Cupola

In architecture, a cupola (ˈk(j)uːpələ) is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, from lower Latin cupula (classical Latin cupella), (Latin cupa), indicating a vault resembling an upside-down cup. The cupola evolved during the Renaissance from the older oculus. Being weatherproof, the cupola was better suited to the wetter climates of northern Europe. The chhatri, seen in Indian architecture, fits the definition of a cupola when it is used atop a larger structure. Cupolas often serve as a belfry, belvedere, or roof lantern above a main roof. In other cases they may crown a spire, tower, or turret. Barns often have cupolas for ventilation. Cupolas can also appear as small buildings in their own right. The square, dome-like segment of a North American railroad train caboose that contains the second-level or "angel" seats is also called a cupola. File:White marble cupolas cap minarets at the Tomb of Jahangir.jpg|White marble cupolas cap minarets at the [[Tomb of Jahangir]] in [[Lahore]], [[Pakistan]] File:Montefiascone cupola.JPG|Cupolas on the towers of [[Montefiascone Cathedral]], Italy. File:Cupola ceiling Synagogue Gyor Hungary.jpg|Interior of cupola ceiling in the old [[Synagogue]] of [[Győr]], Hungary. File:Great Mosque Minaret - Kairouan, Tunisia.jpg|Ribbed cupola crowns the minaret of the [[Mosque of Uqba]], in Kairouan, Tunisia. File:Cupola - Armenian Orthodox church in Lvov.jpg|Inside of Armenian Orthodox church cupola in [[Lviv]], Ukraine. File:Old Barn at Brookwood Farm MA 02.jpg|Cupolas were also used on some old [[barn]]s for ventilation. File:ISS STS130 Cupola view of Algeria coast.jpg|View from the interior of the [[Cupola (ISS module)|Cupola module]] on the International Space Station. File:Brivio.church.cupola.jpg|[[Trompe-l'œil]] painting of a cupola in a church in Northern Italy ([[Brivio]]) File:Cupola caboose.