The monument of Sheikh Safiuddin is one of the most historic and valuable places of Iran Attractions in the city of Ardabil. This valuable and historic place of Iran History was registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010. It was built by using traditional Iranian architecture and using the maximum available space. It consists of various parts such as library, mosque, school, reservoir, hospital, kitchen, bakery and several office buildings.
In addition to the tomb of Sheikh Safiuddin Ardebili, the tomb of Shah Isma’il I (the first king of Safavid) is also in this collection. After the death of Shah Isma’il, the first king of the Safavid dynasty, his survivors decided to burial the shah’s body next to the tomb of Sheikh Safi al-Din. Therefore, the first annexation to the Sheikh’s tomb was a small dome that was considered to be the shrine of Shah Isma’il.
But from that time on, the tomb of Sheikh Safi gradually became the guardian of the ancestor of the Safavid sultans part of Iran History , and after some time the monument was known as a place for the publication of Safavid political and religious thought. So that the elders of this dynasty gathered in this collection and controlled the affairs of the government.
For this reason, this monument expanded to 21,000 meters during the Safavid period, with the special attention of the kings of this period, and was eventually carefully completed and decorated to the point where the Safavids considered this monument to be the promised heaven of Paradise.
The tomb of the wife of Shah Ismael (mother of Shah Tahmasb) and some of the Mashayek, Safavid officials and dead people of Chaldoran War are also in this place.
One of the unique features of this collection is the gathering of dozens of exquisite works in various artistic fields, including the most excellent mosaic tiles and Mogharnas and gypsum. Beautiful and exquisite inscriptions and the great Safavid periodic line (Mir Emad, Mir Qavameddin, Mohammad Ismail,) valuable baguettes, silverware, gilding, painting , tightening, and so on. This work has a notable architecture and this is one of the reasons for its distinction with other historical collections of Iran.
The head of the main tomb of Sheikh Safi al-Din, which was constructed during the reign of Shah Abbas II under Ismail, a painter of Ardebili in 1057. By the year 1321 it was located on the northern side of the current major square of Ali – Qapu. In that year, the remnants of the temple were removed by the order of the Archaeological Department and its mosaic tiles are currently stored in the tombstone.
Sheikh Safi’s tile carpet is one of the world’s masterpieces of artistic work, which is now held in London. A brief description of this carpet is given below:
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This carpet made by Shah Tahmasb I, that was woven in the course of sixteen years by “Maghsoud Kashani “the Master of carpet weaving ,
The map of this carpet is designed on the basis of the image of the roof of Qandil House, and the people who entered this place have made the floor and ceiling of the hall a role that connects the mentality of Safavid era mystics to the unity of existence from the carpet to the throne into a role. The unique carpet of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardebili, which was the decoration of the tomb for many years, was later sold to the British. This carpet has recently been featured on the list of 50 masterpieces of the world.
. This precious art work, currently featured in Victoria’s Albert Hall, London, is open to visitors to the art of Islamic Iran. It can be as a manifestation of the arts and thoughts of the Safavid era mystics, and was located in Sheikh Safi’s tomb until 1893.
In 1996, the experts of this organization decided to take back the carpet of Sheikh Safiuddin Ardebili’s Tomb, which began the study of the main tufted carpet in London by Iranian and foreign experts, and its scientific identity including technical specifications, number and type of knots, the type of chalk, dimensions and colors. Carefully examined and prepared.
The design of the similar carpet was carried out by Professor Ghare-baghi and was restored by Iranian weavers under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Supervision and was completed in 1382 solar year then it was taken to the tomb of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardebili, and it was covered with carpet like before.
