May 18, 2004, 8:11 PM

Qabus Tower Magnet for Over 96 Thousands Tourists

TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA) -- A total of 96,670 foreign and domestic tourists visited the historic tower of Qabus in the center of Gonbad-e Kavus, Golestan Province during Iranian calendar year 1382 (March 21, 2003-March 20, 2004).

Alireza Hesarno, Gonbad-e Kavus cultural department head said that over the last year, Qabus tower was visited by a total of 190 foreign tourists.

Dating back over a thousand years, the tower is the third highest brick tower in the world. The cylinder-shaped Qabus tower at 55 meters has also been registered as the world’s largest brick building on the UNESCO list of cultural monuments.

The unique architecture of the building is decorated with Kufic inscriptions which has made it one of the main Islamic edifices in Iran.

Qabus Brick Tower was constructed in the fourth century A.H. by order of Shams-ul-Ma’ali Qabus ibn Voshmgir one of the Ziar Dynasty.

Gonbad-e Kavus with the population of 294,637 is located in the east of Golestan Province.

SN/DWN/IS

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MNA

News ID 5869