According to the news agency Online news Quoted from Asr Iran – Hassan Zahouri: Sarban minaret is one of the tallest historical minarets in Isfahan; The building is located in the north of Jobareh neighborhood, the historical Jewish neighborhood of Isfahan and near the Chehldokhtran minaret. This minaret was built around 550 AH and is more than 900 years old.
If today you see Sarban minaret alone and far from any other building, there was probably once a mosque next to it, but now there are no traces left of it. The height of this minaret is about 54 meters, according to the information mentioned in most sources. Inside this long cylinder, there are about 135 steps that provide the possibility of climbing to the top of the minaret.
Sarban minaret has a cylindrical and tapering structure; That is, its diameter on the surface of the ground is greater than its diameter in the upper part. This building is made of brick and has prominent brick decorations, geometric patterns, turquoise tiles and three inscriptions in Kufi script with religious themes.
When this minaret was built, there was no taller building in Isfahan. Even today, few historical monuments in this city reach its height. The sarbans and shetrabans, who were the guides of the caravans, used the minaret as a sign for navigation due to its high height and unique position. Sarban Fanousi minaret in the heart of the plain was a guide for caravans and travelers; A sign that could lead them to Isfahan and help them determine their position and orientation.
But what has made the Sarban minaret more famous than in the past in recent years is its remarkable curvature. This minaret deviates about 8 degrees to the southeast; A deviation attributed to asymmetric foundation settlement and changes in soil and groundwater conditions. Indiscriminate extraction of underground water tables, a phenomenon that threatens Isfahan even today, is one of the factors that is likely to contribute to the increase in the deviation of this building.
For this reason, in social networks, the Saraban minaret is compared with the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, and they have given it the nickname “Isfahan’s Pisa”. But the Saraban minaret is older than the Pisa tower.
Sarban minaret was registered in the list of national monuments of Iran on 15 December 1314 with number 232. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is located in the Square of Miracles of Pisa, next to the Cathedral and the Baptistery. The construction of this tower began about 40 years after the construction of the Sarban minaret. However, its construction process took nearly two centuries due to numerous interruptions.
The construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa began in 1173 AD and was completed in 1372 AD. Wars and technical problems, including the tilting of the tower in the very early stages of construction, were factors that prolonged the process of its completion.
The height of the tower of Pisa is about 55 to 56 meters; That is, approximately one to one and a half meters higher than Sarban minaret. This tower is made of white marble and weighs a lot. Its internal staircase has 296 steps and its architecture is in Romanesque style. Numerous columns and arches are the architectural features of this tower.
Unlike many historical towers, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is not connected to another building. This tower was built to house the bells of Pisa Cathedral and its function was to announce religious times, church ceremonies and important events of the city. The seven bells of this tower are each associated with one of the musical notes. Therefore, the Leaning Tower of Pisa had neither a defensive function nor was it built to guide travelers; Its main function was to hold bells and announce events.
Both buildings have faced the problem of tilting in some way, but there is an important difference in the cause of their tilting.
From the very first stages of construction, the Leaning Tower of Pisa deviated due to engineering and foundation problems. The soil where the tower was built was soft and unstable and had a mixture of sand, silt, clay and river sediments. Despite these conditions, the foundation of the tower was only about three meters deep; The depth was not enough to bear the weight of such a heavy building. As a result, the asymmetric settlement of the earth gradually showed itself and the tower began to tilt.
This deviation was also revealed during construction. Architects tried to compensate for the skew by making changes in the upper floors, but the increasing weight of the building and the continued subsidence of the ground made the problem more complicated. In the 1990s, the deviation of the tower reached about 5.5 degrees. Finally, with extensive engineering and restoration operations, its deviation was reduced to about 4 degrees and the stability of the tower was improved.
But the situation of Sarban minaret is different. Unlike the Leaning Tower of Pisa, there is no evidence that this tower was tilted from the beginning due to a calculation error or problems in the foundation. Its current deviation is attributed to factors such as asymmetric land settlement and changes in underground water conditions; The factors that take water from underground aquifers and land subsidence can contribute to their aggravation.
Sarban minaret has also been restored in the past years. In 2004, the Isfahan Municipality Renovation and Improvement Organization took measures to strengthen the building. Parts of the upper parts, moqrans, tiles and inscriptions of the minaret were also restored. The space under the minaret was filled around the year 1324 and monitoring the deviation of the building was also on the agenda.
However, in recent years, concerns have increased about the conservation status of Sarban minaret. Rising humidity, dampness and the possible consequences of land subsidence are among the factors that can affect the future of this historical monument. Although restoration measures have been carried out in this building, their continuity and adequacy are still important to ensure the minaret’s long-term stability.
On the other hand, after extensive engineering and restoration operations of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, concerns about its continued deviation have been greatly reduced. But regarding the Sarban minaret, due to its deviation of about 8 degrees and the threats caused by changes in the ground and humidity, there is still the need for continuous monitoring and serious protective measures.
I wish that in Iran, as in Italy, a continuous and long-term plan would be followed with sufficient sensitivity and precision to protect such valuable buildings; A program that pays attention not only to temporary repairs, but also to the identification and control of building threatening factors.
Sarban Minaret is a valuable example of Seljuk period architecture in Iran; A masterpiece that has survived the passage of time for more than 900 years. This building is proof of the ability of the architects who created a long and lasting structure during construction. On the other hand, the Leaning Tower of Pisa was gradually tilted due to foundation problems and unfavorable ground conditions, and this feature made it one of the famous symbols of the world.
However, the difference between these two buildings today is not only in the degree of their deviation; Rather, it is in the type of threats they face. Leaning of the Leaning Tower of Pisa started from the very early stages of construction, but the deviation of the Sarban Minaret has intensified under conditions that human activities and environmental changes, especially the excessive extraction of underground water sources, can play a role in.
Both monuments are a reminder of the determining influence of geological conditions on architecture; An issue that links the protection of historical heritage to the proper management of natural resources and serious attention to the sustainability of the earth. If Sarban Minaret is to remain standing for future generations, it is an undeniable necessity to know exactly the factors of deviation and to implement continuous protection measures.
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