Gonbad-e Qabus (tower)
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
| Location | Gonbad-e Kavus, Gonbad-e Kavus County, Golestan Province, Iran |
| Criteria | Cultural: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) |
| Reference | 1398 |
| Inscription | 2012 (36th Session) |
| Area | 1.4754 ha (3.646 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 17.8551 ha (44.121 acres) |
| Coordinates | 37°15′28.9″N 55°10′8.4″E / 37.258028°N 55.169000°E |
Gonbad-e Qabus or Gonbad-e Qabus Tower (Persian: برج گنبد قابوس) is a monument in Gonbad-e Qabus, Iran, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012. It marks the grave of Ziyarid ruler Qabus (r. 978–1012), and was built during his lifetime in 1006/7. It is a cylindrical tomb tower that reaches c. 61 metres (200 feet) and can be seen from some 30 kilometres (19 miles) away. The eponymous city is named after the monument.
Considered to be a masterpiece of Iranian architecture, according to Oleg Grabar, it achieves an "almost perfect balance between a purpose (princely glory beyond death), a form (cylindrical tower transformed into a star), and a single material (brick)". The Gonbad-e Qabus tower is the best known tower tomb in northern Iran and was featured in many publications.