A Geometrical Analysis of the Mausoleum of Sheikh Zāhed-e Gīlāni

Abstract

This article aims to explore some geometrical schemes that can be supposed to underlie the design of the mausoleum of Sheikh Zāhed-e Gīlāni, a monument dating back to fifteen century in northern Iran. The investigation shows that there are intricate geometrical relations among the elements composing the façade of the monument. An isosceles triangle and a regular octagon inscribed in a square, together with some other related lines, form the geometrical master diagram that determines the design of its façade. The findings of this research are compatible with the opinion that geometry played a decisive role in the Timurid/Turkmen style of architectural design.

Mojtaba Pour Ahmadi is an architect and a lecturer at Islamic Azad University, the branch of Roudsar and Amlash, Roudsar, Iran. He took his M.Sc in architecture from the University of Tehran in 2006 and is the author of a book entitled Me’māri va Akhlāgh (Architecture and Ethics, in Persian) published by Islamic Azad University. He is interested in studying the role that geometry can play in architectural design to enhance the quality of the contemporary built environment and to facilitate a better life for people.