A TRADITION OF TOWERS IN ISLAMIC SOCIETY
THE MINARET OF MILL E QASIMABAD IN SEISTAN

The work of Sultan Tajuddin and his grandson

Seistan is a strange place. It is littered with ruins of Islamic civilizations. Various Sultan took control of it and then there were left only ruins of their civilization. Near the village of Qasimabad in Seistan stood a 120 feet high minaret of which only 75 feet were left hundred years ago. It is not known if it still stands today or not. In any case it was an outcome of the 80 years rule of Sultan Tajuddin Abu Fazl i Nasr who was a grand ruler of his time. He died in 559 AH. It was not completed within his reign. It was left to his grand son, also named Tajuddin Harah, to complete same. The grandson died in 612 AH. The tower was probably built between 1250 AD to 1300 AD. A systematic survey of it was undertaken by the British in 1872 AD.

All over the world minarets and domes define Islamic Architecture. But what is usually missed is that huge towers were also part of this urge to be seen from far away distance to announce the presence of Islam in that society. And this image of 19th century is a very rare image in itself.