Mausoleum of Khomeini

The Khomeini Mausoleum houses the grave of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and the Shi'ite Ahmad Khomeini, his second son, who died in 1995. It is located about 10 km south of Tehran near the cemetery of Behesht -e Zahra ( Zahra 's paradise ). The construction of the mausoleum began in 1989 after the death of Khomeini on June 3 of this year. It is still under construction; when it will be completed, it should be the centerpiece of a complex of over 20 km ² covers, including a cultural and tourism center, a university for Islamic studies, an academy, a shopping mall and a parking area for up to 20,000 vehicles. The Iranian government has reportedly put $ 2 billion dollars in the development. The architect is Mohammed Tehrani.

The place is a place of pilgrimage for followers of Khomeini. At his funeral about 10 million people were at that time present. The mausoleum is for Iranian government persons of symbolic significance and is visited on occasion by foreign dignitaries. Khomeini's grandson Hassan Khomeini was entrusted with the care of the mausoleum.

The mausoleum has a golden dome on a high drum, surrounded by four free-standing 91 m high minarets; the height of 91 m is said to symbolize Khomeini's age at his death in 1989 lunar years. The dome is 68 m high, which is meant to symbolize the Islamic year 1368 - the death of Khomeini in 1989 equivalent to the Gregorian calendar. The shrine is surrounded by a large rectangular space, which was designed so as to create space a large number of visitors. With its size and including Qiblawand and a maqsura resembles the grave of a mosque - but clarifies a Hussainia, a place where Shiite Muslims make their Ashura rites among others.