The 800-year-old Üç Günbed, or Three Domes, in Urmia, the capital of Iran’s West Azerbaijan province bordering Türkiye, stands as an important example of the region’s Turkish heritage and Seljuk architecture.

Located in the city’s Bazarbaş neighborhood, the mausoleum survives as a characteristic example of Seljuk architecture in Iran and continues to attract domestic and international tourists as one of Urmia’s notable historical landmarks.

Architecturally, the structure resembles the Tughrel Tower in Rey, near Tehran, which serves as the tomb tower of Tughril Beg (995-1063), founder of the Great Seljuk Empire. Three Domes is believed to have been commissioned in 1201 by Seljuk Emir Şişkat Muzafferi and built by architect Mansur bin Musa.

The two-story structure was reportedly used as a Zoroastrian fire temple before being converted, with its lower floor serving as a cistern and its upper floor as a tomb tower. The building stands 13 meters (43 feet) tall and measures 5 meters in diameter. Its lower entrance is 1.7 meters high, while the entrance to the upper mausoleum section measures 2.5 meters.

The foundation used small stones, while the main body was built with thin bricks known as acur. The structure is particularly notable for the elaborate decorations surrounding its entrance, featuring geometric patterns and Kufic inscriptions carved into stone and plaster.

The entrance portal is crowned with muqarnas, a form of ornamental vaulting commonly found in Islamic architecture, while polygonal motifs decorate the exterior of the cylindrical building.

Inside, the carefully arranged brown bricks and intricate ornamentation give the dome an artistic appearance. The structure’s mihrab, a niche indicating the direction of Mecca, also reflects the characteristic style of mihrabs from the Seljuk period.

The monument is said to have taken its name, meaning "Three Domes,” from two other similar structures that once stood in and around Urmia. However, no archaeological remains of the other two mausoleums have been found, leading researchers to believe they were destroyed and that only the surviving structure remains. Another theory suggests the name derives from the building’s simple architectural design.

The garden surrounding the town tower contains numerous graves, inscriptions linked to the Urartian civilization and ancient Iranian history, as well as stone animal figures dating to the Aq Qoyunlu period.

Protected since 1935

The area around Three Domes was once largely undeveloped, but urban expansion eventually resulted in the monument being surrounded by residential neighborhoods.

The structure was registered as an Iranian national monument on Dec. 7, 1935. Today, it operates as a museum under the name Sengi Se Kümbet and remains a destination for domestic and international visitors.

Puya Piri, the monument’s caretaker, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that until about three years ago, the lower floor was used to wash the bodies of prominent figures before burial, while mourning ceremonies were held on the upper floor. The practices were later discontinued.

Piri said the mausoleum continues to receive frequent visits from domestic and international tourists. He added that his admiration for the Seljuk Empire motivated him to become its caretaker and that he intended to continue looking after the historic structure for years to come.