AMonumentIndependent states
Momine Khatun Mausoleum
A ten-sided tomb tower built in Nakhchivan in 1186 by the architect Ajami Nakhchivani — a masterpiece of Atabeg architecture.
The Momine Khatun Mausoleum stands in the city of Nakhchivan. It was commissioned by Muhammad Jahan Pahlavan, ruler of the Eldiguzid (Atabeg) state, in memory of his wife Momine Khatun, and completed in 1186.
It was designed by Ajami Abubakr oglu Nakhchivani, founder of the Nakhchivan school of architecture. The ten-sided brick body is covered with geometric patterns in turquoise glazed tiles, and its inscriptions carry verses of the Quran. It now stands about 25 metres tall.
Another work by Ajami, the Yusuf ibn Kuseyir Mausoleum of 1162, is also in Nakhchivan. These tomb towers are counted among the finest examples of Azerbaijani and Turkic-Islamic architecture.
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Updated: October 1, 2026