Radkan Tower Mashhad

The Radkan Historical Tower of Mashhad is one of the historical, visible and beautiful towers that had an astronomical and calendar application.

The Radkan Historical Tower of Mashhad
History:
This building is the work of Hakim Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi, the great scientist of Iran.
This historical building also had a calendar and astronomical application.
Radkan is the only tower that has the ability to determine the four seasons, the beginning of Nowruz and the leap year.
Of course, Ernst Hertzfeld considers this tower to be the tomb of the Mongol Amir Arghun.
Some orientalists consider it to be the tomb of the Sun-Knower of the Daylami period, although of course there is no historical source for this theory.
Radkan Tower of Mashhad
Architecture:
In ancient times, traveling in vast deserts, dense forests and high mountains was a difficult and difficult task.
For this reason, buildings were built to guide caravans and travelers.
Iranians have built such buildings, which are known today as towers, spires or minarets, by combining art and architecture.
Most of them are located on the top of a mountain or hill along old roads, to serve as a guide and sign for travelers and caravans.
The architecture of this building dates back to the 7th century AH.
This tower has two entrances.
One of these doors faces a ruined building that was probably a mosque.
Radkan Tower has a cylindrical body and a conical dome.
Bricks, plaster and lime were used in the body of this building.
Its conical dome is 35 meters high, has an external diameter of 20 meters and an internal diameter of 14 meters.
The outer part of the building is built in a dodecagonal shape up to a height of 2.5 meters, and then to the part below the dome it is built in the form of 36 half-column cracks.
It is noteworthy that for greater strength, the spacing of the bricks was pressed inward with the help of hand pressure.
The placement of doors and hatches in the Radkan Tower is in line with the beginning of winter (Yalda’i sunrise) and the beginning of summer (sunset).
On the southern side of the dome, there is a crescent-shaped entrance.
Among the decorations used in this tower are tile work and brickwork and a beautiful inscription in Kufic script that can be seen on the upper part of the columns and the edge of the dome.
The most beautiful part of the tower is in the upper part, which consists of two rows of columns and two Kufic and Pahlavi inscriptions.
The name of the founder and the date of construction are also written among the brickwork and stucco decorations.
This work was registered as a cultural heritage on January 15, 1310, with registration number 146 in the list of national monuments of the country.
Radkan Tower, Mashhad
Other information:
The historical Radkan Tower is located 74 kilometers north of Mashhad and 26 kilometers northwest of Chenaran.
So far, many people from European, American and Asian countries have traveled to our country to visit this legendary tower, to see its unique architecture and astronomical function.
Address: Mashhad, 74 km north of Mashhad, and 26 km northwest of Chenaran
Entrance fee: Free.
Visiting hours: Open

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