Sitt Zumurrud Khatun Tomb

This tomb stands in a cemetery in western Baghdad, an octagonal brick chamber carrying a conical roof around fifteen metres high built entirely from stacked tiers of muqarnas, so that the cone is stepped and faceted from inside and out; it is among the finest surviving examples of the technique and one of the very few twelfth-century buildings left in the city. It is traditionally identified as the tomb of Zumurrud Khatun, mother of the caliph al-Nasir, who died around 1202, though the attribution has been questioned and the building has also been linked to the mystic Abd al-Qadir's circle. Restoration has been carried out at various points. The interior is plain and the structure is the whole of the interest.

What you actually see

• The muqarnas cone - tiers of corbelling stacked into a conical roof.
• The octagonal chamber - the brick base carrying the structure.
• Interior faceting - the stepped underside of the cone from within.
• The cemetery setting - the tomb among later graves in the quarter.

When to go

November to March for comfortable weather. Access is not always straightforward and arranging it locally in advance is sensible. Mornings give the best light on the brickwork.

Honest expectations

Access can require finding a keyholder and is not guaranteed. The interior is bare. The surrounding cemetery is a working burial ground. There is no interpretation. It is a short visit for people specifically interested in the architecture.

Nearby

Central Baghdad lies east across the river.