Designing Kerman Poets Mausoleum on the skirt of Agha Sayed Hossein Mountain in kerman, with Attention to Concept of Death in P

Islamic Azad University Of Kerman

Project idea

Man’s existence is inextricably linked to his death, and life continues after death. Death is not a mere occurrence that happens sometime in the future, but is a fundamental inseparable part of existence. As the ultimate possibility destroying every other possibility within itself, death opens up a path into existence. The present study aims to achieve an architectural expression to present the concepts of death and immortality in the Iranian culture in coordination with the principles of mausoleum architecture. As an important part of a nation’s culture, myths express people’s outlook and perception of man, society, and God, thus forming their perspective with regard to existence and even life after death. Therefore, studying mythology is synonymous with gaining an understanding of the origin of things. This project aims to find a relationship between Architecture and the concept of death (immortality) in the Iranian culture, and to perceive the existence by identifying the poet’s role in the expression of and endowing a meaning upon existence through focusing on designing the poet’s own mausoleum.

Project description

Iranian people’s view towards death has always been associated with immortality. On the other hand, by establishing a relationship with Izads (gods in ancient Iran), a poet somehow perceives the revelation of truth to himself, and expresses through his poems the divine truth to the mortal man. In this regard, the poet is the originator of existence. The poet is assumed to be a being which stays with his people even after his physiological death, and his existence can be perceived through his poems which reveal the secret of truth. This perspective is in line with the immortality view in the Iranian culture.

Technical information

accepting the immortality in Iran’s culture, the plan’s main foundation, is based on a path which indicates the eternal movement and continuity’s concept. Pic no.1
The designed path starts with the crack, created by “Ahriman” and leads to the poet’s mausoleum. Yet it’s not the end, rather after death a new life begins and this path moves towards the peak of the mountain. Pic no.2
In the myths, mountain is the abode of the God, “Ormazd”, spiritual angels and the phoenix.
The path’s idea that starts from the heart of the earth and disappears in the heart of the mountain, is also a symbol of the “Chinvat” bridge, which in addition to form’s coordination with the mausoleum, changing the angels and slope and finally expanding the route are used in order to form the “Chinvat” bridge better. Pic no.1
Actually the poem as mediator of the God and men, stands in the middle of the path.
Therefore, the poem’s mausoleum, in sake of connection with the gods, is designed without a roof and like ziggurats and Cyrus’s mausoleum, is designed with stairs. In addition, using white stone, walls thickness and its high altitude, makes it like the mythical architecture on the past. Pic no.3
Due to the mausoleum’s holy nature, directly entering it from the main path isn’t possible, so the visitor needs to walk around the mausoleum to get prepared for visiting the tomb. Pic no.4