Scholars Pavilion, Persian monument at United Nations complex, Vienna, Austria

The Scholars Pavilion is a pale stone chahartaq in the United Nations Vienna complex: four fluted columns with square capitals carry a flat roof edged by a crenellated parapet, and carved animal figures sit on the capitals and spandrels. On the stepped, tiered base, two bearded robed figures stand on plinths between the front columns, one raising a horn-shaped object, the other holding an open book, with dark inscribed plaques below them.

Iran presented this monument to the United Nations Vienna Office in 2009 as a gift honoring Persian scientific heritage. The construction draws from classical Persian architecture, paying tribute to an architectural legacy spanning thousands of years.

The four figures stand on plinths between the columns, not in alcoves: al-Biruni holds a globe, Khayyam paper and pen, Rhazes a flask with a scroll on his knee, and Avicenna a book. Each plinth carries the scholar's name and dates in Persian and English. The monument was a gift marking Iran's peaceful scientific progress.

The monument stands on the UN Vienna grounds and is accessible during the complex's operating hours. Visitors should note the area is formal and busy, so it's best to dress appropriately and allow time for security checks.

The pavilion is a chahartaq, a four-arch form used in Iranian architecture from pre-Islamic times to the present. Its columns and other features draw on Persepolis and Achaemenid remains. The design is by Alireza Nazem Alroaya, and Sadeh Architecture City Construction built it.