X3P4+CF Bolgar, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia
Opposite the main entrance of the northern facade of the Assembly Mosque, in the 1330s, the Northern Mausoleum was built, known in literature as the "Monastery Cellar," since it was used by the monks of the Assumption Monastery for storing food.
The construction of mausoleums over the graves of noble people was widespread in the Muslim world, including in Bolghar.
From the original appearance of the mausoleum, the foundation, the internal rubble filling of the walls, and partially the internal facing with traces of the dome covering have been preserved. The doors and window openings of the mausoleum are pointed-arch shaped. Ceramic vessels acting as sound amplifiers are embedded in the corners of the walls. The entrance is located on the southern side. In front of it, the base of a large corridor has been preserved. The area from the main entrance of the Assembly Mosque to the mausoleum was paved with stone.
At the beginning of the 18th century, there were tombstones here, and earthworks carried out by the monks revealed rich Bulgar burials.
In 1968-69, the monument was restored. After the conservation of the walls and restoration of the window openings, the upper hemispherical dome was reconstructed. It is a thin (7-15 cm) reinforced concrete shell that was placed on the base of the preserved ancient dome. Inside the mausoleum, small architectural monuments—tombstones found on the territory of the Bulgar settlement—are collected.
Inscriptions on the tombstones are an important source. As monuments of Bulgar writing, they provide information about the language, literacy, social status, and religious directions of the population. The inscriptions are made in Arabic and Bulgar languages. Inscriptions on the side edges and the back side of the tombstones were less common. The main attention was given to the upper part. The monuments have the shape of a pointed or semicircular arch. Under the arch is an ornament. The epitaph inscription usually consists of 8-12 lines. The first lines contain a Quranic formula such as “He /Allah/ is alive, who does not die” or “Every soul shall taste death, then you shall return to Us.”
Further on the monuments, the name of the buried person is carved, his genealogy, which is listed up to the ninth generation, and ends with the "nisba" "bul-gari." For contemporaries, the most interesting is the date that follows the name of the deceased. The year, month, and sometimes the day of the week are indicated. The epitaph also ends with a Quranic formula: “Death is a gate, and all people will enter it.”
Sources:
https://yanarysh.tatarstan.ru/nothernm.htm
https://appreal.org/tatarstan-70-object/
