_The Madrasa at Zuzan: Islamic Architecture in Eastern Iran on the Eve of the Mongol Invasions

Not all medieval cities survive into modern times as major urban entities, and when they do not their monuments are often only slowly brought to light. This is particularly true of eastern Iran , where in some cases almost impenetrable mountain valleys have concealed extraordinary buildings for centuries. Two examples are the minaret at Jam and the madrasa at Garjistan,’both discovered only recently. In other cases dramatic shifts in systems of irrigation and canalization reduced medieval metropolises to obscure villages. One example is Zuzan, located some sixty kilometers south of Khwaf near the present Iran-Afghan border, where an enormous building overwhelms an otherwise humble mud-brick hamlet.