Qubba

Arabic: قُبَّة, romanized: qubba(t), pl. قُباب qubāb),^[3] also transliterated as ḳubba, kubbet and koubba, is a cupola or domed structure, typically a tomb or shrine in Islamic architecture.^[1][2][4][5] In many regions, such as North Africa, the term qubba is applied commonly for the tomb of a local wali (local Muslim saint or marabout), and usually consists of a chamber covered by a dome or pyramidal cupola.^[6][7][1]

infidels and polytheists, not to any Muslim.^[10] However, historical records indicate that from the 8th century onward mausoleums became common, propagated in part by their popularity among the Shi'a, who built tombs to commemorate the Imams which in turn became places of religious ceremony and pilgrimage.^[2][3] The oldest surviving example of a domed tomb in Islamic architecture is the Qubbat al-Sulaibiyya in Samarra, present-day Iraq, dating from the mid-9th century.^[1][2] The construction of domed tombs became more common among both Shi'as and Sunnis during the tenth century, although early Sunni mausoleums were mostly built for political rulers.^[3] An example of the latter is the Samanid Mausoleum in Bukhara, present-day Uzbekistan, built in the tenth century.^[3]

shrines and sacred buildings typically have conical spires that are known as qubbe in Kurdish.^[11]