archaeoart:

Tower of Toghrul, Rey, northern Iran, circa 1860s.

Tuğrul Tower is a 12th-century monument, located in the city of Rayy, Iran. The brick tower is the tomb of Seljuk ruler Tuğrul Beg, who died in Rayy, Iran in 1063. Rayy exists on the outskirts of the modern day city of Tehran.

Bahram Gur and Azada

Mina'i bowl, Iran, 12th-13th cen.

“Some of the mina'i ceramics illustrate stories from the Persian epic, the Shahnama, predating its earliest surviving illustrated manuscripts by nearly a century. This bowl depicts the episode of Prince Bahram Gur hunting with Azada, his favorite concubine. Azada challenges Bahram Gur to a hunting feat, but when he succeeds, she pities the slain gazelles and reproaches him. In anger, he tramples her under his camel’s feet. The painter has conflated two different moments into one scene.”

Iran, Kashan, late 12th or early 13th century