Sheikh Safi Shrine

Sheikh Safi al-Din founded a Sufi order at Ardabil in the fourteenth century, and his descendants became the Safavid dynasty, which made his tomb the spiritual origin point of the state and led to the complex being enlarged over two centuries into a walled ensemble of courtyards, a mosque, a khanqah, a library, a hospital and a kitchen, arranged along a processional route that visitors still follow. The tomb tower is covered in glazed brick with the word Allah repeated in kufic. The Chini Khaneh, the porcelain house, was built with wall niches shaped to hold each piece of a large collection of Chinese porcelain given by Shah Abbas I; most of the porcelain is now in Tehran but the niches remain. Carpets from here are in London.

What you actually see

• The glazed brick tomb tower - kufic script covering the exterior.
• The Chini Khaneh - a hall of shaped niches built for a porcelain collection.
• The processional route - courtyards and gates in the intended sequence.
• Painted and gilded interiors - decoration in the tomb and prayer halls.

When to go

May to September; Ardabil sits high and winters are severe. Two hours. The complex closes at prayer times. Modest dress and a headscarf are required.

Honest expectations

The porcelain and the famous carpets are elsewhere, in Tehran and London, so the rooms built for them are empty. Some sections are closed for restoration. Interpretation is limited in English. Photography inside is restricted.

Nearby

Sarein hot springs are west; Mount Sabalan rises beyond them.