TEHRAN – The first round of archaeological excavation has recently commenced at the 13th-century Sheikh Danial Tomb in the city of Khonj, southern Fars province.

Dating back to the Ilkhanid era (1256–1353), the tomb and its surrounding area is a complex of the magnificent architecture of the time.

Although parts of the complex including the tomb’s minaret and entrance gate have been restored in recent years, other parts are buried under the rubble, which needs to be excavated, the head of the archeological excavation Samira Jafari announced on Monday.

The project aims at revealing the original map and architecture of the complex along with its surroundings in detail, she added.

The tomb and its minaret are made of stone and mud brick. It also has eight inscriptions. Some decorations were also added to the complex during the Safavid era (1501–1736).

Sheikh Danial was one of the prominent mystics in the 13th century. He was respected and honored in Fars province and the islands of the Persian Gulf both during his life and after his death.

The ancient region of Fars, also spelled Pars, or Persis, was the heart of the Achaemenian Empire (550–330 BC), which was founded by Cyrus the Great and had its capital at Pasargadae. Darius I the Great moved the capital to nearby Persepolis in the late 6th or early 5th century BC.

The capital city of Shiraz is home to some of the country’s most magnificent buildings and sights. Increasingly, it draws more and more foreign and domestic sightseers flocking into this provincial capital which was the literary capital of Persia during the Zand dynasty from 1751 to 1794.

Hafezieh (mausoleum of Hafez, an illustrious 14th-century Persian poet), the UNESCO-registered Persepolis, and Sadi mausoleum are some of the most-visited sites in the province.

ABU/MG