Towers of Kharaghan (برجهای خرقان)
Kharaghan Towers (برجهای خرقان) in Qazvin Province include the Eastern Tower (برج شرقی خرقان) and Western Tower (برج غربی خرقان), built in 1067–1068 and 1093 CE. These Seljuk-era octagonal brick mausoleums are celebrated for intricate geometric gerhchini brickwork and Kufic inscriptions, representing outstanding achievements of medieval Persian architectural design and craftsmanship.
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Kharaghan Towers (برجهای خرقان), located in the southern part of Qazvin Province (قزوین), are two remarkable Seljuk-era tomb towers known individually as the Eastern Kharaghan Tower (برج شرقی خرقان) and the Western Kharaghan Tower (برج غربی خرقان). Built in 1067–1068 CE and 1093 CE, these octagonal brick mausoleums served as burial monuments for prominent local figures and represent some of the finest surviving examples of medieval Persian brick architecture. Although situated within a quiet rural landscape, the site belongs to the broader historical region of Qazvin, an area that played an important role in the cultural and architectural development of the Iranian plateau.
Architecturally, the towers are octagonal brick structures crowned with domed roofs and renowned for their refined decorative masonry. Their façades display intricate gerhchini (گرهچینی) brickwork—interlocking geometric compositions that transform structural surfaces into richly ornamented patterns. The decoration includes complex geometric motifs (نقوش هندسی), such as stars and polygons, along with Kufic inscriptions integrated directly into the brick fabric, demonstrating the Seljuk builders’ mastery of geometry, proportion, and craftsmanship. Inside, domed chambers once decorated with painted plaster ornamentation emphasize the towers’ ceremonial and commemorative function.
Today, the Kharaghan Towers stand as exceptional monuments of Seljuk architectural innovation, illustrating how Persian architects elevated brick construction into a refined artistic language through geometry, structure, and symbolic design.
