Gonbad-e Jabaliyeh, also known as the Gabri Dome (also Jabel-I Sang)
Located in a cemetery that was once home to
many tower tombs East of the Maydan-e Arg is the Gonbad-e Jabaliyeh, one of the
earliest surviving tombs with a double dome to be found in Iran.
This stone and brick domed building is
something of a puzzle to historians. The consensus is that it certainly
predates the Seljuk period, but its origins may go back to the Sassanian period
or even earlier.
A number of suggestions have been made as
to its function, including as an observatory, but it bears a similarity to
other tomb towers. It is remarkable though, for the fact that it is made of
stone rather than baked brick. The double dome that you see now is a later
addition and is made of brick. The ground plan is octagonal, and the building
is interesting because it allows you to see, both inside and out, a transition
from octagon to dome.
Restored many times, as this photograph of
a century ago shows, the niches and arches, which would have helped with
load-bearing as well as being decorative, would always have been an important
feature of the building.
The Gonbad is now a museum, home to many
stele, grave-markers and other worked stone from the local area.
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