Dome of Harun Al-Rashid or Haruniye

The dome called Haruniye, located in Tus, about 30 km from Mashhad, is one of the oldest monuments in the region. It was erected between the end of the eighth and the beginning of the ninth century in honor of Harun ar-rashid (766-809 AD), fifth Abbasid caliph, in power since 786, who died in the town of Tus. precise purpose for which this dome was built is not yet clear, it is thought it served as madrasas, that is, school, sanctuary or mosque. Some even call it Harun Prison.

The Haruniye dome rests on a square plan and is built only in bricks, without cladding: this is explained because, probably, the facade that we can admire today is not the one conceived by the architect as definitive. The different material composition of part of the facade suggests that the artist was preparing to cover and decorate the external surface of the building, but for unknown reasons he had to suspend the work.

The monument we see today is, therefore, to all intents and purposes a non-finished one which however does not affect the majesty of the building: once on the site, in fact the visitor will find himself facing a long avenue, surrounded by trees and flower beds (flowering in spring and summer), at the end of which the Haruniye dome stands out. The dome is in Azerbaijani style, which provided for the presence of moqarnas - the typical modular decoration of arches and domes in Islamic context -, double-walled dome, corridor and external arch. All the internal rooms of the building, entrance with portico, are all open to the public and can be visited.

The building, due to its historical and cultural importance, has since 1961 been registered as a national monument by the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran.

Today not much remains of the splendor of ancient Tus, however it still preserves fundamental remains and monuments, just think that the mausoleum of the poet Ferdowsi is located just 600m from Haruniye.