Qabusnama of Persian Architecture: Rethinking the history of making Gunbad-i Qābus

This study aims to investigate the origins, concepts, and symbolic and formal functions of the Gunbad-i Qābus tomb-tower based on interpretation of its inscription.  This hermeneutic analysis addresses the historical context of the building formation, rethinking the concepts presented in its ten-piece inscription using philological methods, and compares it with the inscriptions of some other tomb-towers of Iran. Findings show that after the fall of Samanid dynasty, Qābus b. Voshmgīr erected the symbol (tower) of his authority and charter of governance on the road from Gurgān to Khurasan to show off his power and ensure his sovereignty against powerful enemies like the Buyids. The original intention of Qābus to build the monument beyond its funerary function was the foundation of an eternal monument glorifying his virtues, grandeur, and ambitions. In addition, this landmark is a symbol of the consolidation of Qābus’s power in the political arena, and his perfection and eminence in art and literature.