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JULY, 1915)
THE DOME IN PERSIA.
157
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Here, however, (Plate V, A.) we see a mausoleum which was only built six years before the Tâj, i. e., in 1626. It is the mausoleum of Khân Khânân the son of Humâyûn's general Bairâm Khân, who won back the Mogul Empire for him at the battle of Sirhind, and conquered again for Akbar at Panipat Khân Khânên himself stood high in Akbar's favour and held important commands under him. He died in 1626 and his mausoleum has a double dome, the distance between the crown of the inner and outer shell being 25 feet.83 This building which has been ignored in this connection by almust every writer, seems to me to be the real model on which the Taj was based. It resembles the Taj much more closely than does the mausoleum of Humâyûn, its whole framework being more drawn together while its dome is practically identical in shape. The kiosks at the corners too, as also the doorways, which are flush with the façade instead of being recessed, bear this out.
To return to Persia, this form of dome under 18th century decadence takes an increasingly bulbous form, in fact as Saladin says, the greater the swelling of the dome the later the date at which it has been constructed. This swelling form culminates in the mosque of Jalâlâ'ddin at Shiraz, (Plate V, D.) and in the dome of the Shah Chiragh which may date from the time of Kirim Khân, (18th cent.) but which is probably subsequent to the great earthquake of 1824, which according to J. E. Alexander, 84 who was there shortly afterwards, left "not a single dome or minaret standing."
It follows exactly the same course in India during and after the reign of Aurangzib, the most pronounced and best known example being perhaps the mausoleum of Safdar Jang at Delhi. (Plate V, C).
For present-day practice a good account may be found in Langenegger's Die Baukunst des Iraq Here is a diagram
Hüse une
Heppel (Fig. 24). given by him of a recent dome
Korstruktin with double shell; the outer being one brick thick covered with a layer of modern tiles. Ho expressly remarks that it could not stand without the tie-bars shown, which supports the view I took earlier in
TI this
IIIIII paper as to this unscientific shape, contrary to the opinion held by several French
MITIM writers on the subject.
MILITIMI
TOH This (Fig. 25), is another section given
HU by him for more massive construction in which the whole outer shell is supported on a trussed frame. On the other hand we
TDI have this example, (Fig. 26) which may be called jerry-building in excelsis. The rods shown radiate from a centre and project through the outer shell until it is finished, when they are cut off level, but I ought to add that Dr. Langenegger says this style of a Wolbung: thing is stronger than perhaps might be intermauerung. expected.
kugstangen
Fig. 24. 83 Carr Stephen, op. cit. p. 215.
14 Travels from India to England, p. 125
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