Momine Khatun Mausoleum
Encyclopedia
The Mausoleum
of Momine Khatun (or Mu'mine Khatun) is located in Nakhchivan City, the capital of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in Azerbaijan
. The mausoleum was most recently restored in 1999-2003, as part of the Azerbaijan Cultural Heritage Support Project of the World Bank
, and also depicted on the obverse
of the Azerbaijani 50,000 manat
banknote of 1996-2006.
Atabeg
Jahan Pahlawan (1175-1186), in honor of his first wife, Mu'mine Khatun, and completed in 1186-1187, as indicated on the Kufic
style inscriptive plaque above the entrance. Its architect, Adjemi ibn Abubekr
(or Adjemi Nakchivani), also built the nearby mausoleum of Yusuf ibn Kuseyir. Scholars mention that the mausoleum was originally built with a madrassa, and drawings and photographs of the site from the nineteenth century confirm that it existed as part of a religious and educational complex which no longer exists.
. A flat roof raised on a tapering, decagonal drum covers the slightly pointed inner dome. The main entrance to the edifice faces east, while a secondary one leads to the crypt, whose vault is supported by a massive central pier.
The solid brick walls of the mausoleum are pierced by two small windows facing West, with an additional window above the main entrance. A band of inscription in Kufic
characters composed of turquoise tiles runs below the muqarnas
cornice
. The recessed surface of its twelve exterior facets are covered with carved geometric motifs on brick, which are highlighted by turquoise tiles, and set in a rectangular frame that includes a small muqarnas crown. Inside, the burial chamber is circular in plan, with bare walls.
The Mausoleum of Mu'mine Khatun is representative of the Nakhchivan architectural tradition of the medieval era, which was heavily influenced by the works of the Azerbaijani architect Adjemi ibn Kuseyir. The Nakhchivani style differed from the Shirvan
i styles, prevailing in Absheron
, in its use of brick as the basic construction material and the use of colored, especially turquoise enameled tiles, for decoration.
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
of Momine Khatun (or Mu'mine Khatun) is located in Nakhchivan City, the capital of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
. The mausoleum was most recently restored in 1999-2003, as part of the Azerbaijan Cultural Heritage Support Project of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, and also depicted on the obverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
of the Azerbaijani 50,000 manat
Azerbaijani manat
The Manat is the currency of Azerbaijan. It is subdivided into 100 qəpik. The word manat is borrowed from "moneta" which is pronounced as "maneta"...
banknote of 1996-2006.
History
It was commissioned by IldegizidAtabegs of Azerbaijan
The Ildegizids, Eldiguzids or Ildenizids, also known as Atabegs of Azerbaijan were a Turkic dynasty of Kipchak origin which controlled most of northwestern Persia/eastern Transcaucasia, including Arran, most of Azerbaijan, and Djibal...
Atabeg
Atabeg
Atabeg, Atabek, or Atabey is a hereditary title of nobility of Turkic origin, indicating a governor of a nation or province who was subordinate to a monarch and charged with raising the crown prince...
Jahan Pahlawan (1175-1186), in honor of his first wife, Mu'mine Khatun, and completed in 1186-1187, as indicated on the Kufic
Kufic
Kufic is the oldest calligraphic form of the various Arabic scripts and consists of a modified form of the old Nabataean script. Its name is derived from the city of Kufa, Iraq, although it was known in Mesopotamia at least 100 years before the foundation of Kufa. At the time of the emergence of...
style inscriptive plaque above the entrance. Its architect, Adjemi ibn Abubekr
Ajami Nakhchivani
Ajami ibn Abubakr Nakhchivani - is a Muslim architect. He is also the founder of the Nakhchivan school of architecture...
(or Adjemi Nakchivani), also built the nearby mausoleum of Yusuf ibn Kuseyir. Scholars mention that the mausoleum was originally built with a madrassa, and drawings and photographs of the site from the nineteenth century confirm that it existed as part of a religious and educational complex which no longer exists.
Description
The mausoleum is a decagonal brick tomb tower, rising to a height of approximately twenty-five meters. It is built above a crypt and sits on a shallow base made of large blocks of red dioriteDiorite
Diorite is a grey to dark grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar , biotite, hornblende, and/or pyroxene. It may contain small amounts of quartz, microcline and olivine. Zircon, apatite, sphene, magnetite, ilmenite and sulfides occur as accessory...
. A flat roof raised on a tapering, decagonal drum covers the slightly pointed inner dome. The main entrance to the edifice faces east, while a secondary one leads to the crypt, whose vault is supported by a massive central pier.
The solid brick walls of the mausoleum are pierced by two small windows facing West, with an additional window above the main entrance. A band of inscription in Kufic
Kufic
Kufic is the oldest calligraphic form of the various Arabic scripts and consists of a modified form of the old Nabataean script. Its name is derived from the city of Kufa, Iraq, although it was known in Mesopotamia at least 100 years before the foundation of Kufa. At the time of the emergence of...
characters composed of turquoise tiles runs below the muqarnas
Muqarnas
Muqarnas is a type of corbel used as a decorative device in traditional Islamic architecture. The term is similar to mocárabe, but mocárabe only refers to designs with formations resembling stalactites, by the use of elements known as alveole.Muqarnas takes the form of small pointed niches,...
cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
. The recessed surface of its twelve exterior facets are covered with carved geometric motifs on brick, which are highlighted by turquoise tiles, and set in a rectangular frame that includes a small muqarnas crown. Inside, the burial chamber is circular in plan, with bare walls.
The Mausoleum of Mu'mine Khatun is representative of the Nakhchivan architectural tradition of the medieval era, which was heavily influenced by the works of the Azerbaijani architect Adjemi ibn Kuseyir. The Nakhchivani style differed from the Shirvan
Shirvan
Shirvan , also spelled as Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both Islamic and modern times...
i styles, prevailing in Absheron
Absheron
The Absheron peninsula, is a region in Azerbaijan. It is host to Baku, the biggest and the most populous city of the country, and also the Baku metropolitan area, with its satellite cities Sumgayit and Khyrdalan....
, in its use of brick as the basic construction material and the use of colored, especially turquoise enameled tiles, for decoration.
Sources
- Aslanapa, Oktay (1979). Kirim ve Kuzey Azerbaycan'da Türk Eserleri. Istanbul, Baha Matbaasi, 19, 67-77.
- Ayvazian, Argam (1988). The Historical Monuments of Nakhchivan. Detroit, Wayne State University Press, 90-92.
- Fatullayev, S.S. and R.S. Babasov (2005). "Memarliq". Maison d'Azerbaidjan Website. Accessed November 2, 2005
- Gink, Kalory and Ilona Turanszky (1979). Azerbaijan: Mosques, Turrets, Palaces. Budapest, Corvina Kiado, 29-30.
- Michell, George. Architecture of the Islamic World: Its History and Social Meaning. London, Thames and Hudson, 259. (ed. 1995).
- Azerbaijan Cultural Heritage Support Project. World Bank website.