Location Merv, Turkmenistan Width 17 m Height 27 m Year consecrated 1157 | Status in ruins Address Merv, Turkmenistan Affiliation Islam | |
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Architect(s) Muhammad ibn Aziz of Sarakhs Similar Erk Kala, Nisa - Turkmenistan, Neutrality Monument, Gonur Tepe, Independence Monument - Ashgabat | ||
Mausoleum of sultan sanjar
The Tomb of Ahmad Sanjar was built in Merv in 1157, following the death of Ahmad Sanjar, sultan of the Great Seljuk Empire. It is reported that his tomb was the site of pilgrimages.
Contents
Tomb
The mausoleum stood 27m high and was 17m by 17m wide. The walls were 14m high and had no major decorations. This was one of the grandest Seljuk tombs, with an ambitious gallery and a single dome of blue glazed bricks with the drum being buttressed at four points. Sanjar's mausoleum was part of a larger complex consisting of a mosque and palace, while the mausoleum was centered in a vast courtyard.
Mongol Invasion
In 1221, Mongols, led by Tolui, attacked Merv killing 700,000 people and burning the mausoleum.
Present day
A report made in 1879-81 describes the tomb being in the center of a chahar bagh, surrounded by small tombs and graves.