Gong and Saray, A Study of the Royal Collections of the Mongol Emperors and Ilkhanid Dynasty in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries AB

Saray is a common name in the dictionary of Iranian architecture that has been used in the historical texts of the Ilkhanate era to refer to the residential complexes of the patriarchs in Iran and the Mongol dynasty in China and Mongolia. The term Gong is also used in Yuan historical texts to refer to the residential complexes of the Mongol dynasty in China and Mongolia. The simultaneous use of these two words in Iranian and Chinese sources for two dynasties with common cultural roots, leads to theories about the existence of similarities and possible effects between them. This study tries to answer the questions based on the latest archaeological documents and historical sources. What are the characteristics of the royal collections of the Mongol khans in Mongolia and the Ilkhans in Iran?  What are the similarities and differences between these two groups? The data of this article were collected by documentary methods, visual observation, and comparison of the obtained findings. Then the data were categorized by comparative studies between the Mongol dynasty's Gongs in China and Mongolia and the Ilkhanate dynasty's  Sarays in Iran. The results of this study showed that the Mongol Gongs and Ilkhanate Sarays were similar to each other in terms of general structures and location in cities or outside the cities, and the only difference between them was in the way the buildings were arranged. Iranian Sarays were designed with four porches, and in Mongolian Gongs, the form of curran was used.