Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble

The Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil was built at the beginning of the 16th century, however it was reconstructed at the end of the 18th century. It is mainly constructed based on Islamic architecture and consists of different sections regarding Iran’s culture: A mosque, a big main library, a hospital, a school, mausoleum, etc.

After the Islamic conquest and before Moghol invasion, Ardebil was the largest city in North- Western Iran. At this period, the town shattered for three centuries until the advent of the Safavid Dynasty, of which Sheikh Safi al-Din (1252-1334) is the eponym. Sheikh Safi al-Din followed Sheikh Zāhed e-Gilāni but after his death, he established his own place and developed his own way. So He founded a khānegāh in Ardabil, which was later became his shrine.
Shah Ismail, Sheikh Safi al-Din’s successor as the Sufi leader of the khanegah, became the first shah of the Safavid Dynasty and declared the khanegah as the state religion. The Safavids dynasty spared no expense in enriching and decorating the structure of the shrine of their ancestor with many works of art. The shrine became a focus for pilgrims from around the world and a religious ensemble containing outstanding works of art, ornamentation, and archaeology from the 14th to the 18th centuries.