Squinch

Squinches supporting a dome in Odzun Basilica, Armenia, early 8th century

A squinch is a structural element in architecture used to support the base of a circular or octagonal dome that surmounts a square-plan chamber. Squinches are placed to diagonally span each of the upper internal vertices (corners) where the walls meet. This placement distributes the load of the dome's weight, while also providing a visual bridge from circular to angular building elements. They have several forms.

Squinches originated in the Sassanid Empire of Ancient Persia, and have remained in use across Central and West Asia into modern times. From their Sassanid origin, they influenced Islamic architecture and were inherited by Georgian and Armenian building traditions. Domes built in the Roman-influenced world utilised separately-evolved construction methods, notably the pendentive, which performs a similar function.

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