The tomb of the first president of the independent republic is located in a cemetery dating from Ottoman times. Surrounded by graves, this open tomb combines ancient symbolism with contemporary design and material. A chromed stainless steel dome forms a geometric shell allowing the play of light and shadow on the grave below. It is supported on eight white marble columns whose forms relate to muqarnas. Each column is a single piece of stone, surmounted by a stainless steel capital. The proportions of each element relate to symbolic Sufi meanings and the floor is a ‘cilim’ of green grass.
Source:
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 2011.