Takht-e Foulad Cemetery

Takht-e Foulad Cemetery in Isfahan, after the Vadi Salam graveyard in Najaf-e Ashraf, is the second biggest and most historical Cemetery in the Shiism world (Islamic world), that the holy tomb of a large number of scholars and celebrities of the Islamic world is located there.

Also, it is being said that the grave of a number of prophets is also located in this cemetery. Among the better-known attractions of Isfahan, maybe Takht-e Foulad Cemetery is an unfamiliar name for many.

The antiquity of this cemetery is returning to the fourth century A.H. Be with us to obtain more information about this cemetery.

The introduction of Takht-e Foulad

Takht-e Foulad is the name of the old cemetery of Isfahan city that is also recognized with the titles of “Lesan Al-Arz” and “Baba Rokn Aldin”.

This cemetery with an approximate area of 75 hectares is located in the southern margin of Zayanderood River of Isfahan and at the end of one of the northern- Southern historical axis of the city.

Takht-e Foulad is considered one of the most important historical and cultural areas of Iran because of its extent, the multiplicity of celebrities that are buried in it, and also the existence of historically valuable buildings.

The existence of the “Yoush-e Nabi” (Joshua) tomb in the Eastern part of the cemetery is bear out that its antiquity, returns to the pre-Islamic.

In the past, the Takht-e Foulad was used as a place for meetings, religious and national ceremonies. In the distant past, Takht-e Foulad was not only a cemetery, but also it has consisted of different parts like

• caravansaries
• residency
• school
• mosque

and cistern that was located outside of the city, until the period of Safavid, but gradually, it was turned into a part of the city.

Takht-e Foulad cemetery was recorded all together and its components, individually in the list of the national heritage of Iran.

Among each of the parts of Takht-e Foulad, there are the tombs of one or of famous celebrities, and that part is considered the theatre for passion plays (Tekiye) and also called in the name of that person.

Among the most important locations of this cemetery, we can name:

• Mir Fendereski Tekiye
• tombstone of Baba Foulad Halvayi
• tomb of Baba Rokn Aldin
• Agha Bashi Tekiye
• Boroujerdiha Tekiye
• Touyserkaniha Tekiye
• Khatoun Abadi Tekiye
• Jouybarei Tekiye
• Seyed Alaraghin Tekiye
• Riziha Tekiye
• Shahshahani Tekiye
• Feyz Tekiye
• Lesan Al-Arz tekiye
  (whereas an attributed tomb to Youshe Nabi is located in the Lesan al-arz Tekiye, the cemetery of Takht-e Foulad)
• Madar-e Shahzade Tekiye
• Mirza Rafia Tekiye
• Valeh Tekiye
• Chahar Soghi Tekiye
• Kazerouni Tekiye
• Bid Abadi Tomb

The Short History of Takht-e Foulad Cemetery

There is not any exact date from the emergence of Takht-e Foulad, but evidence suggests that the antiquity of this cemetery is related to the centuries of 4 and 5 A.H.

According to the story of Chardin, in the period of Deylaman, one of the military commanders, named “Poulad Bazou” had a little palace in this location and build a bench-like boulder for sitting and observing the competition of wrestlers.

The historians also attribute the history of this cemetery to the pre- Islamic, because of the presence of the Youse Nabi’s tomb in the Lesan Al-Arz Tekiye.

Due to the existence of the limited number of gravestones that are related to the centuries of 5 to 7 A.H., in this period, there is not obtained any more information.

The location of the building?

The position of Takht-e Foulad

Abbas Beheshtian (1395- 1366) was a scholar and Isfahanologist that for the first time, realized the existence of architectural relics in the Takht-e Foulad which were belonged to the period of Deylaman.

In an epistle, named Galdierj, he referred to the points about the architectural style of different periods, from Seljuk to Islam.

In the different centuries like 7 and 8, a number of scientists and mystics like Baba Rokn Aldin came to this place, lived, and died there.

Many scholars believe that the peak of the prosperity of Takht-e Foulad was after the death of Baba Foulad-e Halvai in the Safavid period.

The development of this cemetery was accelerated in the time of Shah Abbas II; in a way that Jean Chardin in his itinerary, refers to the more than 4000 Tekiye, monastery, and other tomb-like buildings in this cemetery.

This cemetery was so wide, but unfortunately at the end of the Safavid period and the attack of Afghans to Isfahan and also in the time of the reign of Zell-e Soltan, many parts of it were ruined.

Bagh-e Rezvan

According to the decision that was gotten in 1363, the funeral of the dead in this cemetery was get forbidden and a new graveyard named Bagh-e Rezvan was built in the east of Isfahan.

The martyrs of the war between Iran and Iraq in 1375, were buried in the eastern part of this cemetery.

It can be said that Takht-e Foulad cemetery is the biggest museum of the most beautiful tombstones and tomb buildings and will take place in the group of the most important graveyards of the world.

In addition to the tomb, this place is very important in terms of history and architecture.

Many of the stones of these tombs have stone carvings, patterns, and beautiful handwriting that like them, cannot be seen anywhere, and indeed, they are unique.

Other’s opinions about Takht-e Foulad

Chardin was one of the French tourists that wrote about Takht-e Foulad such as this:

“in the whole region and around of tombs, there are many guest- houses, monasteries, Tekiye, gardens, and two big refrigerators. A rivulet is passing from there that named the water of 250. “

Mosleh Aldin Mahdavi, the scholar, and Isfahanologist wrote:

“centuries before Islam, when Bakht Alnasr was transplanted Jewish people from Palestine and harassed them, the Cyrus, the Achaemenian king of Iran, saved Jewish from the enslavement of Babel and accepted them in Iran and settled some of them in Isfahan. Two of their prophets and religious leaders named “Youshe” and “Shoaya” were lived in Isfahan and dead and were buried there.”

Heinrich Karl Brugsch, the scholar and orientalist wrote:

“among the stones, we observed a sculpture of a lion that had the head of the human; The lion was looking at the passer- biers with wipe eyes; as if he wanted to say about the past stories and events of this region and courage of the commanders that were slept in this cemetery forever, with these looks. The stones and tombs had writings with beautiful handwritten; on some of them, the pattern of horseman or cypress was carved.”

Ernest Holster, the engineer, and photographer that lived for more than 20 years in the Isfahan, in the Qajar period and died and was buried there, wrote:

“Takht-e Foulad is one of the biggest cemeteries that there are many sculptures in it.”

Among the photos that he recorded from Iran and especially Isfahan, there are also photos of Takht-e Foulad.

The architecture of Takht-e Foulad Cemetery

There is not anything that remained from the architectural elements, except a small number, which was related to Takht-e Foulad, such as:

• mosques
• caravansaries
• cisterns

There were two temples in the southwest section of Takht-e Foulad, which were monuments from the Safavid period;

→ one of them was renovated by the command of Haj Mohammad Taghi Naghshine, but both temples were destroyed in recent years and the big and new temple of the Isfahan city was built instead of them.

Except for the Rokn Almolk mosque, there were other mosques in this cemetery that all of them were destroyed in the last decade;

→ Like Khansari Tekiye mosque from the Safavid period and Agha Majles Tekiye mosque from the monuments of the Qajar period.

The cisterns of Kazerouni Tekiye, Agha Majles, Baba Rokn Aldin, Chahar Soghi, and Shahshahani are among the destroyed cisterns of this complex.

Where is the Takht-e Foulad Cemetery?

Takht-e Foulad cemetery leads to Mosalla Street from the west side Saadat Abad street from the south side to the streets of Sajjad and Bahar from the east side and Mir street from the north side.

For having access to this place, you can get off at the Tondro’s bus station (BRT) on Sajjad Street. Also, for accessibility with a personal car, it would be enough that you reach yourself to one of the streets of Feyz, Sajjad, or Azadegan.

Visiting Takht-e Foulad cemetery

For visiting from Takht-e Foulad cemetery, you can refer from 9 to 17. You don’t need to pay for entering the cemetery.

Frequently Asked Questions:

conclusion:

In this article, we talked about one of the most interesting graveyards of the Islamic world. The cemetery has placed many celebrities in itself and has great historical and artistic value. There is a lot of content about the bosses that were buried in the Takht-e Foulad of Isfahan.

Do you have any experience of visiting and walking in Takht-e Foulad? Have you ever visited the Mir Fanderski tomb?

If we didn’t mention a person, tomb, or another subject in Takht-e Foulad, write for us, please.