Perfectly proportioned, if gently leaning, Naxçivan’s architectural icon is a 26m brick tower dating from 1186. It’s decorated with geometric patterns and Kufic script (a stylised, angular form of Arabic) picked out in turquoise glaze. Views of it are more interesting than going inside, and the surrounding park is a veritable open-air museum of historic stone rams and grave markers.
From the nearby promenade, Ağrıdağ (Mt Ararat) is distantly visible on exceptionally clear days. The tower’s hollow interior features a small exhibition of relevant photos and drawings, notably portraits of Şəmsəddin Eldəniz, the founder of the Atabey dynasty who the mausoleum originally entombed, and his beloved wife, for whom the monument is named.
