Azerbaijan > Mausoleum of Yusuf, Son of Kuseyi

Mausoleum of Yusuf

The burial-vault of sheikh Yusuf son of Kuseyir who was a 'haji' and an eminent 'rais' was constructed in 1162 as a tribute to piety of faith and beauty of Islam. This mausoleum was erected by the famous architect Ajemi who was the founder of the Nakhchivan school of architecture.

The mausoleum is an eight-faceted structure with a pyramidal tent roof. Each ’of the facets is distinctive with an independent motif of geometrical ornaments. The upper part of the structure has a wide stretching band of frieze with citations from Qur'an inscribed on it. The ornate decorations and letters of the inscriptions are performed from terracotta. The builder's name, too, is inscribed above the entrance to the mausoleum.

Local people refer to this pyramidal monument as 'Gumbez Atababa’ which means "Atababa dome".