Abstract
This study deals with the architectural characteristics, symbolism, and identity of the conical muqarnas-domed tomb attributed to Zumurrud Khatun, the Turkish mother of Abbasid Caliph Nasir Li-Dîn Allah, located in the south of the west bank of Baghdad. The muqarnas dome represents a remarkable feature of medieval Islamic mausoleum architecture. Many of these distinctive structures, found across a vast geographic expanse from Transoxiana to Andalusia, can be dated back to the 5/11th and 7/13th centuries. These architectural features were often associated with renowned scholars, mystics, and statesmen known for their piety The Zumurrud Khatun Tomb, dating from the early 7/13th century, stands out as an exceptional architectural specimen of muqarnas domed tombs from the Abbasid era. The transition from the tomb’s octagonal base to the dome is ingeniously achieved through squinches comprising sixteen cells, complemented by light holes within the muqarnas cells and exterior hezârbâf brickwork. These elements firmly place the building within the architectural style of the 7/13th century, marking it as one of the century’s most outstanding examples. öHistorical records once referred to this tomb as “Sitti Zubaidah.” However, research conducted in the early 20th century uncovered discrepancies between the tomb’s inscription, which recorded the burial of Zubaidah bint Ja’far (the wife of Caliph Hârûn al-Rasheed), and the architectural style and content of the tomb. It was revealed that Zubaidah’s actual tomb was situated approximately six kilometers north of this location. Subsequently, a series of studies published between 1940 and 1950 shifted the prevailing view, suggesting that the tomb belonged to Zumurrud Khatun, the mother of Caliph Nasir Li-Dîn Allah.
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