The Introduction to Mausoleums

A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the mausoleum. A Christian mausoleum sometimes includes a chapel.

The word derives from the Mausoleum of Maussollos (near modern-day Bodrum in Turkey), the grave of King Mausollos, the Persian satrap of Caria, whose large tomb was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Later, mausoleum became particularly popular in Europe. These are usually small buildings with walls, a roof and sometimes a door for additional interments or visitor acc amber either wholly aboveground or within a burial vault below the superstructure. This contains the body or bodies, probably within sarcophagi or interment niches. Modern mausolea may also act as columbaria (a type of mausoleum for cremated remains) with additional cinerary urn niches. Mausolea may be located in a cemetery, a churchyard or on privateland.



written by Kahlen

works cited

"Mausoleum."Wikipedia: Mausolem.January 12, 2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum

Taj Mahal

When our beloved people died, what would we do to memorize her or him? Writing an article, sing a song for them or mourn their death in our heart. These are the ways to show our respects and our love for them. But in the ancient time, king could do more than that. A king could build mausoleum. Taj Mahal is this kind of mausoleum. It's a symbol of love. In addition, it's also a way to get to know the country's culture. We can see the characteristics in culture blending.
Taj Mahal was said to be the most perfect building in the world. Lots of scholars wrote wonderful articles for it, not only for its magnificent building but also for the love in the court. This beautiful building is a great royal mausoleum which was built by Shah Jahan for memorizing his queen, Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz Mahal, meaning crown palace, was a name given by Shah Jahan. Mumtaz Mahal died for childbirth when she was on the way to a battlefield with Shah Jahan. Before she died, she asked king to build a mausoleum and never marry other women. The king began to build the mausoleum after the year of queen's death. It cost twenty-two years and twenty-two thousand workers to construct the monument.

The picture of Mumtaz Mahal






Taj Mahal stands on a raised, square platform with its four corners truncated, forming an unequal octagon. The whole building is built by white marble. Its central dome is crowned by a gilded spire or finial. The finial, made of gold until the early 1800s, is now made of bronze. The finial provides a clear example of integration of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements.
→Inlay detail, which use precious gems

The bronze finial, which used to be made of gold←
The finial is topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif, whose horns point heavenward.



→Calligraphy on large pishtaq

The entire mausoleum is decorated with inlaid design of flowers and calligraphy using precious gems such as agate and jasper. The main archways, chiseled with passages from the Holy Koran(Qur'an) and the bold scroll work of flowery pattern, give a captivating charm to its beauty. The central domed chamber and four adjoining chambers include many walls and panels of Islamic decoration. Beside the Taj, there are a mosque and a guest house whose function is to fit the concept of symmetry and balance.

At the corners of the plinth stand four minarets which are constructed slightly outside of the plinth. In the event of collapse, a typical occurrence with many such tall constructions of the period, the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb. In front of the mausoleum, there is a garden. The garden uses raised pathways that divide each of the four quarters of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. A raised marble water tank at the center of the garden, halfway between the tomb and gateway, with a reflecting pool on North-South axis reflects the image of the Taj Mahal. Elsewhere, the garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains. The charbagh garden, a design inspired by Persian gardens, symbolizes four flowing rivers of Paradise and reflects the gardens of Paradise derived from the Persian paridaeza, meaning 'walled garden'.

This is Mughal garden

Taj Mahal is so magnificent that the UN had recognized as the new seven wonders in the world. For tourists, it's one of the most beautiful sites that can't be missed. For scholars, it's the best place to study for there are lots of culture elements in it. However, it's in danger because of the industry pollution. The white marble building is gradually getting destroyed. Maybe in the future, it wouldn't be as pure as the picture in the texts and records. But the love story between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal would be passed down forever. It's really romantic, but it's also cruel because it cost a lot of labors and substances. Nevertheless, as a tourist, I think it's still the best place for visiting.

The gate of Taj Mahal.

Interior of Taj Mahal

It's not the real tombs of Shan Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.

It's the Cenotaphs.

→Jali screen surrounds

the cenotaphs

The detail of Jali←

The actual tombs are at the lower level.

written by Linda

work cited

Taj Mahal. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.2008/12/27

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal>

Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq."Taj Mahal, Agra, India"2008/12/27

<http://www.islamicity.com/culture/Taj/default.htm>

Treasures of the World."Taj Mahal: Memorial to Love" Stoner Production Information. 2008/12/28

<http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/taj_nav/main_tajfrm.html>

Iran(Persia)-Soltaniyeh-Mausoleum

Persia is the ancient name of Iran and the Persian Empire was a series of successive Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original homeland, and beyond in Western Asia, Sooth Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. From1219 to1500, Mongols ruled over Persia and they spread some exotic culture and religions to Persia. In 1295, after llkhan Mahmud Ghazan, who was one of the emperors in Mongol Empire, converted to Islam, he forced his people to convert to Islam. The Ilkhans patronized the arts and learning in the great tradition of Iranian Islam; indeed, they helped to repair much of the damage of the Mongol conquests. Furthermore, in that period, many mosques were constructed and the most famous one was in the ancient
Soltaniyeh. It is not only a mosque but a mausoleum of an emperor in Persia. On the inside of the mosque, it has gorgeous and splendid decoration, some sophisticated carvings and pictures and the elaborated mausoleum.

The decoration of the wall in the mosque





The decoration of top of the mosque






In the right side of the picture is the mausoleum

The hanging lamp of the mosque





The outside wall of the mosque


In addition, the Soltaniyeh-Mausoleum is the ancient monument and it is the most precious mausoleum in Soltaniyeh. Soltaniyeh-Mausoleum was completed from1302 to 1312 and it is located in Sang Jiang province. It is the prototype of the architectural art of Islam in Persia. The mausoleum of octagon is 50 meters high and the dome coverd with Turquoise blue pottery is surrounded by eight slender towers. The Soltaniyeh-Mausoleum is also the earliest double-decked dome construction in Iran. Many scholars describe that Soltaniyeh-Mausoleum is “ The anticipated Taj Mahal” because of the similarly outstanding interior of the mausoleum. Moreover, Soltaniyeh-Mausoleum was included in the list of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2005. It is precious and significant for the cultural and historical heritage.







Soltaniyeh-Mausoleum





Soltaniyeh-Mausoleum was repaired in 2007.



There are some information and photos about Soltaniyeh-Mausoleum in the website.


http://blog.yam.com/easenljps/article/11571161









References:


"Soltaniyeh." Ryan's blog. 17 March, 2008. 2 January,2009.
http://ryanimage.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html

"Soltaniyeh." World Heritage Association Taiwan. 24 May, 2005. 2 January,2009.
http://www.what.org.tw/db/detail.asp?hid=258

"Persia." Wikipedia: Persia. 2 January,2009.
http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B3%A2%E6%96%AF

"Soltaniyeh-Mausoleum." NOWnews. 12 June, 2007. 2 January,2009.
http://travel.ettoday.com/scenic_spots_view.php?id=771


written by Claire Lin

China-Ming Dynasty Tombs

The Ming Dynasty Tombs are located some 50 kilometers due north of urban Beijing at a specially selected site. The site was chosen by the third Ming Dynasty emperor Yongle (1402 - 1424), who moved the capital of China from Naijing to the present location of northwest Beijing. The Ming tombs of the 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty were located on the southern slope of Mountain Taishou. He is credited with envisioning the layout of the ancient city of Beijing as well as a number of landmarks and monuments located therein. After the construction of the Imperial Palace (the Forbidden City) in 1420, the Yongle Emperor selected his burial site and created his own Mausoleum.

Ming Dynasty Tombs
Youtube-the palace of Ming Dynasty in Beijing
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=PPZQcw1kFegFrom


From the Yongle Emperor onwards, 13 Ming Dynasty Emperors were buried in this area. The tombs of the first two Ming Emperors are located near Nanjing (the capital city during their reigns). Emperor Jingtai was also not buried here, as the Emperor Tianshun had denied Jingtai an imperial burial, but was instead buried west of Beijing. The last Chongzhen Emperor, who hanged himself in April 1644, named Si Ling by the Qing emperor, was the last to be buried here, but on a much smaller scale than his predecessors.

During the Ming dynasty the tombs were off limits to commoners, but in 1644 Li Zicheng's army ransacked and set many of the tombs on fire before advancing and capturing Beijing in April of that year.

Youtube-Ming Dynasty Tombshttp://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=msAps4zIu6w

Youtube-Kevin and Sue travel to China's Ming Tombs
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=sfynyPLm4Q0&feature=related

The site of the Ming Dynasty Imperial Tombs was carefully chosen according to Feng Shui (geomancy) principles. According to these, bad spirits and evil winds descending from the North must be deflected; therefore, an arc-shaped area at the foot of the Jundu Maintains north of Beijing was selected. This 40 square kilometer area - enclosed by the mountains in a pristine, quiet valley full of dark earth, tranquil water and other necessities as per Feng Shui - would become the necropolis of the Ming Dynasty

At present, only three tombs are open to the public. There have been no excavations since 1989, but plans for new archeological research and further opening of tombs have circulated. They can be seen on Google earth: Chang Ling, the largest; Ding Ling, whose underground palace has been excavated; and Zhao Ling.

Gate of the tombs The monument of Ming Dynasty Tombs

Statue inside the Ming Dynasty Tombs Ding Ling, one of the tombs at the Ming Dynasty Tombs site, is the tomb of the Wanli Emperor. It is the only one of the Ming Dynasty Tombs to have been excavated. It also remains the only imperial tomb to have been excavated since the founding of the China, a situation that is almost a direct result of the fate that befell Ding Ling and its contents after the excavation.

The lessons learned from the Ding Ling excavation has led to a new policy of the China government not to excavate any historical site except for rescue purposes. In particular, no proposal to open an imperial tomb has been approved since Ding Ling, even when the entrance has been accidentally revealed, as was the case of the Qianling mausoleum. The original plan, to use Ding Ling as a trial site for the excavation of Chang Ling, was abandoned.

Ding Ling

The underground palace of Ding Ling
Youtube-Discovery-Ding Ling
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=B6GrS3l-flE

I have been to China when I was junior high. During the stay in Beijing, I visited the Ming Dynasty Tombs. The construction of the mausoleum is magnificent and gorgeous and that was why I was surprised and excited. They were constructed with special techniques of China. In particular, there were many mortuary objects which were precious in the mausoleum and that made the tomb like a gorgeous house. Furthermore, the mausoleum is too wide to completely be visited and it was a pity to me. However, the visit in the Ming Dynasty Tombs was still nice and fun.

Before the Ming Dynasty, the emperors of China did not pay much attention to the type of their mausoleums. Until in the Ming Dynasty, the emperors started to emphasize the majesty of the mausoleums and that was why the Ming Dynasty Tombs was so magnificent. Moreover, in 2003, Imperial Tombs of the Ming Dynasties is included into the list of the UNESCO and into the list of World Heritage Site.

References:

"Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties." Wikipedia: Ming and Qing Dynasties. 3 January,2009.http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/明清皇家陵寝

"Ming Dynasty Tombs." Wikipedia: Ming Dynasty Tombs. 3 January,2009. http://zh.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=%E6%98%8E%E5%8D%81%E4%B8%89%E9%99%B5&variant=zh-tw

"Ding Ling." Youtube: Ding Ling. 7 December, 2007. 3 january,2009.
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=B6GrS3l-flE

''Ming Dynasty Tombs'' Youtube: Kevin and Sue travel to China's Ming Tombs. 12 January,2008. 3 January,2009.
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=sfynyPLm4Q0&feature=related

"Ming Dynasty Tombs" Youtube: Travel China Beijing-Ming Tombs. 8 October, 2006. 3 January, 2009.http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=msAps4zIu6w

"Ming Dynasty Tombs" Youtube: The Palace of Ming Dynasty in Beiling. 20 April, 2008. 3 January, 2009.http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=PPZQcw1kFeg

written by Claire Lin

Westminster Abbey

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is also referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still Monarchs of the Commonwealth Realms. It briefly held the status of a cathedral from 1546–1556, and is currently a Royal Peculiar. In 1987, it was nominated to be one of the World Cultural Heritage Sites.

It is said that the Abbey was founded in 616 on Thorn Ey (Thorn Island), where is on the River Thames. Around 1040-1050, King Edward the Confessor built it as his palace. Later, Henry III , who had selected the site for his burial. He rebuilt the Abbey in Anglo-French Gothic style as a shrine to honor St Edward the Confessor and as a suitably regal setting for Henry's tomb, under the highest Gothic nave in England. Building work continued between 1245-1517 and was finished by the architect Henry Yevele in the reign of King Richard II. Then, Henry VII added a Perpendicular style chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1503 , which was known as the Henry VII Chapel.

Because Henry VII separated the Anglican church from the Roman hierarchy, he controlled the Abbey by himself and had closed it for a long time. However, the Abbey was restored to the Benedictines under the Catholic Queen Mary I, but they were ejected under Queen Elizabeth I in 1559 again. In 1579, Elizabeth re-established Westminster as a "Royal Peculiar"—a church responsible directly to the sovereign, rather than to a diocesan bishop—and made it the Collegiate Church of St Peter. From then on, the abbots didn’t control the Abbey, instead, the deans who were nominated by kings controlled it.

↓the pointed arch and vault ↓ the rose windows

The Abbey is known for its Anglo-French Gothic style, such as the characteristic Gothic features of pointed arches, ribbed vaulting, rose windows and flying buttresses. The design is based on the continental system of geometrical proportion, but its English features include single rather than double aisles and a long nave with wide projecting transepts. The Abbey has the highest Gothic vault in England and it was made to seem higher by making the aisles narrow.

↓the tomb of Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I ↓Poets' corner

As we know, many kings and queens are buried in the Abbey, such as Henry III,Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I. Besides, some people of the different careers are also buried in the Abbey, including the nobles, generals, scientists, and writers. Therefore, there is a “Poets’ Corner” which contains many tombs and monuments of famous writers.

After “The Da Vinci Code” was published, many people go to Westminster Abbey to see the tomb of Sir Isaac Newton. According to the book, it is very difficult to find out the tomb, however, if you go to the Abbey, you will know that the tomb is very obvious there.

It has been called King Edward's Chair since the coronations in 1066 of both King Harold and William the Conqueror, and many English and British monarchs have been crowned in the Abbey. King Edward's Chair (or St Edward's Chair), the throne on which British sovereigns are seated at the moment of coronation, is housed within the Abbey and has been used at every coronation since 1308.

written by Kahlen


works with

"Westminster Abbey." Bluesky's blog. 2007/6/7. 2009/1/12

http://bluesky0301.blog.sohu.com/49413894.html

"Westminister Abbey." Wikipedia: Westminister Abbey. 2009/1/12
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey

Westerminister Abbey. 2009/1/12
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/

Westerminister Abbey. 2009/1/12
www.essential-architecture.com/DAVINCI/DV03.htm

Egyptian Pyramids

It is said “Human beings are afraid of time, but time is afraid of pyramid.” We must have heard that before.There are a variety of ancient mausoleums still exist in the world, and we can never forget one of the great mausoleums—pyramid. The history of Pharaonic Egypt spans nearly 3 millennia, starting around 3100 BC. Major accomplishments were achieved during 3 periods: the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms which lasted roughly 500 years (2700-2200 BC), 200 years (2000-1800 BC), and 500 years (1600-1100 BC). These periods were interrupted by intermediate periods where loss of central authority or foreign invasion led to decline.

There are over 100 pyramids in Egypt. Most of them were built as tombs for the Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle kingdom periods. According to the great size of many pyramids in Egypt, we can only surmise that the Pharaohs were making a statement about their own power and perhaps, about the glory and strength of their country. Soon after the first pyramid was built, the form became somewhat standardized. Royal pyramid complexes actually included the main pyramid, a courtyard surrounding the main pyramid, a much smaller cult pyramid for the king's soul, a mortuary temple situated next to the main pyramid, an enclosure wall and a causeway that led down to a valley temple. Some pyramid complexes included subsidiary, smaller pyramids for family members, and most were surrounded by some sort of tombs for family members. However, it should also be remembered that many of the latter pyramids were not nearly as large as the Great Pyramids at Giza.

The Great Pyramid of Giza (Pyramid of Khufu)

The best known Egyptian pyramids are those ones at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. Several of the Giza pyramids are counted among the largest structures ever built.




The Pyramid of Khufu is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of The Ancient World which is still in existence. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built about 2560 B.C.; it is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis. The Great Pyramid of Giza also called Khufu's Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khufu, or Pyramid of Cheops because it is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for Forth dynasty Egyptian King Khufu.




There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was unfinished. The so-called Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber are higher within the pyramid structure.

While pyramid construction had been solely for the reigning pharaoh prior to Khufu, his reign saw the construction of several minor pyramid structures that are believed to have been intended for other members of his royal household, amounting to a royal cemetery. Three small pyramids to the east of Khufu's pyramid are tentatively thought to belong to two of his wives, and the third has been ascribed to Khufu's mother Hetepheres I, whose funerary equipment was found relatively intact in a shaft tomb nearby.




Pyramid of Khufu and his royal household
There is a video about the inside of the Great Pyramid. It can make you learn more about the Great pyramid.



















Some mysteries still remain, even in some of the best well known Pyramids. The most famous of them all, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, continues, year after year, to give up a few more secrets, and there doubtless remains much to learn from these Egyptian treasures. There maybe one or more pyramids yet to be discovered,just like golden mask, every thing may be covered and someday, people will unveil the mystery.

a picture of golden mask of Tut→

written by Jennifer

Works cited:

10 most fascinating tombs in the world. 2007/10/1 Neatoroma. 2008/ 12/28

http://www.neatorama.com/2007/10/01/10-most-fascinating-tombs-in-the-world/

A Brief History of Ancient Egyptian Tombs. Tomes of the Pharaohs. 2008/12/29
http://www.tombsofthepharaohs.com/intro.html

Egyptian pyramids. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2008/12/29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramids

Great Pyramid of Giza. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2009/1/1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pyramid_of_Giza

Into the Great Pyramid. 2007/4/15 Youtube. 2009/1/2

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=2DbybWZHi_w&feature=related

Giza - Esfinge - Sphinx. 2008/6/5 fliker . 2009/1/2

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xfp/2552563695/

Royal Hill of Ambohimanga

Royal Hill of Ambohimanga is located on the east Madagascar. It consistes of a royal city as well as burial site of King Andrianampoinimerina, therefore this place is called "sacred city."

→the city contains the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga


King Andrianampoinimerina(1787~1810), was originally buried here, but after France ruled Madagascar, they remove the king's body to another mausoleum. The Royal Hill of Ambohimanga is also a significant symbol for its association with Madagascan's strong feelings of national identity. It has maintained spiritual and sacred character in ritual practice for the past 500 years. As a sacred city, Royal Hill of Ambohimanga is also a place that plenty of pilgrims come from Madagascar and elsewhere to worship.

Of course the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga is one of the world heritages, it is also an important represent of cultural unity of Madagascan.

Royal Hill of Ambohimanga


The traditional design, materials, and layout of the building show the social and political structure of The Malagasy people from at least the 16th
century.

Royal Hill of Ambohimanga

Since a couple of centuries, Royal Hill of Ambohimanga has been a model of collecting history, holding ritual activities, and prayer.As a result of historical significance in the culture of the Malagasy people, the site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.





witten by Jennifer





works cited:



馬達加斯加安布希曼加的皇家山. 2008/7/21 世界自然和文化遺產覽勝. 2008/12/29
http://translate.google.com.tw/translate?hl=zh-TW&sl=zh-CN&u=http://blog.tom.com/judgo/article/3718.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=8&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%25E5%25AE%2589%



World heritage. Royal Hill of Ambohimanga. 2009/1/1

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/950



Royal Hill of Ambohimanga . 2006/7/20 Copyright © 1999 Heindorffhus. 2009/1/1

http://worldheritage.heindorffhus.dk/frame-MadagascarAmbohimanga.htm



Ambohimanga. 2001 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2009/1/2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambohimanga

Conclusion

Claire Lin:
Before doing the project, I didn't have the common sense about the mausoleums and I thought that those mausoleums around the world are similar. However, during the period of searching the information about the tombs, I have found that each mausoleum has its unique speciality. Furthermore, when observing the way of architecture of the mausoleum, I learned the system and tradition of the region the mausoleum is located in. Therefore, each mausoleum represents the unique culture of the region.

During the process of doing the project, I have learned much. I not only acquire a lot of knowledge of the mausoleums but get much delight and fun. The mausoleums are not terrible as I thought before, instead, some of them are attractive and gorgeous.

Jennifer:
Through the project we can learn more about the mausoleums of ancient. Egyptian pyramids are the most familiar ones when we talk about tombs. Although in the project I only refer to some introduction and pyramids of Khufu, there still remain numerous mystery things that prople do not discover yet. In Madagascar, the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga is a significant symbol for its association with Madagascan's strong feelings of national identity. It is also a place that many pilgrims come from Madagascar and elsewhere to worship.

From both heritages we can realize that every country has different cultures. Therefore the way of worship, the meaning of tombs, and the points of view toward death are various from each other. Also, the background of a country is, what the way their ancestors left for them. So the conclude I give is that through the different way people worship their ancestors, we can learn different kinds of cultural backgound.

Linda:

Taj Mahal is very famous all over the world. I'm always dreaming about to take a trip to it. Before I did this project, I never know the story behind Taj Mahal. The true love between Shan Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal is very precious. Besides, I didn't know Taj Mahal is a cultural blending. I alway think it's just an mosque, a islamic architecture. After doing this project, I knew more architectural attributes of Taj Mahal.

Kahlen:

I have heard ahout Westminister Abbey when I read "The Da Vinci Code", however, I don't know much about it. After doing this project, I understand the culture of Westminister Abbey and feel interested about it. For example, Chaucer, a writer whom I have read his articles in English Literature, is buried there. It makes me want to go there to see the "Poets' corner."

By searching the information of mausolems, I find that there are many different kinds of mausoleums and they all have their own characters. I realize that there are some stories and history behind the mausoleums, and each mausoleum respresents its culture. If I have opportunities, I want to visit many mausoleims someday.