Iconic domes that I have visited
Heritage
I find myself captivated by certain things, even though they are considered old and outdated. A dome never ceases to amaze me, a 3 dimensional arch, that's still crazy to me. They deserve way more attention for their historical and architectural significance. Domes have been built since the Mesopotamian era. However, they underwent a transformative journey in European and Islamic architecture that took it to the next level with advancements in mathematics, materials, and production techniques.
I want to document 3 of such wonders that I have visited.
Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi 1570
I kid you not, I have almost cried at the sight of this beauty, I was 20 years old so. The tomb was built in the 1570s, spending 1.5 million rupees by Humayun’s Persian-born widow Haji Begum. It is said to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal which was built 80 years later. The architecture follows strict Mughal geometry and has a heavy influence from Persian architecture. The dome stands out because of the white marble used in contrast to the red sandstone for the superstructure. The dome alone is 22.2 m tall out of the total 42.5 m height of the structure. Many don't know that the tomb has another dome built under the big dome to get lateral support and to shape the interior, this was the first ‘double-layered dome’ built in India.
Santa Maria Del Fiore, Firenze (Florence), 1409
I knew this dome was amazing but it went up on my list to visit because of Dan Brown's Thrilling novel, Inferno! “A giant chess piece that has become an inimitable symbol of Florence,” he writes. Then I read about the architect Filippo Brunelleschi who won the commission to build the dome by making an egg stand upright on a piece of marble in his presentation and Santa Maria del Fiore made the top of my list to visit. Almost 100 years after the beginning of the structure, Brunelleschi proposed a unique reinforcement ‘Ribs’ to correct the spreading problem of the dome. 8 exposed and 16 concealed ribs made the bricklaying process possible. The total height of the dome with the lantern is 114.5 m. The most interesting part of this is that all of Florence's buildings, old or new, stay under this height, making the church and the dome a gem with pride.
Pantheon, Rome 125
I kept the most impressive one for the last. I still can't believe this giant dome was built before the first-ever bristle toothbrush was made in China. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. This Roman temple dedicated “to all gods” or “to the 12 gods” was said to have been commissioned by a senator Marcus Agrippa. The dome is 22 m from its base called ‘Rotunda’, a circular load-bearing wall of 43m. At the apex of the dome is the ‘Oculus’, an opening to the sky and the primary source of natural light for this huge structure. The Oculus light acts like a spotlight throughout the day and lights up the niches with statues, now compete with that ! The height of the oculus from the floor and dome diameter is the same, 43m, making the interior of the pantheon into an imaginary sphere. The dome also has 28 ‘coffers’, square-shaped recessions that take the unnecessary material load away from the building.
In 609 AD the Pantheon was converted to a Christian church by Byzantine emperor Phocas and Pope Boniface IV who then proceeded to remove all the relics and remains of any Roman origin and replaced them with the holy mary and Christian saints’ statues. This conversion did save the building from abandonment, destruction, and spoilage. This building has been there for so long that people have taken away its bits and parts to keep for example, emperor Constans II took away the bronze roof and sent it to Constantinople in 663 AD, and of course, the British Museum is in the possession of the fine marble capitals that were present over the external columns !
There’s so many more interesting things about pantheon that it’ll become another blog, which is not a bad idea.
More than these domes, iconic are the narratives and history they encapsulate. They remain the symbols of human ingenuity, cultural significance, and the tireless pursuit of architectural advancement. I might add more domes to the blog that I have visited like St. Peter’s Basilica and Gol Gumbaz.
Thank you for reading, it has been a while. By now, you might have guessed that I love history mostly because it a proof that weird ideas do work out if you keep pouring enough money into them ! :D
Do let me know what you think, if there are any suggestions and discussions you’d like to make, email me or write them below in comments.
