Discover
Basṭām
Iran
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
- Also spelled:
- Bustam, Bistam, Bestam, or Bostum
Basṭām, small historic town, northern Iran. It lies just south of the Elburz Mountains in a well-watered plain. Clustered around the tomb of the poet and mystic Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī (d. 874) are a mausoleum, a 12th-century minaret and mosque wall, a superb portal (1313), and a 15th-century college. Nearby are interesting ruins, including a mosque and a cloister with fine stucco. Most of the town’s old constructions were ordered built by two Mongol rulers, Maḥmūd Ghāzān (1295–1304) and Öljeitü (1304–16). Pop. (latest est.) 6,401.