Of the principal capitals of the Mongol Ilkhanid dynasty (1256-1353), only Sultaniyya, still preserves a major royal monument, the mausoleum of Sultan Öljeitü (r. 1304-16), who transferred the seat of government to this former summer residence, in Northwestern Iran. Once part of a larger complex, the mausoleum was extensively decorated with colorful tilework, including a frieze on the lower section in the southern rectangular chamber from which this section must have come. Here, the foliate design is picked out in cobalt blue, turquoise and white from precut pieces of glazed tile, assembled like a mosaic.
