Āvaj

Avaj lies in the Kharraqan highlands southwest of Qazvin. On a nearby plain stand the twin tomb towers of Kharraqan, two octagonal brick mausoleums built for Turkoman chiefs in the Seljuk period. Their walls display intricate geometric patterns made from differently arranged bricks, while the domes crown chambers that once held painted decoration. Inscriptions record the builders and dates of the towers. Their carefully worked surfaces make them striking landmarks amid the open, mountainous country between Qazvin and Hamadan.