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Baba Tahir Tomb, a Magnificent Work from the Selijuk

Baba Tahir Tomb is placed in a green square located west-north of Hamadan City, and dating back to the Seljuk dynasty.
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Introduction to Baba Tahir

Baba Tahir Hamadani known as Baba Taher Oryan, one of the well-known poets and greatest of mysticism, was born in the fertile age of knowledge of Persia in the 5th AH century in Hamadan City. A poet with such sweet, charming, and enchanting words who has composed 365 eloquent and pleasant couplets of love for God, nature, and humanity in Persian and Pahlavi languages. Some of these couplets are written in the sweet Lori dialect.

Baba Tahir’s tomb is placed in a green square located west-north of Hamadan City. The tomb of Baba Taher is a stunning masterpiece of modern architecture dating back to the 6th AH century simultaneously with the Seljuk dynasty.

Baba Taher Oryan

He was called “Baba” because Baba was the nickname that would be given to the ascetic followers and “Oryan”. After all, he had been cut off from worldly belongings, although his humble, dervish profession, which was the way of mystics, caused him to live in an anonymous corner and leave no description of his life. His tomb now is located north of Hamadan City, in a great square with the same name.

Baba Tahir Poems

Baba Tahir was in love with God, nature, and humanity, and in his words, he would speak about the delightful mountains, plains, and rivers of this land of Persia. Nowadays, Baba Taher is known for his sweet and enchanting couplets. His quatrains are different from other quatrains written in Persian poetry and literature. They are slightly different from the usual quatrain cadence and were written in Lori’s language. In all of his distiches, he has mentioned the unity in the universe, the remoteness of man, and his distress and loneliness. By reading his poems, we realize how he had tried to speak of charity, benevolence, and abandoning oppression to the people in a very fluent, simple, and unaffected way.

Except for his impressive mystical poets, two pieces and a few lyric poems in Lori dialect, a collection of short words in Arabic, and a book called “Finally” are remembered. The book finally includes two sections: “Mystics’ Beliefs” and “Sufism and Rabbani Conquests in the Signs of Al-Hamdani”.

Baba Taher Influence on Seljuk King

One of the greatest events of Baba Tahir’s life was visiting Tughral Shah, the Seljuk King when he arrived in Hamadan through which, there was a great influence on Tughral. The monument of Baba Taher Tomb has been rebuilt through past times. It was an 8-corner brick tower during the 6th AH century. During the reign of Reza Khan Pahlavi, another brick building was built in its place. During this reconstruction, turquoise tiles from the 7th AH century were found, which embossed Kufic inscriptions and verses from the Quran. These inscriptions now are stored in the Museum of Ancient Persia in Tehran.

History of Baba Tahir Tomb

Baba Tahir Tomb has faced numerous demolitions and reconstructions over the years. In the 6th AH century, an octagonal brick tower was built on the tomb which was destroyed again over time. During the reign of Reza Khan Pahlavi, another brick building was built in its place. While the building was reconstructed, turquoise tiles from the 7th AH century were found which have embossed Kufic inscriptions and verses from the Quran. These inscriptions now are stored in the Museum of Ancient Persia in Tehran.

The new mausoleum, which its main design is a combination of the new era, and 8th AH century architectural style, was built in 1344 AH by the efforts of the National Works Association and the Municipality of Hamadan by Engineer Mohsen Foroughi. A large green space has also been built around the new building.

Architecture of Baba Tahir Tomb

Baba Tahir Tomb with its stunning turquoise dome and the surrounding garden includes a total area of ​ 8960 square meters. The tomb building is an 8-corner monument built on top of short hills. The roof of the tomb is elegantly tiled. Baba Taher’s tomb includes 8 granite columns. In addition, carved granite is used in the tombstone, the floor, and stairs, also high-quality white stones are used in the decoration of the exterior of the building, which can also be seen in the light entrances and openings inside the tomb.

The walls of the tomb are in the shape of isosceles triangles and also the facade and floor covering of the tomb is made of stone. Inside the tomb, there are inscriptions of tiles and marble that contain 24 two bits of Baba Tahir poems that are delicately and carefully engraved on 24 pieces of marble. Two bronze tablets also can be seen in the inner courtyard of the tomb, one with the names of the founding board of the National Monuments Association members during the construction of the building, and the other, with the names of some of the figures buried near Baba Tahir.

Luristan Tomb of Baba Taher

Another tomb of Baba Tahir is in Khorram Abad, Luristan province. The people of Lurristan know him as a “Lor” because he used Lori’s words and terms in his poems. Baba Taher’s tomb in Khorram Abad dates back to the Khwarezmshahian period. This building is located in the center of Khorram Abad city and east of Falak al-Aflak castle in a neighborhood called Darb-e Babataher.

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