Saib Tabrizi Tomb

Isfahan by hosting world-famous monuments like Naghshe Jahan has been always beloved by internal and foreign tourists.

Besides the famous attractions, there are also other spectacular places that seeing is not without grace. Saib Tabrizi Tomb a magnificent building is located in the centre of Isfahan city.

This tomb is the graveyard of one of the most famous poets of Iran. In this article, we are going to gain more information about Saib Tabrizi and the history of his tomb; tune on.

Who is Saib Tabrizi Tomb?

Iran land is the birthplace of famous poets and writers most of them have a global reputation and their beautiful works fondle the human soul. One of these prominent poets is called “Saib Tabrizi” and his tomb is considered one of the most spectacular places in Isfahan.

Mirza Mohammad Ali, assuming the name “Saib Tabrizi” and famous for “Mirza Saiba” is one of the big and prominent composers of lyric poems of 11^th century A.H and in the Safavid period.

He was born in Tabriz in 1016 A.H. The family of Saib were among the numerous families that were forced to leave Tabriz and live in Isfahan by the command of king Abbas I.

Saab began to educate from the beginning of adolescence and residence in Isfahan. In 1034 A.H, he travelled from Isfahan to India and then, went to Harat and Kabul.

The governor of Kabul, named Khaje Ahsan Allah who was famous as “Zafar Khan” and was a poet and writer, had welcomed the presence of Saib. Saib returned to Iran in 1042 A.H and resided in Isfahan.

At that time, the governor of Isfahan was king Abbas II who gave Saib the rank of “Poet Laureate” and from that time, he had become proverbial among the poets of Iran, India and Ottoman.

After the death of king Abbas and coming into work of King Suleiman, he went out from the court, due to the inattention of the king and settled down in his own garden.

This prominent poet after 70 years of living, died in the 1086 or 1087 A.H in Isfahan and was buried in this personal garden named Tekiye.

Saib Tabrizi is among the poets the number of his poems reaches more than 60 to 120 thousand verses.

The style that he had evolved and used in his poems was recognized centuries after him with the name “Indian Style”. Saib is called the poet of single- bits. He used parables more than the others.

The works of Saib except for hundreds of verses of elegy, short couplet poems named “Ghandehar Name” and two or three verses, the rest is in the form of sonnets.

Saib has sonnets that were written in the Turkish- Azerbaijani language and his poetical work is published frequently in Iran and India.

In the following, we read examples of the pure single- bits of Saib Tabrizi: 

– Mahve kodam ayene sima shavad kasi?             Ayene khaneist do alam ze rouye doust

– Mikonad zolfe deraze to be delhaye hazin         Anche ba khaste ravanan shabe yalda nakonad

– Har kasi ra hast saeb gheblegahi dar jahan        Bargozidam az do alam man jenabe eshgh ra

Where is Saib Tabrizi Tomb?

Saib Tabrizi Tomb is located in the heart of a street named “Saib” and in the garden of Tekiye.

For accessibility to it, you can get off in the subway station of Enghelab Square and take the remained path by taxi.

The short history of Saib Tabrizi Tomb

There is an interesting story about the discovery of Saib tomb. It is being said that the grave of this famous poet was discovered in the Pahlavi period and theretofore, this grave and garden were being rented by fruit traders.

This trader had been rented from the garden from the Isfahan Mortmain and Endowments Department. Finally, Abbas Beheshtian, one of the favorers of cultural heritage in Isfahan, writes a letter to the Chehel Sotoun Newspaper of Isfahan and demands an investigation into this situation.

He wants Mortmain and Endowments Department to not rent the garden and in the end, gave a request of rebuilding that place to the governor-general of Isfahan.

Professor Hossein Moareffi Isfahani designed the map of the building and send it to Tehran. That map was completed with the view of engineer Mohsen and after four years, the building of the tomb was finished in 1346.

Architecture of Saib Tabrizi Tomb

The architecture of Saib Tabrizi Tomb had been inspired by the architecture of the Safavid period. It’s high porch has 10 stony stairs.

On top of the columns, there are lancet arches and the under of its ceiling is decorated with mirrors. Around the tomb, you can see the poems of this prominent poem.

The stone of Saib’s tomb is Yazdi marble that the old tomb’s stone is embedded in the middle of it.

The original stone of the tomb that is halved, has an inscription from one opening verse and a sonnet from Saib with the handwriting of Mohammad Saleh, the calligrapher of the Safavid period.

In front of the tomb’s porch, there is seen a pond and waterfall-like Chehel Sotoun palace and above it are two other graves that one of them belongs to his son and the other to his grandson.

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Conclusion

Saib Tabrizi was the poet laureate of court with a large number of poems. After his death, his grave remained unknown for a long time and finally, it was discovered in the recent century and a beautiful construction was built for it.

This tomb with the antiquity that returns to the Pahlavi period, was registered in the list of Iran’s National monuments on the date twentieth, Bahman, 1355 with the registration number of 1332.

Have you ever visited Saib Tabrizi Tomb in Isfahan? Did you read any of his poems? Which single- bits of Saib do you like most? Share your comments with us…