Gulustan Mausoleum, Medieval mausoleum in Julfa District, Azerbaijan.
Gulustan Mausoleum is a twelve-sided burial structure built from red sandstone with triangular feather-like ornaments covering its surfaces. The building rests on a raised base, and entry to the underground chamber is through an opening in the northern wall, where small window openings allow some natural light inside.
The mausoleum's foundation inscription is lost, so its date is fixed by comparison with Nakhchivan's Momine Khatun tomb (1186) and its carved ornament, pointing to the 13th century. Ottoman records of the 1590s and Evliya Çelebi's 17th-century travelogue call it Kesik Günbəz. A Bahadur Şəfad, son of Hüseyn Bayqara, was reportedly buried in its crypt around 1500. Restoration took place in 2015.
Local tradition calls the tomb Kesik Günbəz, the cut dome, a name recorded by the Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi in the 17th century. Its carved ornaments are compared to those of the Momine Khatun Mausoleum, built in 1186 in Nakhchivan by the architect Ajami Abubakr oglu Nakhchivani.
The mausoleum is fairly straightforward to explore, though the underground chamber is dimly lit due to its limited window openings. It is best to visit during daylight hours to see the interior details and architectural features more clearly.
The structure sits in a green hollow near the Aras River, occupying a spot that was once used as a rose garden. The name itself translates to heavenly garden, a reference to the natural beauty that has long characterized this corner of the landscape.
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