Imamzadeh Darb-e Imam (Persian: امامزاده درب امام) is a funerary complex located in the Dardasht quarter of Isfahan, Iran. It comprises two shrines, a mosque, and a mausoleum with royal cemetery. It is registered as number 217 on the list of Iran's national heritage monuments.
History
The first building in the complex was built during the rule of the Qara Qoyunlu in 1453, as an Imamzadeh shrine dedicated to two saints, "Ibrahim al-Batha" and "Zayn al-Abidin" who were believed to have been descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib through Ja'far al-Sadiq.[1][2] The construction of the Imamzadeh was ordered by the son of Jahan Shah, the ruler of Qara Qoyunlu at the time.[1][2] After the Imamzadeh's construction was completed, many princes belonging to the Safavid dynasty were buried next to the place, along with princes of Mongol descent.[1][2] A khanqah was also added to the complex during the reign of Aq Qoyunlu ruler, Ya'qub Beg.[1][3] Later during the Safavid period, some repairs were made to the shrines.[4][5] In the years between 1995 until 1996, extensive renovations were conducted to the Imamzadeh Darb-e Imam complex.[5][3]
Architectural features
Girih tiles
Example of the girih tiles, found in a corner of the building.
There are girih tiles present in the mausoleum as well as other geometric patterns in the tilework. According to Peter Lu and Paul Steinhardt, the girih tiles in the mausoleum strongly resemble Penrose tilings.[6]
Burials
The site is believed to be the burial place of the saints Ibrahim al-Batha and Zayn al-Abidin, two descendants of Ja'far al-Sadiq. Local tradition relates that twelve other descendants of Ali ibn Abi Talib are buried in the complex but the locations of their graves are not known. Historically, the site includes the mausoleum of the wife of Qara Yusuf, who is also Jahan Shah's mother. A prince of Mongol descent, Mahmoud al-Afghani, is also buried in the funerary complex alongside other princes.[4]
^Lu, P. J.; Steinhardt, P. J. (2007). "Decagonal and Quasi-crystalline Tilings in Medieval Islamic Architecture". Science. 315 (5815): 1106–1110. Bibcode:2007Sci...315.1106L. doi:10.1126/science.1135491 PMID 17322056. S2CID 10374218. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-12-04.
