Baba Ghassem, also known as Baba Qasim al-Isfahani, was a religious teacher and a Sufi mystic. He would teach at a madrasah in Isfahan.[4][5] Not much is known about his life. When he died, he was buried next to the madrasah. In the years 1340-1341, his student, Sulayman ibn Abu'l Husayn ibn Talut al-Damghani, built a mausoleum over his grave with a conical dome.[5][2] During the reign of Safavid ruler Safi of Persia, the building was renovated by a local patron.[6]
Architecture
Rectangular in shape, the building is topped by a conical dome that has eight layers.[7] On the base of the dome, the words Allah-Tauba, Nabi Muhammad, Din-i-Islam, and Imam Ali are visible in a repeated manner.[8] The entrance has a shabestan with an arch above full of muqarnas.[9]
Inside the building, there is a wooden door with Thuluth inscriptions on it, leading to the domed tomb chamber.[10] Under the dome, two inscriptions made with mosaic tiles can be seen. One of them is written around the nave (below the dome's base) and contains phrases from the Qur'an.[11] The other inscription written below the first inscription refers to the name of the founder of the mausoleum.[12]
Inside the mausoleum, the grave of Baba Ghassem is located underneath the dome enclosed by a wooden cage-like structure.[13] A standalone grave is also present, and it is dedicated to an unknown individual named "Mirza Ali" who died in 1577.[10][11][4]
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