Raran minaret

The Raran minaret, also known as the Rahrovan minaret and the Rarun minaret, is a minaret, located in Raran village, northeast of Esfahan, in the province of Isfahan, Iran.
The minaret was added to the Iran National Heritage List on 7 December 1935, administered by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran.

Overview

The minaret was completed in 1159 CE, during the Seljuq era and is believed to have served as a lighthouse. The minaret has a rectangular base with four flanges at the corners. The diameter of the shaft decreases smoothly over the height of the minaret with no break until the top. The minaret has almost kept its original shape; however its inscriptions have been damaged severely. Its decorations are simple, featuring a stripe of rhombic shapes around the minaret, in which the names of Mohammad and Ali are repeated. On the top of the minaret, there is a window for muezzin and signal fire for orientation of caravans and passengers in the desert.
It is the fourth oldest minaret in Isfahan province after the Ali minaret, Sarban minaret and Ziyar minaret.