- for the town in Afghanistan see Gonbad, Afghanistan
In traditional Persian architecture, a dome is referred to as a gonbad (گنبد).
The history of designing gonbads dates back to pre-Islamic Persia. The Parthians in particular were very keen in using such structures in their designs. The Sassanids inherited them and elevated their designs into full maturity.
A gonbad is often double layered, and can have many shapes, such as semi-spherical, partial spherical, onion shaped, paraboloid, polygonal conical, and circular conical.
In pre-Islamic times, the gonbad was a sign of imperial grandeur for the king. In Islamic times, the tradition continued, and the interiors were made to simulate the celestial dome, reminding the muslim of Man's place in the cosmos vis a vis God and creation.
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Kümbet
In Iran and Turkey, where the Turks set up states and ruled for centuries, there are a number of examples of mausoleums. These monuments, referred to in Turkish as "kümbet", are a continuation of the Turkish burial customs of Central Asia. These structures are either polygonal or cylindrical in shape arid are covered with a dome. The main body of the monument rests on a cubic base, the corners of which are bevelled. In the examples built before the l6th century the dome is covered with a conical or pyramidal spire. Most of these monuments are two storied. Concealed inside the base, half of which is below ground level, is a crypt; the latter is covered by a vault and its floor is earth. The deceased was buried in the earth. The crypt had small loop-hole windows.
Döner Kümbet
The Revolving Tomb, as it's called, doesn't revolve, but its cylindrical form makes it look as though it might. Built in 1276 as the final resting-place of Şah Cihan Hatun, an imperial princess, it's covered in high-relief arabesque decoration depicting animals and plants. The nearby Sirçali Kümbet is not quite as elaborate. The Çifte Kümbet (Double Tomb), 5 km along on the way to Sivas, is yet another of these characteristic Seljuk royal tombs.
The Kümbet of Halime Hatun
About 2 km to the north of the Gevaş district on the shore of Lake Van there is an old graveyard that has been in use ever since the Seljuk period. One of the most impressive pre-Ottoman grave monuments is the Kumbet of Halime Hatun, which is in the same graveyard. This monument was recently repaired and changes made to the entrance to the crypt. It attracted the attention of a number of travellers who visited the area in the last century, prompting W. Bachmann to make a serious study of it. However, the fırst scientifıc study of this monument was carried out by Prof. Dr. Oktay Aslanapa.
The Kümbet of Kadem Pasa Hatun
This monument lies 1-2km to the east of Erciş, at the junction of the Erciş-Van and Patnos-Van roads. It was repaired in the 1970's, when crumbling stones on the base and main body of the monument were replaced. Stone staircases leading to the crypt and to the upper floor were built at the same time. A wall was also built around the garden in which the monument lies.
The Zortul Kümbet
This monument, which lies on level ground to the left of the Erciş-Patnos road above 5km northwest of Erciş itself, has no special name. Abdürrahim Şerif Beygu, who visited the monument in 1931, stated that its east window part of the spire had crumbled away. Oktay Aslanapa confırms this information, stating that the upper part of the roof had collapsed and that the monument was in a very poor state. Repairs have been carried out which have halted its deterioration.
 Closeup of a gonbad revealing tile configuration. |
 A typical gonbad, the same one as seen in the left, seen from above. |
 Sample of a medieval design polygonal conical gonbad. |
Development in China
The word "gonbad" was borrowed into Chinese as "gongbei", where it refers to Islamic tombs (originally, domed).
Further reading
- For a philosophical discussion of the dome in traditional architecture of Persia, see "Sense of Unity" by Nader Ardalan and Laleh Bakhtiar, ISBN 1-871031-78-8
See also
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