Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini

35°32′57″N 51°21′59″E / 35.5492°N 51.3665°E / 35.5492; 51.3665
Location	Tehran, Iran
Designer	Parviz Moayyed
Type	Mausoleum
Beginning date	19 July 1989
Completion date	2021
Dedicated to	Ruhollah Khomeini
Website	www.harammotahar.ir

The mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini (Persian: آرامگاه روح‌الله خمینی) houses the tombs of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, his wife Khadijeh Saqafi, and his second son Ahmad Khomeini; and some political figures, such as former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,^[1] former Vice President Hassan Habibi, Lieutenant General Ali Sayad Shirazi, Iranian Revolution figure Sadeq Tabatabaei, and MP Marzieh Hadidchi. The mausoleum is located to the south of Tehran in the Behesht-e Zahra (Paradise of Zahra) cemetery. Construction commenced in 1989 following Khomeini's death on June 3 of that year. It is still under construction, but when completed will be the centerpiece in a complex spread over 20 square kilometres (4,900 acres),^[2] housing a cultural and tourist center, a university for Islamic studies, a seminary, a shopping mall, and a 20,000-car parking lot.^[3][2] The Iranian government has reportedly devoted 2 billion US dollars to this development.^[3]

The site is a place of pilgrimage for followers of Khomeini. It is used symbolically by government figures, and is on occasion visited by foreign dignitaries.^[4] Every year, Khomeini's death anniversary is marked on 4 June at the mausoleum in a ceremony that is attended by governmental officials, foreign ambassadors, and others. Khomeini's grandson Ayatollah Seyyed Hassan Khomeini is in charge of caring for the mausoleum.^[5]

Specifications

The architect of the tomb was Mohammed Tehrani.^[2] The exterior of the shrine complex is a highly recognizable landmark. It has a gold dome sitting on a high drum, surrounded by four free-standing minarets.^[6] The shrine is surrounded by a large rectangular plaza which has been designed to hold vast numbers of visitors. With its size, inclusion of a qibla wall and a maqsura, the tomb resembles a mosque, but has been called an Hussainia.^[7]

Non-Muslims are allowed inside the complex.^[8]

Incidents

On June 20, 2009, a suicide bomb attack occurred near the site of the Mausoleum, in which the attacker was killed and three pilgrims were injured, according to state media.^[9]

On June 7, 2017, the mausoleum was attacked by three gunmen ^[10][11] while a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the mausoleum.^[12] One female militant attacker was captured.^[13] Government officials later claimed to have thwarted a third attack.^[12] One person died and five people were injured. Others attacked the parliament building at the same time.