Assignment on

The Cube and Hemisphere of the Muslim Tomb

Art and Architecture
Arc-221
nd
nd
2 Year, 2 Semester

Submitted by:
Murshed Ahmed Rinku
2008345013
Submitted to:
Shamsul Arefin
Assistant Professor
Department of Architecture
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology
Sylhet

The Muslim Tomb usually consists of solitary compartment or tomb chamber known
as the huzrah in whose centre is the cenotaph or zarih. This entire structure is
covered with an elaborate dome. In the underground chamber lies the mortuary or
the maqbara, in which the corpse is buried in grave or qabr. In the western wall is
mihrab, although larger mausoleums will have a separate mosque.
The Cube and Hemisphere of the Muslim Tomb
The style of domed square tomb was arised in Persia at the reign of Seljuq Empire in
10th century AD. The earliest example of such architectural style is the tomb of
Samanid.
Tomb of Samanid (Samanid mausoleum):
The tomb of Samanid is located in the
historical urban nucleus of the city of
Bukhara, in a park laid out on the site of an
ancient cemetery. This mausoleum, one of
the most esteemed sights of Central Asian
architecture, was built in the 9th (10th)
century (between 892 and 943) as the
resting-place of Ismail Samani - a powerful
and influential amir of the Samanid dynasty,
one of the Persian dynasty to rule in Central
Asia, which held the city in the 9th and 10th
centuries. Although in the first instance the
Samanids were Governors of Khorasan and
Transoxiana under the suzerainty of the
Abbasid Caliphate, the dynasty soon
established virtual independence from
Baghdad.
Popularly known as the tomb of Ismail, this
early mausoleum was erected by the
Samanid ruler sometime before 943 AD. An
existing waqf document indicates that it was
possibly built for his father. Although three
bodies lie within, a wooden plaque identifies
only Ismail's grandson, Nasr ibn Ahmad ibn
Ismail or as-Said Nasr II (d. 943). Ostensibly
the family crypt of the first local Muslim
dynasty, it is possible that, consistent with popular nomenclature, the structure
does indeed contain the grave of Ismail himself.

The baked brick structure describes a simple form: a slightly tapered cube capped
by a hemispherical dome that is inset from the exterior face of the cube. The
exterior surface decoration of highly articulated brickwork provides visual interest.
Departing from customary stucco decoration, the use of allover decorative
brickwork represents an important innovation. Each faade is identical, joining the
next with semi-attached circular columns. Centered within each faade is an arched
opening framed by bricks laid in basket weave, the spandrels composed of
diagonally set end brick. A frieze of small arches
on columns encircles the top of the cube forming a
miniature arcade, the corners are punctuated with
small domical forms that sit above the cube.

The exterior arcade frieze

repeats on the interior as
an internal gallery. Utilizing corner arches to facilitate the
interior transition from the square plan to the dome
constitutes another important innovation.
In India:
With the advent of Islam in India, the arch and dome began
to be used and the mosque or masjid too began to form
part of the landscape, adding to a new experience in form
and space. The most famous Islamic building type in India
is the tomb or the mausoleum which evolved from the
basic cube and hemisphere vocabulary of the early phase
into a more elaborate form during the Mughal era where
multiple chambers are present and tombs were set in a
garden known as the char-bagh. Well known examples are
the Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur and the Taj Mahal, Agra.
Building Technique:
Sultan Iltutmishs own tomb was an altogether more
comprehensible structure. Here, for the first time, the
Indian builder came to terms with the most elementary
grammar of the Isamic language of building. The crux of
the Islamic structural language was the method of
installing a dome that is essentially circular in plan over a
cubic compartment that is imperatively square in
configuration. Geometrically stated, this problem amounts
to making the square (a polygon of four equal sides) and
the circle (a polygon of infinite sides) approximate each
other; structurally interpreted, it amounts to supporting the

circular drum-like base for the springing of the dome over the walls of the square
compartment below. The geometrical solution lay in increasing the four sides of the
square to eight of an octagon, and progressively to sixteen and thirty two sided
polygons gradually approximating the infinite sides of a circle. The corresponding
structural solution lay in effectively spanning the right angular corners of the square
to create an octagon, then spanning the obtuse corners of the octagon, and
repeating the process until a circular ring was
achieved. The first constructional step then,
was to put an arch across the corner, unless
the span was small enough to be bridged by
a simple stone beam. Then the process of
spanning the corners could be repeated until
a circular ring of masonry could be safely
projected out over the lower polygon. Over
this circular base, the dome of the desired
profile could be created. A cubic base by
arched openings crowned with a
hemispherical dome is the most essential and
elementary structural and visual unit of
almost the entire gamut of Islamic
architecture, be it tombs, mosques or palaces
in India, Arabia, Turkey, Persia or anywhere.
Tomb of Iltutmish:
The Tomb of Shams al-Din Iltutmish (reg.
1211-1236), is located in the northwest
corner of the Qutb complex next to
Iltutmish's own extensions to the Qutb
Mosque.
The sandstone structure is square,
measuring 9.1 meters along each side,
with a height of 8.41 m to the base of the
(conjectured) dome. It was constructed of
new material, not making use of the
spolia used in other buildings in the Qutb complex. It has three entrances, on the
north, east, and south elevations. The western wall, facing Mecca, houses the
mihrab as the central niche of three. The upper chamber, now open to the sky,
contains the richly decorated marble cenotaph. Steps on the northern side leading
down to the burial chamber below.

The square base of the tomb structure is

transformed into an octagon overhead with ogee
squinch arches. These arches are constructed
with corbels rather than with true arches. The
structure has no dome or other roof. It has been
conjectured that the original dome collapsed; it
has also been noted that the exterior walls of
the tomb are comparatively thin (2.2 meters),
and might not have been able to support the
outward thrust generated by a dome.
The entrance and parts of the exterior are laid
with quartzite, and the gates are decorated with
carvings; however, the real decorative richness
of the tomb is found within. Elaborate epigraphy
on walls, arabesques, and geometrical designs adorn the western niches and
mihrab. The inscription panels include Kufic, Tughra and Nakshi scripts illustrating
chapters of the Quran. Hindu motifs such as lotu s flowers and bells on chains are
also found in the sandstone carvings.
Tomb of Ghiyath Al Din Tughluq
Ghiyath al Din Tughluq (reg. 1320-1325)
was the first Tughluq ruler who, upon
succeeding the Khaljis, established the
Tughluqabad Fort on the southeastern
side of the Qutb complex in old Delhi.
Built during his lifetime, his tomb is a
fortress-like complex, constructed on an
(now-dry) artificial lake, which separates
the tomb from the Tughluqabad Fort. A
229-meter-long causeway, supported by
26 arched piers, crosses the lake to
connect the tomb to the fort. Water also
added a dimension to the paradise imagery in tomb architecture, a theme that
would be carried on from the Tughluq tombs to reach its height with Mughal
architecture.
The tomb complex has an oblique pentagonal plan with a battlement perimeter wall
supporting conical bastions at each angle. Measuring 11.75 meters in height, the
perimeter wall inclines inwards and has a continuous crenellated parapet. One
enters the court through a strategically staggered, decorated entrance gate. Arched
corridors and vaulted chambers run along the interior side of the court perimeter
wall.

Placed diagonally within the court, the tomb itself is constructed of rubble masonry,
unadorned on its exterior and faced with red sandstone and a white marble
decorative course on the interior. Square in plan, its battered walls are massive: the
interior tomb walls measure 11.74 meters in length (18.74 meters on the exterior),
with an overall height of 24.4 meters and a 75 degree slope.
Its pointed dome, which rests on a transition of corner squinches, has an an interior
diameter of 10.41 meters and an exterior diameter of 13.41 meters. Crowned with a
vase and melon (kalash and amala) finial, the dome follows the typology of Hindu
temples in the Delhi region. Three sides (north, south, and east) of the tomb have
horseshoe-arched doorway openings with spearhead extrusions in their intrados and
are flanked by a niche on either side. A marble band begins at the base of these
horseshoe arches, running across the architrave. The western wall of the tomb
accommodates the mihrab.
The interior of the tomb is faced in red sandstone up to the base of the dome, above
which it is clad in white marble. Three tombstones are housed within the tomb
structure itself. With the exception of the marble-clad mihrab, the interiors are
unplastered and undecorated. In addition to the grave of Ghiyath al-Din, the tomb
also contains the graves of his wife Makhdima-Jehan, and his son Sultan Muhammad
Adil Tughlaq Shah (d. 1351).

Tomb of Firuz Shah Tughlaq

Firuz Shah (r. 1351-88) of the Delhi-based Tughlaq
dynasty was a sultan interested in architecture. He
is known for having built various schools, religious
establishments, and earthworks.
His tomb is in the middle of a madrasa he
commissioned, overlooking a tank of water known
as Hauz Khas. The tomb's plain style is faithful to
the austerity of much of Tughlaq building. The
simple 15 foot square structure is built of ashlar
walls finished with lime plaster with arched
entrances and merlons along the parapet. Above
the parapet rises an octagonal drum, which
supports a shallow and slightly pointed dome. The
north and west of the tomb are contiguous with one
of the wings of the madrasa. To the east are several
chattris, small domed structures supported by
pillars, which house tombs of saints and religious
teachers. The tomb has a low platform to the south that is enclosed by a graceful
stone railing.

Internally the tomb measures 29 feet (8.74 meters) and is paved with gray stone
slabs. The intrados and ceiling of the dome are embellished with colored bands that
intersect each other. The squinches are decorated with plasterwork including
incised calligraphy. The designs have been incised and gorgeously painted in dark
red, green and turquoise. The medallions, Quranic verses, and floral designs
combine to describe paradise.
The tomb contains four unmarked graves; three are made of marble and the fourth,
near the east door, is of rubble and plaster. The central grave is that of Firuz Khan. It
measures nine by six feet and over two feet in height (three by one and a half
meters and over half a meter in height). The other two marble graves, which are
similar to the central one, are ascribed to the son and grandson of Firuz Shah,
Nasiru'd-Din Muhammad Shah and Alau'd-Din Sikandar Shah.
Tomb of Hosang Shah
The ancient hill fort of Mandu, with inscriptional
evidence dating back to AD 555 is situated only
35 km away from the district headquarters, Dhar.
The rock cut caves, namely, Lohani and Sat
Kothari, are the earliest and rarer type of
architecture amongst the over 60 structural
monuments.
The Tomb of Sultan Hoshang Shah at Mandu in
the State of Madhya Pradesh in India. Built in
1440, the Hoshang Shahs tomb is a mausoleum
built entirely of marble. Considered to be Indias first marble monument, it is
believed that the design and architecture of Taj Mahal at Agra was inspired by this
tomb.
Hoshangs Tomb, a mausoleum built entirely of marble. Though it faces the
enterance porch on the north the accesss to the tomb proper is from the south
through a doorway of exquisite proportions and ornamentation. The interior is plain
but for the ornamental mouldings such as the miniature arches with blue enamel
background running all along the rim of the dome.The main sarcophagus of
Hoshang Shah is carved in the form of a casket with receding bands and with a
mihrab moulded at the top. There are other graves also below the dome, three of
which are in marble.
Tomb of Mohammad Adil Shah (Gol
Gumbaz):
The Gol (Round) Gumbaz (Dome) is the
mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah (r.
1627-1656) of the Adil Shahi dynasty of

Bijapur. It appears to have been the desire of the ruler to build a mausoleum that
was comparable to that of his father, Ibrahim Adil Shah II. Since his father's
mausoleum, known as the Ibrahim Rauza, was exceptional in composition and
decoration, the only means of avoiding direct competition was through size. It is one
of the biggest single chamber structures in the world and covers an area of 18,225
square feet (1,693 square meters), which is bigger than the better known Pantheon
in Rome which is 14,996 square feet (1,393 square meters). The mausoleum is part
of a complex that includes a mosque, a dharmshala (inn for travelers) and other
buildings related to the sovereign's mausoleum. The building was never properly
completed as intended since construction began towards the end of Muhammad
Adil Shah's reign. As a result, the tomb is a plain cube with towers on each corner.
Built of dark grey basalt and decorated plaster, the walls are nine feet (2.7 meters)
thick and 100 feet (30.5 meters) in height. The interior measures 135 feet (41
meters) on each side. Each exterior face of the cube displays three great blind
arches. The central arch is wider than the others and is dressed with wooden panels
with small rectangular entrance and three rows of arched windows punched
through. Above the south door or main entrance, hanging from a chain from the
cornice, is a 'bijli patthar' (meteorite) that is said to have fallen during Muhammad
Adil's reign. It's believed the stone guards the tomb from lighting. The cornice and
parapet of the cube is the most articulated feature of the faade. The cornice rests
on highly carved stone corbels that project about ten feet (three meters) from the
wall. The cornice supports the parapet which has a row of arched openings and leafshaped merlons.
In the center of the tomb chamber is a platform with the cenotaphs of Muhammad
Adil, his youngest wife Arus Bibi, his favorite daughter and a grandson. The main
cenotaph is marked by an elaborate wooden baldachin. The real tombs are located
below in the basement and are accessed by a staircase under the western entrance.
An octagonal chamber was attached to the central arch of the north faade at a
much later date. According to some the octagonal chamber was meant to shelter
the remains of Jahan Begum, wife of Muhammad Adil, but this would have been
contrary to the convention of the wife's grave situated next to the husband's. Most
likely, it could have been for the spiritual mentor of Muhammad Adil.
The corner towers are incongruous with the rest of the mausoleum composition.
They are divided into seven floors with a projecting cornice and a row of arched
openings marking each level. Combined, the towers resemble Chinese pagodas
more than minarets. Each tower is then capped by a majestic hemispheric dome
with a ring of carved leaves around the base.

The mausoleum is crowned by a massive dome. At the base of the dome elegant
carved petals cover the drum. The exterior diameter is almost 133 feet (44 meters)

and reaches a height of 90 feet (27.4 meters) from a circular platform. Total exterior
height from ground level is 198 feet (60 meters). The dome rests on a unique
pendentive system. It is a system of intersecting arches that was not used
anywhere else in India. The only other commonly known instance was in the Great
Mosque of Cordoba. The eight high pointed arches intersect in the interior of the
cube at regular intervals and on their points rests the high circular platform with an
opening of 96 feet (29.5 meters) in diameter. The inner surface of the dome
overlaps the edge of the circle by about 13 feet (four meters) so that part of the
weight falls on the intersecting arches that bear and neutralize any other exterior
forces. The dome is built of horizontal courses of brick with a flat section at its
crown. It is cemented with lime and reaches a thickness of 12 feet (3.5 meters).
There are six openings at its base.
An interesting discovery was made in the basement of a very strong circular
foundation that matched the circular opening of the dome above. It, however,
supports only a platform and a light wooden pavilion. One explanation could be that
the original plan may have been based on the conventional mausoleum plan of a
small domed chamber surrounded by an open arcade and that it was not until the
foundation had been completed that the king or architect thought of resting the
dome upon the outer walls, thereby enlarging the volume of dome several times.
Another interesting feature of the mausoleum is the gallery around the base of the
dome that hangs out about 11 feet (3.54 meters). It is accessed through the
winding staircase in the four towers. It is known as the whispering gallery because
the sound reflections from the dome allow the slightest of whisper can be heard
even when standing cross the dome from each other.
This mausoleum is one of the Bijapur's main architectural treasures. Despite its
incomplete condition, the sheer majesty of the structure renders visitors awestruck.
The towers with their hemispherical domes, the carved petal borders and parapet
give the building an exoticism that blends with monumentality and prevents this
building from becoming just another building emulating classic Mughal architecture.
A building that inspires admiration for its boldness would most definitely have been
a spectacular experiment in completion.