The Kharraqan Towers (), also known as the Kharrakhan or the Domes of Kharaghan, are a pair of mausolea built in 1067 and 1093 CE, in the Kharraqan region, in Hesar-e Valiyeasr, near Qazvin, Qazvin province, northern Iran. They are notable for being an early example of a geometric ornament, an early example of double domes, The surface of both mausolea demonstrate extensive use of geometry. The interior walls of the older mausoleum are decorated with paintings of various subjects. The eastern tower dates from 1067–68, and the western tower dates from 1093.
Each octagonal tower has eight rounded buttresses - one per corner. Stronach and Young speculate there were vertical ribs for the demolished outer shell of the dome; however, they conclude from the lack of same ribs in the inner side that the ridges, accompanying the ribs, were decorative. The brick also features lengthy inscriptions, both historical and Quranic. The historical inscription on the eastern tower includes not only the architect, but also another name, possibly the mausoleum's intended patron, which can only be partially read due to damage.
The Kufic inscription of Quranic text on the exterior walls of both towers, identically distributed across sides and buttresses, features Sura 59, verses 21-23, recognizable despite damage on buttresses.
See also
- Iranian architecture
- Islam in Iran
- Persian domes