Papravand Mausoleum in Aghdam

The mausoleum is located in the village of Papravand in Aghdam district of Azerbaijan.
[К. M. Mamedzadeh. The construction art of Azerbaijan (from ancient times to the XIX century) 1983, p. 50]

The mausoleum was built around the XIV (XVI) centuries. The architect of the monument is unknown. The mausoleum stands on a stone plinth and is built of burned bricks. The basement and the main volume of the structure are delimited only by the texture of the building material. In the book “Archaeological discoveries” of 1972, the following is stated: “We meet a similar technique in the construction of the mausoleum of Aghbil village in Guba district (Azerbaijan). In general, such a technique of separating a plinth only by texture characteristics is found in some brick mausoleums of the southern regions of Azerbaijan. In contrast to other similar mausoleums the outer sides of which are built in simple forms, three walls of Papravand mausoleum are built decoratively rich.”

The walls of the mausoleum are made of limestone with internal backfill. The height of the walls is 1.4 m, and the width is 0.4 m. The tops of the walls are made of semicircular stone slabs. These plates, protruding 4 cm outwards, form a cornice.
[К. M. Mamedzadeh. The construction art of Azerbaijan (from ancient times to the XIX century) 1983, p. 50]
[The archaeological discoveries of 1972. 1973, pp. 439-440]
[The archaeological discoveries of 1977. 1978, p. 499]

The mausoleum belongs to the group of domed structures. It has no overlapping and looks like a square, but the inner hall is cross-shaped. The hall is covered in the central part by a dome, but its branches are covered with ogives. The transition of the central square to the dome is carried out with the help of pendentives. The ogive projecting at 4.20 m made it possible to organize an open veranda. On the right protruding wall there is an entrance to the site, which is caused by the steep relief.
[К. M. Mamedzadeh. The construction art of Azerbaijan (from ancient times to the XIX century) 1983, p. 50]
[The archaeological discoveries of 1972, 1973, pp. 439-440]
[The archaeological discoveries of 1977, 1978, p. 499]

The entrance to the mausoleum is located on the northwest side – from the side of the open veranda of the main facade. The doorway has an arched shape. The height of the entrance doorway is 1.0 m, and the width is 0.4 m. On the other three facades from the inside there is a small niche with a size of 0.9×0.95 m and 1.0×1.35 m. The book “The Construction Art of Azerbaijan (from ancient times to the XIX century)” of 1983 states: “A peculiar kind of brick ornamentation appears in Papravand mausoleum. Here decorative pointed niches in three facets are made up of burnt bricks. The master made an ornament based on simple geometric drawings, which are different on all sides of the mausoleum. We observed a similar method of processing facets in the mausoleum of Yousif, the son of Qusayir in Nakhichevan (the XII century), but there all the ornamentation of the facets consists of separate blocks, manufactured separately and then mounted on the spot.”
[K. M. Mamedzadeh. The construction art of Azerbaijan (from ancient times to the XIX century.) 1983, p. 50]
[The archaeological discoveries of 1977.1978, p. 499]

The dilapidated mausoleum was cleared and studied in July 1972.
[К. M. Mamedzadeh. The construction art of Azerbaijan (from ancient times to the XIX century.) 1983, p. 50]

With the occupation of Aghdam by Armenian armed formations, in 1993, the mausoleum was completely destroyed.