X3J6+J9 Bulgars, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia
To the north of the small minaret, on the territory of the former cemetery, the ruins of four 14th-century mausoleums have been preserved. The middle one is called the “Khan’s Mausoleum.”
The Khan’s Mausoleum has preserved its northern and western walls almost to full height. However, based on these remains, the structure could be reconstructed. Originally, it was a portal-less domed building in the form of a cubic volume measuring 8.5×8.5 meters under a closed four-lobed vault, which covered the internal hemispherical dome. Inside the mausoleum, the transition from the square base to the dome was solved through octagonal and hexadecagonal shapes using corner squinches; the walls and dome were plastered. Tiles with vegetal and geometric ornamentation, Arabic inscriptions predominantly in blue and dark blue colors, framed the window openings. The interior walls were decorated with plaster tiles with embossed ornamentation, while the exterior was faced with well-cut blocks of limestone. Originally, the doorway on the northern facade was framed with carved limestone, but later it was bricked up and an opening was made on the south side. On the western side, a small mausoleum was attached to the southern corner of the Khan’s Mausoleum. Later, another mausoleum appeared by the eastern wall, with dimensions similar to the Khan’s Mausoleum.
The Khan’s Mausoleum is an example of the central-domed type of cubic mausoleums common in the countries of the Muslim East. The entrance was decorated with an arched portal. Nearby, another family mausoleum of the Bulgar nobility was discovered. Inside the building, 7 burials were found. Three of the burials belonged to adults and children. There were no belongings or valuables with the deceased, as required by Muslim rites. The building was constructed in the second half of the 14th century, as evidenced by finds at the building’s floor level. Initially, the structure served as a mosque, and later became a mausoleum.
Eight burials in coffin-boxes were uncovered in the mausoleum, some of which lay under brick tombstones. On the northwest side of the mausoleum, there was another building of similar shape, which originally served as a memorial mosque or a shelter for pilgrims, featuring a stove with an external firebox and channels for underfloor heating. Later, it was converted into a mausoleum, and all the mausoleums were united into a single complex.
Externally, the Khan’s Mausoleum resembles the Monastery Tomb, although their constructions are completely different. According to Tatar legends, ten holy Muslims, including the khans of Bolghar, were buried at this site. The Khan’s Mausoleum has preserved its northern and western walls almost to full height and is built from white limestone.
The land of the Bulgars and its ruins were considered sacred, and being buried here was regarded as a great honor. Near other hills with ruins, human bones and broken gravestones are found.
The stone building, constructed in the first half of the 14th century, is located 15 meters north of the Small Minaret on the territory of the former noble cemetery in the southeastern part of the city.
Sources:
http://www.bolgar.info/h_usypal.php
