Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine in Qajar era

The Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine ( fa, آرامگاه شاه نعمت‌ الله‌ ولی) is a historical complex, located in

Mahan Mahan or Mahaan may refer to: * Mahan (name) * Mahan confederacy, chiefdoms in ancient Korea * Mahan, Iran, a city in Kerman Province * Mahan District, an administrative subdivision of Kerman Province * Mahan Rural District, an administrative subdi ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, which contains the mausoleum of

Shah Nematollah Vali Shāh Nimatullāh or Shāh Ni'matullāh Wali, ( fa, شاه نعمت‌الله ولی ''Shāh Ne'matullāh-i Valī''), also spelled as ''Ne'matollah'' and ''Ni'matallah'' was the spiritual leader or Qutb of the Ni'matullah Order in Iran from th ...

, the renowned Iranian mystic and poet. Shah Nematollah Vali died in 1431 aged over 100. In 1436 a shrine was erected in his honor and became a pilgrimage site; with the attention of successive rulers contributing various additions over the centuries.

History and design

The shrine complex comprises four courtyards, a reflecting pool, a

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

and twin

minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...

s covered with turquoise tiles from the bottom up to the cupola. The earliest construction is attributed to the Bahmanid ruler Ahmed I Vali who erected the sanctuary chamber in 1436.

Shah Abbas I Abbas I ( fa, ; 27 January 157119 January 1629), commonly known as Abbas the Great (), was the 5th Safavid Shah (king) of Iran, and is generally considered one of the greatest rulers of Iranian history and the Safavid dynasty. He was the third so ...

undertook extensions and renovations in 1601, including reconstruction of the tiled blue dome, described as "one of the most magnificent architectural masterpieces in old Persia". During the Qajar period the site was particularly popular, necessitating the construction of additional courtyards to accommodate increased numbers of pilgrims. The minarets also date from this period. The small room where Nematollah Vali prayed and meditated contains

plasterwork Plasterwork is construction or ornamentation done with plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior or exterior wall structure, or plaster Molding (decorative), decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. This is also sometimes called parge ...

and tile decorations. The complex is also famous for its tilework and seven ancient wooden doors. The blue

girih ''Girih'' ( fa, گره, "knot", also written ''gereh'') are decorative Islamic geometric patterns used in architecture and handicraft objects, consisting of angled lines that form an interlaced strapwork pattern. ''Girih'' decoration is beli ...

tiled dome contains stars with, from the top, 5, 7, 9, 12, 11, 9 and 10 points in turn. 11-point stars are rare in the

geometric patterns A pattern is a regularity in the world, in human-made design, or in abstract ideas. As such, the elements of a pattern repeat in a predictable manner. A geometric pattern is a kind of pattern formed of geometric shapes and typically repeated l ...

Islamic art Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across a wide ra ...

Architecture

The complex includes some courtyards and other sections which are as follows when one moves from the street toward the interior of the mosque: Atabaki courtyard, Vakil-ol-Molki courtyard, Modir-ol-Molki portico, the shrine, Shah Abbasi portico, Mirdamad courtyard and Hosseiniyeh courtyard.Kerman, City of Historical Places of Worshi
Iran Review
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Atabaki courtyard

Atabaki courtyard has been built through contributions from Ali Asghar Khan Atabak, the chancellor of

Naser al-Din Shah Naser al-Din Shah Qajar ( fa, ناصرالدین‌شاه قاجار; 16 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. He was the son of Mohammad Shah Qajar and Malek ...

and has porticos around and a big pond in the middle.

Vakil-ol-Molki courtyard

Vakil-ol-Molki courtyard has been built by Mohammad Esmaeil Ebrahim Khan Nouri, Vakil-ol-Molk. On the upper part of the entrance corridor is Shah Nematollah Museum while a bookshop is located to the north and the tombs of Amir Nezam Garousi, the famous politicians, literary experts, artist and renowned figure of

Qajar Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

area are located to the southwest. There is a polygonal pond in the middle of the courtyard, which is usually adorned with geraniums. After Mohammad Esmaeil Khan died, his son, Morteza Qoli Khan, added two minarets and a portico to the complex.

Shrine (mausoleum)

It has a dome-shaped arch which is adorned with paintings and has two shells. In the middle of the arch, there is a

Zarih A zarih ( hi, ज़रीह) or ḍarīḥ ( ar, ضَرِیح) is an ornate, usually gilded, lattice structure, that encloses a grave in a mosque or Islamic shrine. Zarihs serve as a marker for the tombs of religious figures, and as a symb ...

which is 3.4 m long and 2 m wide. On the marble stone which is the last covering of the tomb, there is a

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...

ic verse around which the names of 12 Shia Imams have been written.

Chelleh Khaneh (40 Nights House)

On the southwestern side of the portico behind the shrine, there is a small place where Shah Nematollah Vali spent 40 days and nights worshipping God. Its roof is like the hat worn by

Sufis Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spiri ...

and has 12 cracks in it. Some verses of the Quran and Persian poems have been written on the walls. Chelleh Khaneh was totally damaged during a flood in 1932, but was reconstructed later.

Shah Abbasi Portico

The portico has been built in 998 AH under the rule of

and when Beik Tash Khan was the ruler of Kerman. The names of 12 Shiite imams have been written at the entrance of the portico in relief inscription.

Mirdamad Courtyard

This courtyard which is also known as Shah Abbasi courtyard has been reconstructed under the rule of

Qajar dynasty The Qajar dynasty (; fa, دودمان قاجار ', az, Qacarlar ) was an IranianAbbas Amanat, ''The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896'', I. B. Tauris, pp 2–3 royal dynasty of Turkic peoples ...

Hosseiniyeh Courtyard

This is the last courtyard of Shah Nematollah Vali complex which contains the Mohammad Shahi minarets standing on the western side of it. The minarets are 42 m high and were built under the rule of

Mohammad Shah Qajar Mohammad Shah (; born Mohammad Mirza; 5 January 1808 – 5 September 1848) was the third Qajar dynasty, Qajar ''shah'' of Qajar Iran, Iran from 1834 to 1848, having succeeded his grandfather Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, Fath-Ali Shah. From a young age, M ...

. They were damaged in an earthquake in 1981. This courtyard is connected to Biglarbeigi House by a bridge, which is currently known as Motevalli Bashi House and is a hostel. The bridge was destroyed in a flood in 1932. Other parts of the shrine include the library and Shah Vali Museum where valuable copies of the Quran, one of which is attributed to Bibi Khatoun and is called Si-Pareh (30 pieces), various types of armors and swords and a unique piece of cloth which once covered the tomb are being kept. The fabric is among artistic handicrafts of Kerman province, which is called Pateh and was built under

for four years by tens of Kermani artists.

Image Gallery

File:Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine 04.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, View of the dome and the minarets File:Santuario Shah Nematollah Vali, Mahan, Irán, 2016-09-22, DD 17.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, Entrance door to the shrine. File:Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine 01.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, An item in the museum. File:Santuario Shah Nematollah Vali, Mahan, Irán, 2016-09-22, DD 19.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, Outside view of the shrine File:Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine 03.jpg, alt=Shah NeShah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iranmatollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, Interior Decorations (

Calligraphy Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

) File:Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine 05.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, View of the twin minarets File:Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine 06.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, Interior ceiling vaults File:Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine 09.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, Elaborate decorations of the meditation room File:Santuario Shah Nematollah Vali, Mahan, Irán, 2016-09-22, DD 02-04 HDR.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, Tomb room File:Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine 10.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, Interior

Iwan An iwan ( fa, ایوان , ar, إيوان , also spelled ivan) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called , a Persian term for a portal projecting ...

s File:Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine 11.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, The praying hall File:Santuario Shah Nematollah Vali, Mahan, Irán, 2016-09-22, DD 08-10 HDR.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, Ceiling of the praying hall File:Santuario Shah Nematollah Vali, Mahan, Irán, 2016-09-22, DD 14.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, Garden and minarets File:Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine 13.jpg, alt=Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine, Kerman, Iran, View of the blue dome File:010215-Kerman-IMG 0713-2.jpg, Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine,

Kerman Kerman ( fa, كرمان, Kermân ; also romanization of Persian, romanized as Kermun and Karmana), known in ancient times as the satrapy of Carmania, is the capital city of Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 821,394, in ...

References

Sources

External links

*High-resolution 360° Panorama of th
Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine , Art Atlas
{{Kerman Province Religious buildings and structures completed in 1436 Architecture in Iran Tourist attractions in Kerman Province Buildings and structures in Kerman Province Pilgrimage sites