Mammadbeyli Mausoleum ( az, Məmmədbəyli türbəsi) or the Mausoleum of Yahya ibn Muhammad al-Haj is a mausoleum of the 14th century located on uplands of the
Mammadbeyli village of the
Zangilan District
Zangilan District ( az, Zəngilan rayonu) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the south-west of the country and belongs to the East Zangezur Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Qubadli, Jabrayil, the Syun ...
of
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
.
History
The mausoleum was built in 1305, by architect Ali Majid ad-Din on the
Silk Road
The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...
. In 1975, excavation works in the underground part of the mausoleum were carried out, as result of which a sepulcher was found.
Architecture
The mausoleum has a rectangular shape with dimensions of 2,95 x 3,30 meters. Entry of the sepulcher is located in the western part. The width of the door is 76 cm, and the heights is 88 cm. According to rules of Islam the entry to the mausoleum shouldn't exceed 1.20 meters, so that the entering person would bow in respect to the memory of the deceased. In Middle Ages such mausoleums were built on graves of feudal nobility and well-known people. At present the upper side of the mausoleum is slightly destroyed. Top of the mausoleum, which was built in form eight-edged prism, is complemented with a roof in form of a pyramid.
Its walls are thoroughly revetted with sharpened stones from inside and outside. But its sepulcher is quadrangular from the inner side. The door of the mausoleum is located at a height of 1,8 meters. Inner arch has a spherical, but external a pyramidal form. Such types of constructions are typical for many monuments of Azerbaijan.
There is a ligature in
Arabic language
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
on the door entrance of the mausoleum. It says: “I - Yahya ibn Muhammad al-Haj, possessor of this building am a weak slave needing the grace of the great
Allah
Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...
and offered Ali Majid ad-Din to build this building in
Ramadan
, type = islam
, longtype = Religious
, image = Ramadan montage.jpg
, caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...
month of 704th year.” (28.III-27.IV.1305). There are verses from the
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...
at the beginning of the ligature, in a frame - II-16-18: 61-13: 65-35 (17, 20, 21).
Gallery
Left side of the Mammadbayli mausoleum.jpg
Inscription above the entrance to the Mammadbayli mausoleum.jpg
Inscription inside the Mammadbayli mausoleum.jpg
Front side of the Mammadbayli mausoleum.jpg
Damage hole on the right side of the Mammadbayli mausoleum.jpg
Second left side of the Mammadbayli mausoleum.jpg
Ruins inside the Mammadbayli mausoleum.jpg
References
{{Azerbaijan-struct-stub
Buildings and structures completed in 1305
Mausoleums in Azerbaijan
Tourist attractions in Azerbaijan
Islamic architecture
Zangilan District