The representation of the Steel Bed of Isfahan

Abstract :

Isfahan city because in history, at the time of the three dominant rule of Al Boya, Seljuk and Islamic Safavi was the capital of Islamic Iranian, has many architect and historical monuments of these courses , and this issue has caused this city to be known as one of the tourist cities in the world .
Meanwhile, the multitude of the works and the architect of Safavi has led Isfahan to be more known because of the square of the world's script , the forty palace column , eight heaven and Khaju bridge and thirty three bridges , the works of the Seljuk era and Al Boya is on the sidelines . Meanwhile, the massive complex steel of Isfahan, with real estate since Ilkhani era up to Safavi and Qajar has also been affected by this reality and , unfortunately has not been considered in the field of tourism in a sense that even this land is not known for the people of this city, too . Introducing the historical religious and artistic features of this places which, in its kind is unique in Iran, can create a new capacity in the development of tourism, especially religious tourism in the future of this city as well as the world of Islam.
In this paper by using field and library studies, it has been tried to introduce tourist sites of his area with relying on Safavi era.

Introduction:

the steel bed of Esfahan after the cemetery of Wadi Al - Salam al of Najaf, is numbered as the second major cemetery of the Islamic world, with the size of seventy five initial hectares . This land, According to a pre - existing evidence of Islam has been the location for burying the dead of this city as tomb of the Prophet Yusha, from the elders of the ancient Israelites confirms this, on the other hand, this cemetery has also been mentioned as Lesan al Arz or Baba Rokn al Din also, the obtained ascriptions since Al Booya in this cemetery indicates that this has been using as general cemetery of Isfahan. Since 8th century , this cemetery which has been situated on the south corner of Isfahan, was gradually spread slowly and mystics , to scape the world's pleasures , was choosing a place for their worshiping and their teaching. Finally, in the Safavi period , with the spread of the city of Isfahan and its area to the south of the city, the steel bed spread, and introduced as the city's main cemetery and hundreds of people from Isfahan , elders, scholars and scientists including Mir Fendreski, sir Jamal Khansari , Mirza, Fazal Ispahani , scholars of Khatoon Abadi and others slept (buried) at this site .
In fact, after the election of Isfahan, as the capital of the Safavi government, a huge development happened in the structure of Isfahan. The new regent of Safavi began a new rapid and wonderful growth and this city turned in to one of the main religious, political and economical centers however; the renewal and reconstruction of old Isfahan city in urban sector which was designed on the basis of a suitable model in the old tissue is visible . New quarters formed as Regent which linked with economic and social life of Isfahan city and accounted as part of the city of Isfahan that we can point out to Abbas Abad and julfa district.
The development of the urban tissue caused growing population of Isfahan. Although figures and statistics mentioned in the historical sources are not completely acceptable, the different figures that European explorers have collected from Isfahan population show the population masses in this period. Ole'arus in showing Isfahan population in Safavi period has mentioned: Shah Abbas when determined to transfer the kingdom capital from qazvin to a calmer and better place , chosed Isfahan so, not only he decorated a city with magnificent buildings elegantly , but could move many cities , other states and tribes there that today Isfahan is like a small world and it can accommodates a little more than five hundred thousand people on the other hand, Sharon who is from Safavi period explorers Iran who has visited Isfahan writes in this regard : According to some Isfahan population amounted to one million and a hundred thousand people. Some others estimate the residents about six hundred thousand people.
John e Fouran, based on conducted studies has estimated Iran's population of Safavi period between six to 10 million people that according the studding models of social history of Iran on combined population of Iran in different forms of social life between 10 to 15 percent of these populations have been living in cities and by considering that Isfahan was accounted as one of the most important beds of urban life in that period of life which has accommodated more than half of the country's urban population .
so, in this way , the importance of Safavi period which was precursor of a new era in the history of Iran and had a profound impact on spiritual life and cultural values of Iranian society , especially in the development of Isfahan is visible in development of urban construction as well as the growing population and on the other hand , we see the prosperity and development of the steel bed in this period . In this time, by reducing the inner city cemeteries , the development of the city of Isfahan and the population masses , the steel bed was considered as the main cemetery in the city , which by passing way of the scientific elders, philosophy , artistic and burying them in this place some tombs were made over their shrines so, the complex made in this period had enjoyed architecture based on map as well as decorated diversity of architecture and shot .
The most of change and transformation in the range of the steel bed was on the occasion of Shah Abbas II. The renewal of Hassan Abad bridge that today is known as bridge of Khaju and also the construction of a variety of buildings and gardens like Haft Dast, Namakdan and other buildings on the southern part of zayandeh Rood river that its remaining got to the frontier old gates of steel bed is included in his activities . Shah Abbas also on that time built a street that its path passed through the gardens, edifices and Steel Bed and got to Shiraz. On the time of King Suleiman Safavi the range of the steel bed gained its highest grow and development and according to sources report n this period close to 400 shelter and abbey has been existed in in the steel bed.

The architectural constructions and real estate of Safavi in the Steel Bed.

The architectural monuments of Safavi era in the Steel Bed are divided in several categories that is briefly discussed.
The cisterns: In the steel Bed of Isfahan, due to the salt waters and also shallow underground water, to satisfy the water needs, the cisterns of current streams in the Steel Bed has been established for example out of water supply depots of Safavi era, we can point out to the following:
1 - The reservoir of Lesan Al - Arz : on the western part of Lesan Al - Arz bed , an old cisterns with the great dome of the brick has been existed that its oldness goes back to tenth or 11th century. So, according to narrations, the sources of this cistern has been supplying by black stream of water and with regard to the way connected from the west side of the mosque to the cistern, it turns out that the reservoir has been used to supply the mosque of Lesan Al - Arz . Unfortunately, no trace is left of this reservoir.
2 – Mossala reservoir: the cistern of Mossala mosque is known as to the huge water reservoir of Steel Bed which feed on Hezar Jarib stream. This reservoir is from the works of Safavi period which was repaired at early 14th century by businessman Haji Mohamed Nagy that an inscription is carved on the entrance door by Abdel - Rahim Ispahani 's handwriting but , given that the mosque of Steel Bed goes back to Safavi period , it is also so likely that this cistern go back to the same period , and the speech of Mahdavi is here more reliable .

Currently, this reservoir has changed into at the great view sky of Isfahan.

3 - Reservoir close to Baba Rokn al – Din: on the western part of Baba Rockn al Eddin there has been existed a cisterns related to the 9th or tenth century that the graves of a few people and Mashaikh elders of Sofia has also been in its vicinity that today, has been recorded as Aviation Agency and destroyed but ,professor Homayee has considered this reservoir related to the princess's mother and relates its oldness to the century of eighth.
4 – The reservoir of Haj, sir Majless: This reservoir has existed on the outside of Haji Agha Majless and on the opposite side against Sheikh Murtaza that its architect goes back to 10th and Haji Agha Majless has restored it . Unfortunately, today, due to the construction of Saadat Abad this reservoir, which was in the direction of this street, has been destroyed.
(b) The mosques: one of the other Islamic symbols architecture that exists in the Steel Bed since different eras are mosques. Since Safavi era, also there are mosques in Steel Bed available, including the following cases can be pointed out .
1 – Mosque of Mossala: This mosque that is used for saying the pray of Estesqa (a sort of pray said for begging the rain) and other prays contains a small room since Aqunlooha along with a stone rostrum of the time of Safavi. This mosque was gradually worn and destroyed since the time of Qajar underwent a major repairs and today it is the building site for the big mosque of Isfahan .
2 – The mosque of Khatun Abad, it is the only existing shelter in the Steel Bed which contains mosque – school model and is relying on Mir Muhammad Ismail Khatun. The mosque of this bed is located on the south wing with a simple altar.
B- The school: some of the scholars and mystics of Isfahan who lived at the time of Safavi, had created a place for teaching and purification in Steel Bed that the science seekers, to gain knowledge in this setting, came to him. Since the time of Safavi, some schools are available in the Steel Bed such as.
1) The mosque of Mir Muhammad Ismail Khatun Abadi: as discussed, is the available oasis in the Steel Bed which is either school or mosque.
Mir Mohammad Ismael, after settled in Steel Bed, established a school there and tried to train the students.
The construction of this school has been consisted of several floors. The ground floor is the cellar and the ground floor has a place for worshiping of Mir Muhammad Ismael. On the apron of oasis there are variety rooms.
On the second floor , there are tree huge cloister and over it very fine dome exists which has been built by the utmost delicacy which reminds the beautiful dome of four garden in the minds of the viewer . The inscription around the base line is very excellent on the blue background which the verses of 33 and 35 Sad Surah have been carved.
2 - The school of Mir fendreski: on the eastern side Mir Fendreski, on top of the Mir's shrine there are a room in two floors, which is said to be the teaching room for Mir Fendreski in his late life so that Mirza Hassan Isfahani mentioned Mir's oasis as consisting of floor, cells and a place for his living. From particular beauties of this room is the inscription around it which a sonnet of Hafez carved on it by Mir Emad's handwriting actually, this inscription is the only trace of writing left behind from Mir Emad Hassani. So the written text on this inscription is as follow.
the most eternal paradise of dervishes' privacy * * * * * the principal of Mohteshmi is helping dervishes . From coast to coast, it is the oppressing corps * * * * * from all eternity is an opportunity for Dervishes for ever
hey riches! do not sell all this arrogance that you * * * * * head and gold in hemp of dervishes' perseverance .
The treasure of Qaroun that still curses of wrath * * * * * you must read that is from dervishes' zeal t
Hafez, if you want the water of eternal life * * * * * the source is soil of dervishes' loneliness.
The inscription of Emad Al - Abd al Hassani
on the northern side of this room , is another lines :
the historical issue that is mentioned in this poem shows the history of 1194 Hejri that actually shows that this location in this time has been a hermitage of Faiz Ali Shah Ispahani however;
on the upper floor of this room was several memory registration were available since the time of Safavi and then , unfortunately , has gone in the recent restoration .

A: shelters and tombs:

in the bed of steel Isfahan Safavi in the Steel Bed of Isfahan there have been many tombs that each of them has been burying place for the celebrities and mystical scholars of that period. In addition to this, the unique architectural features and works of art in this place, stressed on its importance.

1 – The shelter of Baba Rockn al Din: The tomb is the cemetery of the celebrated mystic of the century of eighth A.H.m Masood bin Abd Allah known as Baba Rockn Al Din . so far , he has been respected by the elites as well as common people and it is enough about him that the great scholars of Safavi era like Allama Mohammad Taqi Majlessi and Sheik Bahayee respect him .

Alexander Turcoman , in the book "history of Abbasi universal opinion regarding the devotion of Sheikh Bahai to this place has brought a surprising story and he writes: " in this year , one day at the famous Tombs , he was busy murmuring a praise suddenly a song heard from a tomb by Sheikh that in the spiritual world one from the graves and depths of soil talked to him and had told him what is all of these neglect and after that event to one of his friend , to whom Sheikh could trust فخ to tell his secrets , had said some statements. As result, after the occurrence of this event ,that stranger, paused to think for some days ,leaves chattering with friends, and prepares to transcends to the eternal world. He was the one who all days the students learned him something and had urged his dignity and internally he was with god and the dead so far as he got sick on the forth of Shaval month and up to seven days he had reclined to bed and finally on the day of eighth he passed away to the heaven. The origin of five corner architecture belonging to the eighth and the ninth century, i. e. the Ilkhani and Temurids, but, the first Shah Abbas reconstructed it and outer part of the shrine which included the middle Ivan with two opposing rooms that totally is a rectangle-shaped and in this way it is seen as a seventh corner architecture. The corridor staircase of the roof is located on the left hand which is Shah's home as entry to shrine. The stairs are built in spiral way and in the middle of that entry there is an upper room stand on the eastern side of the porch. From this staircase, they go to the multi-corner of the shrine which is attached to the widespread cemetery of Steel Bed and has an attractive view. On the right hand of porch of Shah Abbas is a room that has belonged to the server and on the entry there is an inscription that has left since the time of the first Shah Abbas which its text of Holy Quran. From the other tourist attractions related to this architecture is Chelle Khane of this shelter in which there remained many memoirs of Safavi period and the most famous work in that Chelle Khane is the alleged handwriting to Sheikh Bahayee which unfortunately, due to the official neglect is wearing out.
This architect during the history was restored again that one stage of it with regard to the stone inscription on the right side of the main entrance of the shrine was sighted by Mirza Mohammad.
Out of the celebrities buried in this cemetery we can point to Mirza Hasan Khan Jaberi Ansari, Mirza Ali Nouri, Mirza Abd Nouri and Mirza Mohammad Taqi Nuri who was talented dream interpreter.

2 - Mirza Abu al - Qasem Fendreski was one of the oasis of the greatest philosophers, and the mystics of 11th century and one of the founders in the philosophical domain, after the death in the yard of this school which was his school was buried.

The oldness of this shrine dates back to the time before the death of Mir Fendreski and as pointed in the discussion related to the schools of Safavi era, he has been thought here and for some years before his death has been built.
In addition to the handwriting of Mir Imad Hassani, from other available tourist attractions in this shrine is the shrine of Mir Fendreski which is on the eastern bed of this shrine and his grave is a flat platform that on the top of it is a marble with a unique line that represents the history of his death. Also an old pine tree is on the on the north side of the oasis is that its oldness dates back to four or five hundred years and this is one of the natural attractions in this shrine.
From the extensions of this shrine is Bakhtiari oasis that we can observe the surge of the art of Mazar's rock in this shrine. The gravestone of Husseini Goli Khan, Haji Ali Sardar Asaad Bakhtiary, and other gravestones attracts any viewer. In addition to art attractions the shrine of Mir many celebrities like Mirza Mohammad Hussein, nicknamed King al - officer Sharaa, darab Bakhtiari and others.

3 – The oasis of Mirza Raffia: at the end of the southern part of the steel Bed which is Today the Corps of Air Force range exists a beautiful tomb belonging to the Safavi period that under the command of King Solomon Safavi has been built on the tomb of the great philosopher of the time , Mirza Raffia who died in 1082. The architecture of this shrine is more in the form of an octagon with two Push domes that its dome has been decorated by decomposed dome and various geometries. The white color on the field dome is advantageous over the other. In the neck dome , there are two tilled rows so, in the first row in the masonry black on the field is carved the Verse of Koursi , and the names of Muhammad and Ali respectively. On the rows of masonry also, the God's names decorated which including: Ghufran, Subhan or Mannan.

On the wall of the building in white color the names of, Muhammad and Ali has been repeated.
In addition to Mirza Raffia who is out of the celebrities in Safavi era, MirzA Yahiya out of ceremonial poets on the time of Qajar and Pahlavi is also buried in this site. Unfortunately, today, because this region belongs to Aviation , it is not possible the public visit this site.

4 – Khansari site: this site is the significant bed for buried figures such as scientists and the prominent figures of Safavi period such as Aga Hussein and Khansari his son Aga Jamal Khansari,.

This area is about 3360 square meters that the entrance to the area is splendid and trained like delicate decoration in the middle of the beautiful western front, as well as the Supreme architecture in the middle is recorded of a very beauty style of Isfahan architecture. This façade and shrine after the death of Agha Hussein in 1098, by the behest of King Solomon Safavi is made on his grave. In the middle of the shrine there is a design about 324 square meters , which is in the form of a palace and, in the tree front of eastern - eastern and northern and western it has dome and inside the tomb ,there is four roofs that table on the south is wider than the others and the graves of Agha
Jamal khansari and some other scholars are there.
On the four corner of the shrine, there are four rooms on the ground floor and four rooms above them that accessing to the upper rooms is possible by four staircases that two stair is in the east and two other steps in the West.
the central ceiling is like a sun and decorated using the method of milk and sugar and above the doorways and domestic entries the inscription are made that contains poems from Mohtasham Kashani . In the high court, there are paintings that date back to the time of Qajar that is dedicated to the pictures of Ahl Beit and some of the incidents of Karbala.
This shrine, In addition to the architectural and artistic attractions many scholars and artists including Mullah Mashi Kashani, Mullah Mohammad Baqer, Mullah, Mirza Rahim Sheikh is the burial place for other scholars, too.
- Khatun oasis: As stated that this area is the only one in the Steel Bed that in addition to the shrine has been school and mosque as well however; in the school part, it was pointed to architectural features, too.
In addition to the architectural attractions, this area is the burial place for persons like Mir Muhammad Ismail Khatun Abadi (1116 H. h ), Mir Muhammad Baqir Khatun ( M. 1127 H. h )and Haj Hussein Mirza Sadr (1326 H. h ) , too .
Fazel Sarab shelter: This shelter is from Safavi oasis that was built on the shrine of, learned scholar, Mullah Abdul Fattah, known as Fazel Sarab. Historically, this shelter has existed in the Pomegranate garden and today it is the only shrine close to the Steel Bed.
Unlike the tomb remained since Qajar period which has been cordoned off by brick networks like what has been used in the tomb of the princess' mother, this tomb is constructed on the platform that and from all sides have insets to the surrounding .
The dome of this tomb is considered as interesting samples of available tomb architecture in the Steel Bed as an example Araq Chini dome is placed over an octagon monument which is unique in its own style. This cemetery, due to burying a number of scholars and the elders of Joubare tribe neighborhood that they are also considered as descendants of Fazel Isfahan, it is known as Joubaree shelter.
- The shrine of Aga Sayed Razi: from the other Safavi Steel Bed cemeteries that at the time of Prince Sultan Hussein Safavi for the renowned scholar and commentator Syed Muhammad Husseini Shirazi (1113 H. h ). Unfortunately today, the historical monument of the tomb has been removed what have been in the past, has been a toms with four alcove.
8 – The shrine of Fazel Isfahani : after the death of the jurist and scholar of late Safavi era, Bahaa Eddin Mohamed Fadel Ispahani in 1131 year that was the time of sedition and chaos ,was buried on the south western of Lesan Al Arz and thanks to the chaotic situation But today, by the municipal efforts of Isfahan over the grave a tomb has been built .
In addition to the shrines mentioned since the time of Safavi other tombs has also been available in Steel Beds available that today you can only find their names in the history books and can be found any trace of them in the Steel Bed that we can point to some of them such as the tomb of Ullah Khan Mohammad Ali Verdi , Dervish Sadiq, and the tomb of Syed Abu al - Qasem .
The Steel Bed of Isfahan in terms of architectural and artistic capacities is accounted as one of the most unique shrine complex that including architectural art, contains multitude of religious and tourist capacities of Isfahan. The importance of this cemetery, during Safavi era, reached to its summit and most of the mystics, scholars, and known figures of that period has slept (buried) here and the kings and the greatest of Safavi also, due to respects they had to these figures, has established splendid tombs for them that some of them has remained yet. The tombs such as Baba Rockn Al Din, Mir Fendreski, Khansari, Khatoon Abadi and thos which discussed in detail , each one despite their artistic and architectural features , are like a star that shines on the sky of Iran's culture and civilization.
Unfortunately, this land, with many capabilities, still is not known for the people of Isfahan especially the tourists as it should be and it is required that responsible centers and organs in identifying this location and organizing it as a tourist hub of Isfahan carry out the necessary activities .