Gallery
Description
Property Name: Sheikh Safi al-din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble
Inventory No: 98-451-1
Date of infill of the inventory form: 2010-10-08
Country (State party): Iran
Province: Ardabil
Town: Ardabil
Geographic coordinates: 38° 14′ 55″ N
48° 17′ 29″ E
Historic Period: 18th century, 2nd half, 16th century, 1st half
Year of Construction: beginning of 16th-end of 18th century
Style: Medieval Islamic
Original Use: Complex, Religious
Current Use: Religious
Architect: Unknown
Significance
Built between the beginning of the 16th century and the end of the 18th century, this place of spiritual retreat in the Sufi tradition uses Iranian traditional architectural forms to maximize use of available space to accommodate a variety of functions (including a library, a mosque, a school, mausolea, a cistern, a hospital, kitchens, a bakery, and some offices). It incorporates a route to reach the shrine of the Sheikh divided into seven segments, which mirror the seven stages of Sufi mysticism, separated by eight gates, which represent the eight attitudes of Sufism.
Selection Criteria
ii. to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design
iii. to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared
iv. to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history
State of Preservation
The ensemble includes well-preserved and richly ornamented facades and interiors, with a remarkable collection of antique artefacts. It constitutes a rare ensemble of elements of medieval Islamic architecture.
In 2010, it was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List.[2] This monument is situated in the Ali-Ghapu area.
… has taken steps to restore the original access to the ensemble…
References
World Heritage Center Web Site: http://whc.unesco.org