Gurjulu Mausoleum
Location: Gurjulu, Qubadli
Condition Assessment
Status: Minor damage
Gurjulu Mausoleum, located in the village of Gurjulu (Qubadli district), is listed on the Republic of Azerbaijan's registry of heritage sites (inventory No. 307) as dating to the 17 th century. 1
This mausoleum is distinctive for the transition from its octagonal body to a sixteen-sided dome. In the mausoleum, we see the preservation of the traditional method of decorating the entrance in the form of a small opening. In the absence of inscription, dating can be based only on the monument's architectural features. The clearest dating element is the door frame in the form of a small relief portal. This technique is typical of the 17 th century, as is the shape of the arches that complete the frame. Scholars assign the mausoleum to the 17 th or 18 th centuries. 2,3
Comparison of Hexagon satellite imagery dated July 1980 4 and satellite imagery captured in September 2019 5 shows that the overall structure and shape of the mausoleum is unchanged. A video and images ( a , b ) post-dating the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War also confirm that the monument retains its structural integrity. But the dome and facing stones have sustained minor damage since the Soviet period ( c, d ).
Drag the swipe tool right to see the mausoleum in July 1980 4 ; drag left to see the mausoleum in September 2019. 5
Geolocation
CHW geolocated the mausoleum through a video post-dating the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War.
Supplementary Images
The mausoleum in the Soviet era
Sketch of the mausoleum
References
2 Усейнов М., Бретаницкий Л., Саламзаде А., История архитектуры Азербайджана. Акад. наук АзССР. Ин-т архитектуры и искусства. Москва: Госстройиздат, 1963, p. 277-278.
3 Саламзаде А. В., Архитектура Азербайджана XVI-XIX вв. ред. М. А. Усейнов. АН Азерб. ССР, Ин-т Архитектуры и Искусства. Баку: изд. АН Азерб.ССР, 1964, p. 52-53.
4 KH-9 Hexagon, D3C1216-100138A005, July 3, 1980.
5 Google Earth and Maxar Technologies, September 16, 2019.
