Gawhar Shad Mausoleum

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Gawhar Shad Mausoleum
Musalla Complex, Herat
CountryAfghanistan
Architecture
Architect(s)Qavan ud-din
TypeMausoleum
StyleTimurid, Iranian
Completed1438

The Gawhar Shad Mausoleum, also known as the Tomb of Baysunghur, is an

Musalla Complex
.

History

View of the mausoleum with remains of the Musalla complex in the background (in 2001)

The mausoleum was originally constructed to house the remains of Prince

Samarqand.[9]

By the 20th century, the mausoleum had been extensively damaged, with the cupola in particular being severely deteriorated. Intervention in the 1950s resulted in drastically changing the appearance of the building, with an entirely new eastern façade being built and the hexagonal Mihrab being demolished and replaced with a rectangular one. This, along with later restorations, were of poor quality and used inappropriate materials.[10] In 2014, UNESCO and the Afghanistan government coordinated to attempt to preserve and replicate the tile work on the exterior dome.[11] UNESCO is presently considering the nomination of Herat (in which the mausoleum is specifically mentioned) as a World Heritage Site.[12]

Architecture

The mausoleum forms a cruciform shape, with a dome covering the centre.[13] This dome is the most impressive feature of the structure, in that it is actually three domes superimposed over one another: a low inner dome, a bulbous outer cupola and a structural dome between them.[3] The outer cupola is decorated with flowery light blue-green mosaics. The inner dome is adorned with gold leaf, lapis lazuli and other colours which form intricate patterns. The interior of the tomb itself is a square chamber with axial niches.[14]

  • Gardens around the tomb (in 2009)
    Gardens around the tomb (in 2009)
  • Exterior view of the tomb
    Exterior view of the tomb
  • Vaulted ceiling inside the tomb
    Vaulted ceiling inside the tomb

Burials

Due to the widespread habit of tombstones being taken and re-used, it is unknown how many burials there are in the mausoleum. Though some sources claim there were as many as twenty grave markers at one time, at present there are only six.[1] These are oblong shaped and made of matt black stone, with carved floral patterns.[15]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tomb of Goharshād.
  1. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7524-2519-1
    .
  2. ^ Roemer, H. R. (1989). "BĀYSONḠOR, ḠĪĀṮ-AL-DĪN". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-92-3-100064-5
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-415-96692-4
    .
  5. ^ Golombek, Lisa (1969). "The Timurid Shrine at Gazur Gah". Occasional Paper - Royal Ontario Museum, Art and Archaeology (15). Royal Ontario Museum: 90.
  6. ISBN 978-0-520-29413-4
    .
  7. ^ Barthold, Vasilii Vladimirovitch (1963). Four Studies on the History of Central Asia. Vol. 2. Brill Archive. p. 147.
  8. ^ Golombek (1969, p. 86)
  9. ISBN 978-1-139-46284-6
    .
  10. ^ Cassar & Noshadi (2015, p. 186)
  11. ^ "Italian-Funded Conservation of Gawhar Shad Mausoleum in Herat Underway by Afghan Government and UNESCO". unesco.org. UNESCO. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  12. ^ "City of Herat". unesco.org. UNESCO. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  13. ISBN 978-1-134-61365-6
    .
  14. ISBN 978-1-4008-5891-0
    .
  15. ^ Byron, Robert (1937). The Road to Oxiana. Macmillan and Co. Ltd. p. 101.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gawhar_Shad_Mausoleum&oldid=1213561837"