The Architectural and Urban Projects of Ghazan Khan in Ghazaniyya

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Atri Hatef Naiemi

Published:

2025

Publisher:

Edinburgh University Press

Chapter 3 examines Ghazaniyya in two major areas. First, it studies the spatial structure of the city during the Ilkhanid period. Given the extensive destruction of the medieval city and the scantiness of architectural and archaeological evidence, this section relies primarily on textual records and visual material such as aerial photographs and satellite images. Second, the chapter considers Ghazaniyya beyond its physical entity and studies it in relation to the socio-religious, cultural and political context in which the city was built. Great emphasis will be placed on Ghazan himself, as the founder, and his religious and political aspirations. Understanding the nature of the spiritual beliefs of the Ilkhan paves the way for the exploration of Ghazan’s intention of establishing a new urban centre beside a long-established prosperous city like Tabriz. Building upon the findings of the first two sections, the last part of the chapter discusses the foundation of Ghazaniyya in connection with the main argument of this book. It challenges the assumption that the construction of Ghazaniyya was merely due to the religious orientation of Ghazan following his momentous conversion to Islam and suggests that the city and the charitable foundation in Shanb-i Ghazan reflected the synthesis of Perso-Islamic and Mongol visual and spiritual traditions.

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