Gonbad is one of the representative of Islamic Iranian architecture. It is like a signature. Gonbad history goes back to 3000 BC in Iran which is so important. Let’s talk about its philosophy.
Table of Contents
Concept of Gonbad
It is easy to search about Gonbad and its architecture online and I’m sure you will find a lot about its history and architecture. But you may not understand why Gonbad is so popular specially in Islamic era unless you open Estern and Iranian Philosophy books which is not easy because its hard to understand and normally in Arabic language.
Since I’m interested in Iranian philosophy and learn a bit, let me explain it to you this way. But first do me a favor.
If you travelled to Iran and find a Gonbad, go and stay under it in the center of the circle. Close your eyes and take a deep breath and clear your mind from your prejudice. Then heads up and slowly open your eyes. How do you feel?
I’m not asking what do you see, its about your feeling. That is more authentic. How influence you the Gonbad. Do it before read rest of this text which is a spoiler.
I tell you my feeling: “I find myself smaller than the ceiling on top of my hear as a human, looking at a circle shape like a real concept of infinity, big and open space which all goes to one single centered point. I find myself looking up curiously not looking around and grand anymore! My eyes are locked to the center of Gonbad which is the goal of this design. I feel empty and suddenly filled with proudness and dignity. I feel `Otherness` in front of me. I see a lot of painting and colors far away from me like galaxy! I feel small and like a person who lost something!”
You may consider these sentences a representative of an Iranian soul which is in our conscience or unconscious.
Meaning of Gonbad in Iranian Philosophy
First please take a look at this picture. It is like when you look up inside the Jamé Mosque of Isfahan. You see a square which converted to a big circle throw some steps from polygon shapes. You see them in Muqarnas too. What does it mean?
Square has some corners, rectangle and triangle and polygon as well but circle not. Also circle is always pointing to a center. What does that mean?
Unity and Plurality
In Iranian Islamic outlooking, Square is a representation of ground and material living on earth because it has a lot of corners that may distract you. It is like a jail and limitation. But circle just make you focus on the center point which can be representation of God concept.
** When you see Gonbad from bottom to top, it is like moving from Plurality (like people, like places, animals and all exist things.) to the Unity which is center of the circle and Gonbad which is God and the existence itself.
That is the main concept. In Persian Language but English alphabet language we say “Harekat az Kasrat be Vahdat”.
Mean “we and this world is not gonna be last for ever and we have to move to the God. God is above us and this is the reason that all Iranian Islamic design make you look up because in their believe god is in above us. And also moving toward top is better than down and human being should go up to the God. People should be united to the God and that is their purples of their life.”
What do you think now you understand the meaning of majority of Iranian Islamic architecture now?
Next time you travel to Iran, you will see these places differently because you became familiar with the concept.
You can send this article to your friends and talk to them with this concept and how it effects our DNA and culture because we talk about it for hours in our meetings too.
The biggest and tallest handmade blocky historical Gonbad in the world: Soltanian Gonbad
This is the biggest and tallest Gonbad in the world which is made by block and human hands in Zanjan Iran. More than 1600 Ton weight and more than 700 year old building.
