Coins Made by Tavous Mint in Abarkouh (Abarquh)

The Mongol Ilkhanids’ (653-736 AH) emphasis on commercial routes and the revival of the economic structure led to business growth and prosperity. Under this new structure, Abarkouh (Abarquh) was placed on the route of Iraq's communication paths with Fars, Shabankareh, Kerman, Khorasan and Khuzestan, and was therefore put on the political and economic map of that time. Under these circumstances, a mint called Tavous was established in this city. According to the findings of this study, the coinage in this mint started in the early Ilkhanid period and continued until the early Safavid period. The coins in Tavous Mint were not made of mono metal, but rather forged with gold, silver and copper coins with labels such as "Tavous", "City of Tavous" and "Abarquh". The designs, inscriptions, and religious themes on both sides of the coins altered in accordance with the monetary system utilized in each dynasty. For this reason, it is not strange to see Shiite and Sunni themes as well as Persian, Arabic, Uighur and Chinese scripts on these coins.