New Horizons Towards Three Rock-Cut Tombs (13th – 14th CE) from Northwest Iran

By selecting Northwest Iran as the early capital of Ilkhanid dynasty, Mongol rulers had governed this area for about one century which would have been the official route of administration and communication between Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Northeast China, and Iran. The existence of three unknown rock-cut archetypes in Maraghe (new capital) and its surroundings are among the most controversial subjects for historians and archaeologists. Although the period between 1256 and 1335 is seen as a period of cultural interventions from Mongolia and Inner Mongolia into the Northwest Iran, the architectural influences during Mongol's dominion has been less considered by the scholars. In this way, recent archaeological developments related to this region are beginning to shed new lights on recognition the architectonic appearance and the application of these unique underground architectures in Northwest Iran. Considering comparative studies besides analytical expository of architectural evidences from Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeast China, this project is aimed at standardizing the identity of unknown rock-cut structures in Northwest Iran. According to the results, the combination of a corridor leading to one or more chambers is not entirely random in Northwest Iran but also shares an exact assimilation of those in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeast China.