Bull. Ind. Inst. Hist. Med. Vol. XVIII. pp. 124 to 133 THE CROSS AS DECORATING THE MINARETS OF A PERSIAN MAUSOLEUM S. MAHDIHASSAN* ABSTRACT The cross is one the earliest symbols man created. It signifies the Soul. Placed on a grave or on a minaret of a mausoleum the cross, as the plenipotentiary of the soul, functions as soul, expediting resurrection of the dead. It makes the site itself auspi- cious as one where resurrection is to occur. In effect, while we pray for the salvation of the dead, to inscribe a cross meant the mason's prayer materialized, also hoping to sse the resurrection of the dead. In Persian art, reality is best expressed by the oppo- sites. There have to be black and white crosses as opposites to reveal the cross. There is a case of a whole Quranic text inscribed right to left as normal, but also its opposite, written inverse from left right. This is being discussed in another article. To have black and white crosses is to emphasize the cross. The Cross is so much believed to be sacred to the Christians that it has to be told that it dates much earlier and had long been recognized as an amuletic sign. Budge (1961) writes that "one of the oldest amuletic signs is the cross". He however does not refer to its origin or to its earliest significance. Recently (in 1986) I have tried to explain that the cross is the symbol of the soul and as symbol it is the plenipotentiary of the soul itself. Then to decorate with the sign of the cross a grave amounts to a concrete prayer recall- ing the sou I to confer resurrection upon the dead, this being all that can be done for the dead. Fortunately Ragozin (1897) illustrates the Rock- Tomb of King Midas of phrygia which is well decorated with the cross. The Chaukhandi tombs in Pakistan, belonging to Muslims, have been fully decorated with the crosses has been beautifully illustrated hy Khurshid Hassan (1984). Even in Persia there is a mauso- leum, the Shrine of Mahan, near Kirman, which has two minarets, both decorated with the cross and then one white and the other black. Pope (1965) has illustrated the shrine with these two minarets in colour on plate XVI. Fig. 1 here shows the minaret which is nearer as illustrated on PI, XVI by Pope. Fig, 2 illust- rates the other seen a little further ;10 so. 34-Block A, N. Nazimabad, Karachi 33, Pakistan.
Transcript
Bull. Ind. Inst. Hist. Med. Vol. XVIII. pp. 124 to 133
THE CROSS AS DECORATING THEMINARETS OF A PERSIAN MAUSOLEUM
S. MAHDIHASSAN*
ABSTRACT
The cross is one the earliest symbols man created. It signifies the Soul. Placedon a grave or on a minaret of a mausoleum the cross, as the plenipotentiary of the soul,functions as soul, expediting resurrection of the dead. It makes the site itself auspi-cious as one where resurrection is to occur. In effect, while we pray for the salvationof the dead, to inscribe a cross meant the mason's prayer materialized, also hoping tosse the resurrection of the dead. In Persian art, reality is best expressed by the oppo-sites. There have to be black and white crosses as opposites to reveal the cross.There is a case of a whole Quranic text inscribed right to left as normal, but also itsopposite, written inverse from left right. This is being discussed in another article. Tohave black and white crosses is to emphasize the cross.
The Cross is so much believed tobe sacred to the Christians that it hasto be told that it dates much earlierand had long been recognized as anamuletic sign. Budge (1961) writesthat "one of the oldest amuleticsigns is the cross". He howeverdoes not refer to its origin or to itsearliest significance. Recently (in1986) I have tried to explain that thecross is the symbol of the soul andas symbol it is the plenipotentiary ofthe soul itself. Then to decoratewith the sign of the cross a graveamounts to a concrete prayer recall-ing the sou I to confer resurrectionupon the dead, this being all that canbe done for the dead. FortunatelyRagozin (1897) illustrates the Rock-
Tomb of King Midas of phrygiawhich is well decorated with thecross. The Chaukhandi tombs inPakistan, belonging to Muslims, havebeen fully decorated with the crosseshas been beautifully illustrated hyKhurshid Hassan (1984).
Even in Persia there is a mauso-leum, the Shrine of Mahan, nearKirman, which has two minarets, bothdecorated with the cross and thenone white and the other black.Pope (1965) has illustrated the shrinewith these two minarets in colour onplate XVI. Fig. 1 here shows theminaret which is nearer as illustratedon PI, XVI by Pope. Fig, 2 illust-rates the other seen a little further
;10 so. 34-Block A, N. Nazimabad, Karachi 33, Pakistan.
Minarets of Persian Mausoleum- Mahdihassan 125
to our right in plate XVI. Both min-arets are fully decorated with cross-es, white and black. Their functionis naturally identical with the crossescarved on Chaukhandi tombs andalso on the Rock Tomb of KingMidas. Fig. 3 illustrates enlargedpart of minaret 1. There are ellepticalunits, with the centre as black cross.The two ends contain V shapedsigns in white, which become half ofa cross and when one is near another,such bodies as parts of two ellepti-cal bodies, appear as a white cross.At any rate fig. 3 shows the blackcross and also the white.
In fig. 1 the black cross is clearenough while the arms of the whitecross appear as V shaped or U shapedin fig. 1 the white and black crossesboth are discernable. A careful exa-mination of fig. 3, which is an enlar-gement of part of fig. 1, shows thewhite crosses better.
Fig. 4 shows again part of fig. 1but wi th the white cross as clearerthan the black one. Fig. 4 is thebest realistic reproduction taken ofPope's picture as the original. Tosupplement fig. 4, another picture.showing the contrast far better, appe-ars as fig, 5. The item to our left
below shows an elleptical unit andabove it white cross which arose whenthe ends of two elleptical units metwith a black dot in the centre of thewhite cross.
Fig.6 is a drawing to show sche-matically how the elleptical unit isconstituted. In the centre is a blackcross. At each and is a V shaped signin white, which joined with another ofan opposite elleptical body, togetherappears as a white cross, usually witha black dot in the centre.
Minaret II is otherwise decorated,thouqh even here there, are both whiteand black crosses. If there wereelleptical units in Minaret I thereare lozenge-shaped unit sin Minaret II.The last but one row from thebottom in fig. 7 shows, with anarrow to our right, two of these unitsparticularly clear. These two loze-nge shaped bodies have been slightlyretouched to show their real forms.All the upper parts appear as theyexisted but being near one anotherthe lozenge-shape of the componentunits is discernable only when care-fully examined. What has beencalled V shaped white sign beforeappears to be U shaped in fig.7' butseen at a distance two of them toge-ther finally appear as a white cross.
REFERENCES1. Budge, Sir, Er. A. Wallis, (1961-129) Amulets and Talismans. N.Y.2. Khurshid Hassan, Shaikh. (1984) Chaukhandi Tombs in Pakistan East andWest, No. 34. Best illustrations is fig. 2, on p, 10. 3. Mahdihassan, S. (1986)Cross as the Symbol of the soul Pek, ArcIJaeology. No. 22. 4. Pope, ArthurUpham (1965) Persian Architecture, London. PL. XVI. 5. Ragozin, Zenade, A.(1897) Media, Babylon and Persia, P. 203, fig. 28.
126 Bulletin Ind. Inst. Hist. Med. Vol. XVIII
Fig. 1. Minaret of Shrine of Mahan, Kirman,White and Black crosses, traceable toa unit which is elleptical from Pope(1965).
Minarets of Persian Mausoleu:n-Mahdihassan 127
Fig. 2. Another minaret again of the bove shrine therebeing black and white crosses traceable to alozenge shaped unit. From Pope.
128 Bulletin Ind. Inst. Hist . Med. Vol. XVIII
Fig. 3. Part of the Minaret I, enlarged to show the ellepticalunits. In the centre a black cross. At each end a Vshaped body, as half of a white cross,
Minarets of Persian Meusote um=Mehdihessen 129
Fig. 4. A realistic photographic reproduction as enlargement of elleptical units.
Bulletin Ind. Inst. Hist. Med. Vol. XVIII
Fig. 5. A photograph showing contrasts of the same spot, as in fig. 4,which it supplements.
Fig. 6,' Sche'rnatic representation of themeke-up of an elfeptical unit. In the centre a black cross.At each end a V shaped sign, as half of a cross,
132 Bulletin Ind. lnst. Hist. Med, Vol. XVIII
Fig. 7. Part of Minaret II. It shows white and black crosses.The unit component is lozenge shaped. one shown by anarrow on right. What was V shaped before is U shapedhere. the components of white cross.
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