above the Western tower's door can be recognized as Sura 23, Verse 115. Interior The eastern tower's interior appears to have been fully decorated with frescoes, but only a few survive. There are paintings of mosque lamps in the niches, of pomegranate trees and peacocks in the piers alternating between them, and of a medallion surrounding peacocks and geometrical ornament near the top of the niches. There is also a band of Kufic calligraphy just below the beginning of the dome. The western tower's interior contains no plaster decoration; instead, there are a mihrab and additional brick ornament. It is believed that the occupant of the eastern tower was Abu Sa'id Bijar and the occupant of the western tower was Abu Mansur Iltayti, according to Dr. Samuel Miklós Stern's transliteration of the inscriptions on the towers. Interpretations The Kharraqan towers exhibit more elaborate external design, individualized for each of the 8 sides, in comparison to other towers with more repetitive patterns. Oleg Grabar reminds that there is no concrete method of elucidating the meaning of the abstract, geometric decoration in Islamic architecture. Instead, the intricacy of the geometric pattern promotes appreciation of the visual design itself. The subjects of wall paintings inside the western tower possess symbolic association with heaven. Abbas Daneshvari connects the light of the lamp with the light of the god, thus with paradise. Daneshvari further associates the interior paintings with paradise by emphasizing the iconographic role of peacocks, in sunburst medallions, as the bird of paradise. Peacocks appear in the Islamic medieval culture of Iran in literature and art objects such as textiles and ceramic wares. 21st century Both towers were significantly damaged by the 2002 Bou'in-Zahra earthquake. They were in a good state of preservation before the event, suggesting it was one of the most powerful quakes in the region for approximately 900 years. See also Iranian architecture Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization Seljuk Architecture History of Persian domes References Buildings and structures completed in 1067 Buildings and structures completed in 1093 Mausoleums in Iran Architecture in Iran Buildings and structures in Qazvin Province Seljuk architecture National works of Iran 11th century in Iran