Architect Egyptian architect Farid Shafi'e (1907–1985) designed the mausoleum, who during his career served as an
architectural designer;
professor and director of the architecture department at
Cairo University; and
consultant for the
King Abdulaziz University, among other roles. Among some of the other buildings that Farid Shafie designed during his career are the headquarters of the Royal Navy in
Cairo; the Office of the
Sheikh at the
Al-Azhar Mosque; and a royal suite in the
Abdeen Palace in Cairo. Farid Shafi'e published numerous
journal articles and books during his career, including an article about the
Juyushi Mosque, the Fatimid building that the Mausoleum of Aga Khan III was designed to resemble. Both the Masjid al-Juyushi and the Mausoleum of Aga Khan III feature a rectangular layout with high walls, a central
dome, and numerous smaller domes. Like the Masjid al-Juyushi, the Mausoleum of Aga Khan III also features an interior
mihrab for prayer. Despite numerous functional and
aesthetic similarities, the Mausoleum of Aga Khan III does not share some of the Masjid al-Juyushi's most revered features, such as its
minaret, its
muqarnas cornice, or its
courtyard. Both the Mausoleum of Aga Khan III and the Aswan Necropolis feature domes with
octagonal
transition zones, arched doorways, mihrabs, and building materials that blend in with the surrounding
desert environment (the Aswan Necropolis tombs were mostly built with
mud brick and coated with
lime plaster). Like the Mausoleum of Aga Khan III, the Mashhad al-Sayyida Ruqayya features a dome with an octagonal transition zone as well as
arched
tracery windows with geometric patterns. Given the many distinct shared features between the Mausoleum of Aga Khan III and various Fatimid mausoleums, it can be understood that the design of Aga Khan's mausoleum was largely influenced by Fatimid architecture.
Exterior design The Mausoleum of Aga Khan III is built of pink
limestone.
Crenellated parapets line the outer wall, and an
arched doorway on the western side of mausoleum serves as the only entrance to the mausoleum's interior. The eastern side of the mausoleum features a large central dome with arched tracery windows along the octagonal
drum. Four miniature domes are located on each corner of the outer wall.
Interior design Quran'ic inscriptions adorn the interior
tomb of Aga Khan III, which is made of
Carrara marble. The mausoleum's
floor plan indicates that the tomb faces a mihrab, which is located under the central dome on the eastern wall of the mausoleum. == Burial of Aga Khan III ==