The estimated 200 ton dome stands 49 meters (161 ft) tall from its base, and is currently undergoing extensive renovation.

The main building, erected between 1302 and 1312 AD, may have the oldest double-shell dome in Iran,[1] an idea about the construction put forth by scholar Marcel-Auguste Dieulafoy.

The Dome of Soltaniyeh paved the way for more daring Iranian-style cupola constructions in the Persianate world, such as the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi and the Taj Mahal.

[2] The Mongol invasion of the Islamic world began with the conquest of eastern Iran in 1221, and ultimately ended the period of Abbasid rule (750-1258).

The Mongols conquered most of West Asia, and a branch of the dynasty known as the Ilkhanids (1256-1353) concentrated most of their power in Iran.

[3] The Mongol presence in Iran was marked by a shift away from traditional cities dependent on an agricultural hinterland to ones with an emphasis on access to pasture.

[6] The Dome of Solteniyeh was one of the largest religious endowments of the 14th century,[7] and was utilized for multiple functions, such as Quran reading, praying, teaching, housing, and medical purposes.

The Dome of Soltaniyeh was one of the first to use this pattern in Iran, and is unique in choosing brick for its material as previous similar architectural structures often utilized wood.

The Blue Mosque built by Saliha Khanum in Tabriz was inspired by this design; its portal and projecting sanctuary were very similar to Oljeitu’s complex.

[15][14] Many academics argue that because of these similarities, and many more, that the Dome of Soltaniyeh influenced the Santa Maria Del Fiore, which was constructed 100 years later.