Yeddi Gunbaz mausoleum, Mausoleum complex in Shamakhi, Azerbaijan.
Yeddi Gunbaz is a cemetery on a hill 1.5 km west of Shamakhi, with four surviving octagonal mausoleums of Shirvan khans. Inside, niches under pointed half-domes lead via stalactite squinches to a spherical dome on a tall drum. The 1810 mausoleum, built for Mustafa Khan's mother, has a portal framed by a muqarnas band and a small stone inscribed with architect Ustad Taghi's name.
The cemetery holds seven tombs of the Shirvan khans of the Sərkər dynasty, built between 1806 and 1865; four mausoleums survive. The earliest intact one, dated 1810 by its entrance inscription, was built by Mustafa Khan for his mother; a small stone names the architect Ustad Taghi. The fifth tomb collapsed, and tomb No. 7, attributed to Mustafa Khan's family, may date to 1865–1867.
The name Yeddi Günbəz means "seven domes" in Azerbaijani, after the seven tombs built for Shamakhi khans. Four domed mausoleums survive; the fifth collapsed entirely, leaving its inscriptions unreadable. The cemetery also holds the grave of satirical poet Mirza Alakbar Sabir, buried here in 1911.
The site sits about 1.5 kilometers (1 mi) south of Shamakhi city center, making it relatively straightforward to reach. You can walk through and observe all three complete mausoleums as well as the partially preserved structures.
The cemetery also holds the grave of Mirza Alakbar Sabir, the satirical poet of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, buried here in 1911. Visitors have also reported the Transcaucasian blunt-nosed viper on the grounds, so watch where you step among the stones.
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