Avicenna Mausoleum
آرامگاه بوعلی‌سینا
Mausoleum of Avicenna
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Ecclesiastical or organisational status
StatusActive
DedicationAvicenna
Location
LocationAvicenna Square, Hamadan, Hamadan province
CountryIran
Avicenna Mausoleum is located in Iran
Avicenna Mausoleum
Location of the mausoleum in Iran
Map
Geographic coordinates34°47′30″N 48°30′48″E / 34.7916°N 48.5132°E / 34.7916; 48.5132
Architecture
Architect(s)Hooshang Seyhoun
TypeIslamic architecture
Style
Funded byIranian Monuments Society (1953)
General contractorEbtehaj and partners Co.
Groundbreaking6 June 1949 (mausoleum complex)
Completed
Specifications
Interior area3,090 m2 (33,300 sq ft)
Spire(s)One: (tower)
Spire height28 m (92 ft)
Monument(s)Two: Avicenna and Abu Saied
MaterialsReinforced concrete; granite
Elevation1,843 m (6,047 ft)
An earlier structure in the 1950s,
before being rebuilt
Official nameMausoleum of Avicenna
TypeBuilt
Designated11 May 1997
Reference no.1869
Conservation organizationCultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran

The Mausoleum of Avicenna (Persian: آرامگاه بوعلی‌سینا, lit.'Ibn Sina Mausoleum'; Arabic: ضريح ابن سين), also known as the Tomb of Abu Ali Sina, is a mausoleum and history museum complex, located at Avicenna Square, in the city of Hamadan, in the province of Hamadan, Iran. Dedicated to the Persian polymath Avicenna, the complex includes a library, a small museum, and a spindle-shaped 28-metre-high (92 ft) tower inspired by the Ziyarid-era Kavus Tower.[1]

The mausoleum and museum complex was added to the Iran National Heritage List on 11 May 1997 and is administered by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran.

History

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The primary building of the mausoleum was built in the Qajar era.[2]

The Pahlavi government had plans to build the mausoleum since at least 1939. Houshang Seyhoun won competitions for the mausoleums of Ferdowsi and Avicenna before heading to France. He completed his training at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in 1948 with the project "Le mausolée d'Avicenne à Hamadan."[3] The mausoleum was eventually dedicated in a grand ceremony in May 1954, on the occasion of the philosopher's millenial birth anniversary, and the avenue running in front of it was also renamed in honor of Avicenna.[4]

As the monument was constructed by the Pahlavi government, it was consequently in danger of being defaced, but as Khomeini was an admirer of Avicenna, the square was not renamed after the 1979 Revolution.[1]

The museum contains ancient relics, bronze statues related to the 1st millennium BCE, gourds, coins, beads, and articles of silver related to the Sassanide era. The library contains an anthropology section, and books of Avicenna.[5]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Thresholds. Vol. 24. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Architecture. 2002. pp. 48–49. At the core of the Pahlavi 'pride,' around which the imagined Iranian nation was exulted before the Revolution, the tomb complex came under the risk of state vandalism between 1978 and 1980.
  2. ^ "The Tomb of Avicenna: One of The Notable Tourist Attractions in Iran's Hamedan". Tasmin News Agency. March 25, 2025. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  3. ^ Salari Sardari, Mohadeseh (March 4, 2024). "Andre Godard and Maxime Siroux: Disentangling the Narrative of French Colonialism and Modern Architecture in Iran". Iranian Studies: 1–29. doi:10.1017/irn.2024.10. ISSN 0021-0862.
  4. ^ Rasooli, Jay M.; Allen, Cady Hews (1983). The Life Story of Dr. Sa'eed of Iran. William Carey Library. p. 161f – via Google Books.
  5. ^ "AVICENNA MAUSOLEUM (TOMB MUSEUM)". Iran Tourism and touring Organization. 2025. Retrieved June 9, 2025.

Further reading

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Media related to Avicenna Mausoleum at Wikimedia Commons