Khosrogerd Minaret in Razavi Khorasan Province
Not very long ago, the Mil, which is a kind of guide tower, and minarets were the solemn human-made constructions in the heart of deserts. They were built to act as visual guides for the caravans so that they wouldn’t lose their way. Today the minarets still act as guides for the travelers who relive the history as they visit them. Khosrogerd Minaret is located in ten kilometers east of the city Sabzevar. It dates back to the twelfth century and is one of the few minarets that have retained their glory until today.
Undoubtedly, the ancient travelers who passed through the Silk Road, have recorded many of their memories of Khosregerd Minaret. In fact, it can be said that it was a part of the Silk Road. During recent years, after the two lanes of Tehran-Mashhad route were separated, the minaret can be found between two roads, visible from both.
Khosrogerd Minaret goes back to nine hundred years ago. It was built in 1112 by the order of Taj-o-Dowleh Ab-ol-Ghasem-ibn-e-Saeed, during the Seljuk dynasty. This building is also known by other names such as Khosrojerd Minaret and Khosrojerd Mil. The total height of the minaret, from the base to the highest point, is only a bit more than thirty-two meters and compared with other buildings, it is the tallest historic monument of Razavi Khorasan Province.
The principal material of Khosregerd Minaret is brick. The bricks have been supported by other compounds such as wood, a mortar of mud and limestone, sand and clay. The structure consists of four parts of base, Sagheh that is the part between the base and body, body and head. The base of the minaret is in the form of square and the body is a tall cylinder. To access the body, two sets of stairways have been built on the eastern and western sides. Each of them has six stairs.
At the top of the minaret, two tablets written in Kufic and decorations in the form of diamonds can be seen. According to the archeologists, Khosrogerd Minaret is a single and unique building, independent of any other construction.