The 2022 Iranian 20,000 Rial Banknote (2 Tomans, Mausoleum of Poets in Tabriz). Iberoamericana Banknotes

October 19, 2026

Billete de 20.000 riales (2 tomanes) de Irán 2022, P161, sin circular, en azul: mausoleo de los poetas de Tabriz y retrato del ayatolá Jomeiní

⚠️ First of all: Iranian banknotes cannot be paid for with PayPal. Due to PayPal's policies regarding products of Iranian origin, you will have to choose another of the available payment methods at checkout.

Sold exclusively as a collectible item: these are uncirculated numismatic pieces for collectors, not currency for exchange or a means of payment.

If anyone tells you that Iranian banknotes are all the same, show them this one. The 20,000 rial banknote from 2022 (Pick 161, 20000 rials Iran) breaks away from the classic mausoleums with domes and columns and features on the reverse a concrete structure with angular lines, almost brutalist: the Mausoleum of Poets in Tabriz. It was released on July 13, 2022, the same day as the 10,000 rial note, and is worth 2 tomans.

You can buy it uncirculated on its product page (P161) or as part of our set of 10 Iranian banknotes.

The reverse: a cemetery of poets turned into sculpture

The Maqbarat-o-Shoara ("Mausoleum of Poets") is located in the Surkhab neighborhood of Tabriz, the great city in northwestern Iran. It is not the tomb of a single individual, but a collective pantheon where poets, mystics, and figures from nearly a thousand years of history rest.

Notice what the banknote shows:

A forest of vertical pillars that rise in steps toward the center, joined at the top by highly stylized pointed arches. It is the symbolic building erected after the renovation work began in the 1970s.
A stepped platform at the base, decorated with a strip of Persian geometric motifs.
Black calligraphy on the left, in nasta'liq style, the one most associated with Persian poetry.
The huge "2" in blue on the left and the number "20000" at the top right, with the zeros in a pale tone.

Who is buried there?

Among others, Asadi Tusi (11th century, author of one of the first Persian dictionaries), Qatran Tabrizi, Khaqani (12th century, one of the greats of Persian verse), and, in the 20th century, Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar (1906–1988), the most beloved poet of Tabriz, who wrote in both Persian and Azerbaijani. This is why the banknote pays homage to an entire literary tradition, not just one person.

The obverse

Khomeini in blue engraving, on the left, with his turban and beard highly detailed in intaglio.
A background of stars and geometric rosettes (girih) that covers the left half.
The "۲" (2 in Persian numerals) large in the lower-left corner, and the full value in Farsi at the top right.
Signatures, serial numbers in red, and the same diagonal composition as the rest of the series.

A color code for each value

In the toman series, each banknote has its own color: grayish-green for the 1 toman note, blue for this 2 toman note, violet for the 5, and green for the 10. The size is the same for all of them (156 × 71 mm), so the color and the large digit are what allow them to be distinguished at a glance, even by people with poor vision.

Security and technical sheet

Watermark of Khomeini with electrotype "2", registration number visible against the light, intaglio relief printing, microprinting, 3D linear medallion, blue numbering that turns turquoise under ultraviolet light, and invisible colored fibers.

Catalog: Pick 161 · Date: no printed date (issued 07-13-2022)
Format: 156 × 71 mm · Paper: cotton with protective varnish

For your collection

It is the ideal banknote for a collection of 20th-century architecture on banknotes and, together with the 50,000 rial 2022 banknote (5 tomans) (Hafez) and the 100,000 rial 2026 banknote (10 tomans) (Saadi), it forms a small trio dedicated to Persian poets.

Remember: it is sold as a collectible item and does not accept payment via PayPal. International shipping, original uncirculated banknotes, and specialized customer support for any questions.