2012 | OriginalPaper | Chapter
The Decagonal Tomb Tower at Maragha and Its Architectural Context: Lines of Mathematical Thought
Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.
Select sections of text to find matching patents with Artificial Intelligence. powered by
Select sections of text to find additional relevant content using AI-assisted search. powered by
Of several brick tomb towers constructed at Maragha in western Iran before the Mongol conquests, one in particular, Gonbad-e Qabud (593 H. / 1196–97 C.E.), has generated significant recent attention for its unique patterns with pentagons and decagons. Gonbad-e Qabud is also unusual in having a decagonal plan. While both plan and decoration distinguish it from earlier and later towers at Maragha and elsewhere on the Iranian plateau, the ornamental patterns follow a long line of experimentation with geometric expressions that grace many pre-Mongol buildings in Iran. This article examines in particular the overlapping polygons and radial symmetries of the tympanum of the cubic Gonbad-e Sork (542 H. / 1148 C.E.) at Maragha, and the pentagons and squares of the tympanum of the later octagonal tomb tower (486 H. / 1093 C.E.) nearby at Kharraqan. Drawing from archival sources (plans, elevations, photographs), analysis of plane patterns, and comparative architectural data, this article reevaluates the cultural significance of Gonbad-e Qabud, seeking to situate it within the histories of mathematics, architecture, and the arts.