Barda Mausoleum

Barda was a major city of the medieval Caucasus and its most complete surviving monument is the mausoleum built in 1322 by the architect Ahmad ibn Ayyub al-Hafiz, a cylindrical brick tower on a low base. The surface is the point: glazed turquoise bricks are set into the plain brickwork in a repeating geometric pattern with kufic inscriptions, so the whole tower carries a lattice of blue that changes with the light. A smaller Ottoman-era tomb and an archaeological museum stand nearby.

History

Two tower tombs were built in Barda in the 14th century, and this one, the only survivor, was erected in 1322 according to its inscriptions, which name when and by whom it was built; they show that architects of the Nakhchivan school were invited to build in other cities. The orientalist Khanikov read the inscriptions when he visited in 1848, and the academician Dorn published them and a drawing of the tomb in 1861 (Wikipedia, Barda Mausoleum).

What to look for

• The tomb tower - a cylindrical brick mausoleum of 1322, standing about thirteen metres.
• The turquoise brickwork - glazed bricks set in geometric patterns across the whole surface.
• The kufic inscriptions - script worked into the pattern in the same glazed brick.
• The site museum - finds from Barda's medieval town, in a small building nearby.

When to go

April to June and September to October are comfortable. The plain is severely hot in July and August with no shade at the monument. The glazed brick reads best in low morning or evening light.

Practical notes

This is a single monument and the visit is short. The surroundings are ordinary and the modern town has little else. Interpretation at the site is minimal and the museum keeps limited hours.

Nearby

Ganja is a couple of hours northwest, and Mingachevir is north across the plain.

Key facts