it to whichever social or political persuasion they subscribe to. And there is no better place to try to understand Hafez’s eternal hold on Iran than here, at Aramgah-e Hafez, his tomb. Set at the back of the ground of Hafez’s tomb is a teahouse which is a great place to chill out with some live traditional music and a cup of chay, though the man himself might have preferred a glass of Shiraz.
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Roman Arch
No longer gated, the Christian Quarter begins where a small Roman Arch stands on a patch of grass beside Straight St. It's all that remains of what was probably a grand triple arch, which once marked an important intersection. Occupying the northeastern part of the Old City, the quarter is home to numerous churches representing various denominations, including Syrian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Greek Catholic, Syrian Catholic and Maronite.
The wealth and education of the city's Christians is reflected in a thriving commercial atmosphere and a lively dining and drinking scene.
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Sohar
Just outside the Al-Bustan Palace Hotel, a small roundabout is home to the Sohar , a boat named after the hometown of the famou Omani seafarer, Ahmed bin Majid. The boat is a replica of one sailed by Abdullah bin Gasm in the mid-8th century to Guangzhou in China. It was built in the dhow yards of Sur from the bark of over 75,000 palm trees and four tonnes of rope. Not a single nail was used in the construction.
Tim Severin and a crew of Omani sailors undertook a famous voyage to Guangzhou in this boat in 1980 - a journey of 6000 nautical miles that took eight months to complete.
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Tariff Court
South of the agora is a large, walled rectangular space, known as the Tariff Court, because this is where the great tariff stele (now residing in the St Petersburg Hermitage) was found. The enormous stone tablet dates from AD 137 and bears the inscription 'Tariff of Palmyra', setting out the taxes payable on each commodity that passed through the city.
The small structure at the north end of the court, closest to the theatre, has a semicircular arrangement of tiered seating leading archaeologists to believe that it may have been the city's Senate ( M04DA), or council building.
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Choqa Zanbil
One of Iran's Unesco World Heritage sites, Choqa Zanbil's magnificent brick ziggurat is the best surviving example of Elamite architecture anywhere in the world. Even if you're not a fan of ancient ruins, the great bulk and splendid semi-desert isolation of Choqa Zanbil will impress.
The ziggurat originally had five concentric storeys but only three remain, reaching a total height of some 25m (82ft). It's hard to believe that such an imposing landmark was lost to the world for more than 2500 years; it was accidentally spotted in 1935 during an oil company's aerial survey.
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Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque
A study in harmonious understatement, this mosque is the perfect complement to the overwhelming richness of the larger Imam Mosque, and is arguably the most fabulous mosque in Iran. Built between 1602 and 1619, during the reign of Shah Abbas I, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is dedicated to the ruler’s father-in-law, Sheikh Lotfollah, a revered Lebanese scholar of Islam who was invited to Esfahan to oversee the king’s mosque (now the Imam Mosque) and theological school.
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Manar Jomban
The 14th-century tomb of Abu Abdullah, a revered dervish, is in Kaladyn. The tomb is popularly known as Manar Jomban because pushing hard against one minaret will start it, and the other minaret, swaying back and forth. The minarets were added during the 17th century. Attendants climb up to shake them once an hour, on the hour. Iranians love this sight, but it’s only barely worth the trip – and on slow days they might not be shaken at all.
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Raghadan Flagpole
From most places in the city you can spot the huge Jordanian flag of the Raghadan palace compound, which at 127m high is said to be the world's largest free-standing flagpole. (A smaller but similarly impressive flag flies in Aqaba.) The award for the tallest flag pole in the world actually goes to those crazy North Koreans on the border with South Korea but that one is supported by cables, which as everyone knows is cheating.
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Jameh Mosque
A vaulted passage of the bazaar leads into the courtyard of the large Qajar-era Jameh Mosque. The off-line south iwan leads into a hall (currently under restoration) over which there’s an impressively large brick dome. The new north iwan is lavished with patterned blue tilework that continues on four of the mosque’s six minarets. Some areas are restricted to men only.
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Jameh Mosque
The well-preserved Jameh Mosque is entered from both Shohada Sq and the bazaar. Its four lofty iwans (rectangular halls opening onto a courtyard) and shimmering blue tiles date from 1349 but were extensively modernised during the Safavid period and later. Interestingly, this mosque has no minaret. Instead there is a squat clock tower atop the main entrance (off Shohada Sq).
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Shahzadeh-ye Ibrahim
The delightful Shahzadeh-ye Ibrahim shrine was built in 1894 and boasts European-style painted ceilings, colourful tiles, tall minarets and a pretty courtyard. The conical, tiled roof is distinctive to this area and chances are you’ll have seen it on posters long before you arrive. It’s clearly visible from the main road to Fin.
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Tetraporticus
Lattakia has precious little to show for its 3000 or so years of history. More or less the only existing monument is a right-angled Tetraporticus, a grouping of four columns, which is all that's left of a Roman gateway that once marked the eastern end of the 2nd-century-AD main street. It's on Sharia Bur Said, a short walk southwest of the train station.
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Imamzadeh-ye Abu Lolou
Off the left of the road as you come from Kashan, the Imamzadeh-ye Abu Lolou is the shrine to the man believed to be the assassin of Omar, the second Muslim caliph. It dates to the Seljuk or Mongol periods, though it has been heavily renovated since. The shrine is notable for its fine, slender dome.
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Sang-e Shir
A walrus-sized lump of rock eroded beyond recognition by the rubbing of hands over 2300 years. Supposedly once a lion, you'd never look twice at were it not the only surviving 'monument' from the ancient city of Ecbatana whose gates it once guarded. Some claim it was carved at the behest of Alexander the Great.
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Ursula Malbin Sculpture Garden
West of the Baha'i Gardens is the Ursula Malbin Sculpture Garden , a small park filled with contemporary bronze sculptures focusing mainly on children at play. Ursula Malbin is a Berlin-born sculptor who fled Nazi Germany in 1939. Since 1967 she has split her time working in Ein Hod and Switzerland.
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Khan Rustum Pasha
The two noteworthy khans that Hama does possess have long since been pressed into other uses: Khan Rustum Pasha (1556), just south of the town centre on Sharia al-Murabet, is an orphanage (although it's occasionally open to the public as an exhibition space).
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Tomb of the 12 Imams
The early-11th-century brick Tomb of the 12 Imams is almost next door to Alexander's Prison. The once-fine (but now badly deteriorated) inscriptions inside bear the names of the Shiite Imams, though none are actually buried here.
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Shahrdari
The Shahrdari is Rasht’s most identifiable landmark, its colonial style tempered by a token mini-dome topping a distinctive whitewashed tower. It looks great when floodlit at night.
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