By Mohamed El-Hebeishy WE PASS by without noticing them, sometimes scattered in the countryside, or perhaps right near us on our way to work. Mohamed El-Hebeishy sets out to discover those mysterious Islamic mausolea. As a word, mausloea is the plural of mausoleum, which in turn refers to a free- standing building that encloses a burial chamber or a grave. The first ever was the Mausoleum of Maussollos. Considered one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World, it was built around 350 BC as a grave honouring the Persian ruler of Caria (part of present-day Anatolia in Turkey). From his name, Maussollos, the word "mausoleum" was derived. Ever since, mausolea have found their way into the life of every civilisation and culture. Varying dramatically in shape, size and architectural style, they all served the same purpose -- honouring the dead. Though Islam, as a religion, discourages erecting elaborate tombs, the mausoleum has evolved into one of the most significant buildings in Islamic culture. Take India's most famous monument as an example, the Taj Mahal, a symbol of love built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. But not all of them are as grandiose as the Taj Mahal -- perhaps we are running out of love. Some are humble and small, with almost no decoration and sometimes without even an epitaph, just like the unidentified mausoleum in the picture, located somewhere close to Baltim. Islamic mausolea in Egypt are not restricted to the road less travelled. In fact, Cairo encloses one of the biggest congregation of mausolea worldwide, the Northern Cemetery, which was built by the Mamelukes in the 15th century as a graveyard for their rulers. photo: Mohamed El-Hebeishy
