Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine

Iran is one of the countries with a long history in mysticism and Sufism. Especially after the Mongol invasion, which strengthened the roots of Sufism in Iran. With the gradual growth of Sufism, we are witnessing the emergence of great men who are recorded as great Sufis in history.

One of these people, who is perhaps the most famous Iranian mystic and Sufi, was Shah Nematollah Vali, who lived in Iran in the 8th century of the Hijri (13th century CE) and at the same time had disciples from all over the Middle East. After his death, he was buried in the city of Mahan, located in Kerman province, and today his tomb is not only a place for his fans to gather, but also a very beautiful heritage of art and building that enchants the eyes of all tourists.

It is time to turn the pages of Iran's middle history.

Do you know Shah Nematollah Vali?

Shah Nematullah Vali was born in 1351 AD and had an Arab origin. Throughout his youth, he attended the lectures of Sufism elders and for this reason traveled a lot. Over time, his knowledge increased to such an extent that he himself became the leader of one of the new intellectual currents in Sufism, which is known by his name (Nematollahi). His followers grew so much that people from India, Mesopotamia, Levant, Hijaz, Central Asia and even Caucasus joined his credo. After 100 years of life, he died in 1452 AD in the city of Mahan.

History of the building:

After the death of Nematollah, his supporters in India, especially the government of Deccan, financed and sent architects to build the tomb. With their efforts, a single dome was built over his grave. After that, in the Timurid period, other buildings and more decorations were added to. Over time and in each period, different people played a role in the completion and expansion of the building, so that it becomes the present form. For this reason, you can see the architecture of different periods in it. Today, it is registered in the Iran National Heritage list and is considered one of the most important tourist destinations of Kerman province.

Are you familiar with the architecture of the shrine?

The extent of construction in different periods was so large that today the shrine of Shah Nematollah Vali has an area of 35 thousand square meters, it is in the middle of a green garden and it consists of many different parts. The first building was the main mausoleum and the dome on it. Over time, other courtyards were added to it, and its decorations included simple tiling.One of the added buildings is a room that some believe was the place of Nematollah's praying and was built with marble during the Safavid era. The paintings on the ceiling of this room are very artistically depicted. Other buildings such as the graves of some important figures, different courtyards, numerous rooms, caravanserais, etc. are other parts of the tomb.The whole shrine is engraved with verses of the Quran, names of God, mystical poems, prayer phrases and some sentences related to the construction date of the building, with all kinds of beautiful scripts and motifs that makes everyone eager to see it.

The Shah Nematollah Vali Shrine is a place where Sufism and architecture are intertwined. A place where the surroundings will give you peace.