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Shah Nimatullah Vali was a 15th century mystic, poet and Sufi master who is considered the founder of the Nimatullahi Sufi order. Built over six centuries, his shrine complex in Mahan spans an area of 32,000 square meters and consists of five courtyards (Atabaki, Vakil-ol-Molki, Mirdamad, Biglarbeigi and Hosseiniyeh), a pool (howz) decorated with geranium flowers, a mosque and twin minarets covered in turquoise tiles.
The complex has a Shah Abbasi Portico which was built during the reign of the famous Safavid (1501–1736) monarch as well as a Chelleh Khaneh where Shah Nimatullah Vali is said to have performed a challeh – the Sufi practice of remaining in isolation for a period of forty days for prayer and spiritual contemplation.
The mausoleum has a double-shell domed arch adorned with paintings over stucco under which is a raised tomb covered with a marble slab bearing Quranic verses and the names of the 12 Shia Imams.
The complex has decorations in the form of tilework, stucco reliefs, wall paintings and moqarnas (decorative corbels).
The complex was mostly expanded during the Qajar (1785-1925) era. Shah Nimatullah Vali Mausoleum was damaged during an earthquake in 1981 and has since been renovated. The mausoleum was registered as a National Heritage Site in 1931.
Kerman Province, Mahan, Emam Khomeini St