Abstract
Tomb buildings are one of the most important types of Islamic architecture. Studying such a building in a geographical context gives us a meaningful understanding of these works. The vast region of Tabas, despite having a rich capacity of magnificent historical and cultural monuments, has been neglected by officials and archaeologists due to its desolation and difficult geographical conditions. In the archaeological study of the Jokhah section of Tabas, which was carried out in 2015, several buildings were identified, including a single tomb. So far, this building has not been the subject of detailed and methodical research on how the structure of architecture and dating is based on comparison with other mausoleum buildings, so the need for this research was provided. In this research, the construction method of the building has been considered according to the dome, the execution of the dome and the type of materials and the type of decorations used. The present research is based on a descriptive-analytical purpose and its nature is based on historical approaches. The methodology of accumulations is based on field studies and citation of library resources. This article tries to analyze the identity and date of construction of the tomb of Jokhah Tabas, based on archaeological findings, comparative studies and also citing written sources of the Islamic period. The results of studies show that the construction pattern of this tomb is derived from the square design of tomb buildings in Greater Khorasan in the early centuries of the Islamic period. However, by comparing material culture data and building elements with other similar works, the date of its construction can be attributed to the late sixth-early seventh century AH.
Keywords: Tomb, Architecture, Historical Identity, Middle Islamic Period, Jokhah Tabas.
Introduction
The tomb as a type of ritual-cultural architecture is the result of two-way interaction between man and nature throughout history. Hence, the study of these religious buildings in the geographical context, provides us with a meaningful understanding and recognition of them. In Islamic period of Iran, tomb buildings are considered one of the most important and numerous types of architecture after mosques. »The scope of construction of tombs with the emergence of different local governments in the early centuries of Hijri, simultaneously with the weakening of the Abbasid caliphate, became popular in the east and north of Iran« and it developed with a significant speed in all of Iran and found an important role in the social atmosphere of cities and villages. In such a way that it was considered the most important pillar of every city and village after the comprehensive mosques. Therefore, “cemeteries and their construction methods are very important from the point of view of architecture and the use of arched structures” and they require careful investigation and research in various fields. There are several individual tombs in Tabas, which according to historical sources belong to chieftains or clerics, after the domination of the eastern regions of Iran in the early centuries AH. As; Mohammad Jafar Tayar’s tomb in Azmighan, Tabas, Mir Omar’s tomb in Korit Tabas. One of these tombs, which is known in Islamic sources as the tomb of one of the Arab generals, is a tomb located in the historical site of Jokhah village. So far, this building has not been the subject of a detailed and methodical research regarding the architectural structure and dating based on comparison with other tomb buildings, hence the necessity of conducting this research. The brief research activities that have been carried out have mostly described the architecture of this tomb. In this research, the architectural style, decorations and functional materials of this building have been compared with the tombs of the middle Islamic period in the geographical area of Khorasan, which is more related in terms of time and place. Since the building does not have a building inscription, the name of the founder or the owner of the tomb, it is not possible to propose its date with certainty. Therefore, one of the goals of this research is the proposed dating of Jokhah tomb using comparative studies of other tomb buildings and referring to Islamic sources and texts.
Discussion
Jokhah village is located 24 km from Tabas city. A tomb building is located 500 meters southwest of Jokhah village, between the agricultural land and the village cemetery. The name of Jokhah was applied to this village in the contemporary period, and before that it was known as Chardeh. The name of this building goes back to the name of Jokhah village and before that it was known as the Tomb of Sephesalar or two commanders.
Jokhah Tomb is a type of domed square buildings. According to the remains of the building, the outer space consists of three parts, the body platform and the dome. The geometry of the plan and the form of Jokhah tomb reflects the design of Sassanid fire temples. The geometry of the building is square. The current height is about 23 feet and its foundation has been done on a platform. The materials used in the foundations of Jokhah tomb are made of clay, mud and plaster. Bricks are used only for cornering and doming of the building. The three doors of this building are in the front porch and have the same dimensions. This repetition on three fronts has given the building a special rhythm. There are three holes on the three sides of the building above each door. Due to the distinct shape of the entrance space, this building consists of four parts: the platform, the body, the entrance porch and the domed room.
The cover of the brick dome of Jokhah tomb has collapsed. This is comparable to the domes of the Twelve Imams of Yazd (5th century AH) and the tomb of Khosroabad Tabas (5th century AH). Based on the available visual sources, there are evidences of plastering in the throat of the dome and the formalization of the arches, which are considered as design ornaments in the Jokhah building. Two fine strips under the throat of the dome in the shape of the letter (kک/) are painted continuously and chainwise in black on a white chalk background. Another decoration includes a plaster strip in the shape of a seven-eighth or a congress in relief, and these two are among the most important arrays of this building. From around the building, unglazed pottery pieces with a simple linear and comb pattern, pottery types with turquoise and gilt underglaze were obtained (12-6 AH/12-18 M).
Conclusion
The tomb is located as a single building outside the old rural context of Jokhah. The architectural features of this tomb, in terms of design and plan form, are in the group of tombs without towers, quadrangle with domes, and functionally, it is included in the category of non-religious tombs. The architectural structure of this building is very similar to the tombs of Amir Arslan Jazeb and Chalaqd in the 5th and 6th century AH. On the other hand, it has some features, especially the doming style, with the 7th AH buildings such as the Haruniyeh building and some 8th century AH buildings such as the Jame Mosque in Varamin and Jabaliyeh in Kerman. Through field investigations and analysis of the building map, it is possible to understand that the main design of the building is taken from the map of the domed square tombs of the Seljuk period, and the additional space outside the main door of the building belongs to later periods. The design of the Jokhah tomb built by Chalaqd was more impressive than the buildings of the Seljuk period in Khorasan. Also, the common features of the building such as functional elements and its materials with the Seljuk period and plaster painting decorations have shown more compatibility with the Ilkhanid period. Referring to Islamic sources and texts also does not provide accurate information about the construction time of this building. As mentioned earlier, 5th century AH, Tabas and its surrounding areas were the refuge of Ismaili claimants, and relative peace reigned in this region. In the middle of the 6th century Hijri, most of the buildings in this area and around it were destroyed by the attack of the Seljuks. Therefore, it seems that the tomb of Jokhah was formed after the aforementioned attacks. On the other hand, due to the absence of an inscription in the Jokhah building, the identity of the owner of the tomb, based on the generalization of reliable written sources of the Islamic period, goes back to a person named Malik, one of the Arab generals in the first century of Hijri. Since this building has not been scientifically explored and excavated so far, the dating of the building has been done by studying the organs, elements and comparing other tomb buildings. Therefore, the chronology of the Jokhah tomb is suggested to the end of the 6th century to the beginning of the 7th century AH.
Acknowledgment
Mr. Dr. Bahram Anani is grateful for providing information on the area of Montaziereh, Tabas.
Observation Contribution
In this article, the first author contributed 100% and the second and third authors contributed 90% and 80%.
Conflict of Interest
In writing this article, the authors are committed to scientific and research ethics and there is no conflict of interest between them.