Mausoleum of Ya'qub Leys

The mausoleum of Ya'qub Leys Saffāri (founder of the Sapphire dynasty, 876-1003) is located in the village of Shāh Ābād, near the city of Dezful (Khuzestān region) and dates back to the saffaride.

The mausoleum building has a high white dome with a conical tooth-like shape dating back to the Seljuk period - a double layer and inspired by the trunk of the palm tree and it is the entrance door that divides the internal surface of the mausoleum from the external one.

Inside there is one zarih (metal cage above the grave) in iron. The main structure is a building made of raw bricks that has relief designs, plaster mortar and earth. Years ago this had an inscription in which, on the wall of the dome, the name of Ya'qub Leys was written in ancient Arabic calligraphy.

The mausoleum we see today has been rebuilt several times. The great Iwan northern dates back to the Timurid period and was added in the qajara period; there are also two half-protruding minarets located around theIwan dating back to the qajaro period and in them the main door of the building was placed.

The Ya'qub Leys Saffari mausoleum is located in the archaeological site of Jondi Shāpur and around it is a large cemetery where the presence of ancient tombs demonstrates the long history of this building. The statue of Ya'qub Leys Saffari is placed at the entrance to the cities of Zābol and Dezful.

Ya'qub's father was a coppersmith and his sons also chose this profession, which is why they called him Saffar, which in Arabic means copper (in Farsi mesgar, coppersmith). Furthermore, due to its strong character it was given the nickname of “Sandān” (anvil). Ya'qub Leys S Affari was the first to declare the Persian language, 200 years after the advent of Islam in Iran, the country's official language.