Exile of the patriarchal building in the forest area of ​​Astara

Crossing the main, secondary, rural and dirt road in Astara in the heart of a quiet and forested area, we reach a tomb belonging to the Ilkhanate period, and the imaginary silence of this monument screams that the dust of neglect and homelessness is sitting on it, due to lack of proper road and opening. According to historical sources, Sheikh Tajuddin Mahmoud Khivi was a worshiper and ascetic of the seventh lunar century and a resident of Khiav (Meshkinshahr, Ardabil province) or lived there for some time. AH was built in Astara.

Historians have written Sheikh Mahmud Khivi, a contemporary of the Mongol patriarchs and one of the great Sunni elders and elders of the sect of the seventh century AH equal to the thirteenth century AD; The locals call him by other names such as Mullah Mahmoud and Sheikh Mahmoud, and in some writings he is credited with miracles such as walking the earth and healing the sick.

The access road to the tomb passes through the Sunni village of Anbaran in Astara; At the end of the village, we cross the bridge and between Anbaran and Virmoni village, after the rural road and then the dirt and flooded side road, a forest area with farms and several houses can be seen. 6 km from Astara to Ardabil, Sheikh and Piri tomb Aref from the Ilkhanate period stands out in the heart of the forest.

The location of the tomb is higher than the surrounding forest lands and overlooks the plains and fields, and in front of a few old and large trees, the stone structure of Sheikh Mahmoud’s tomb can be seen with imaginary silence.

The mausoleum is built in the shape of a rectangular cube with an area of ​​28 meters and a height of 6 meters, and a two-layer dome is installed on top of it, and the height of the inner dome is five meters and the outer dome is eight meters.

The stone and brick materials used in the walls, roof and dome have withstood the sultry weather of hot summers and hot winters for centuries, and in previous years lights were installed to provide lighting on the tomb wall.

A sign installed by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization to introduce the tomb on the site states that this work was registered in the list of national monuments of Iran with the number 951 on September 26, 1952, and Manouchehr Sotoudeh in the book From Astara to Astarabad has called this tomb one of the seven wonders of Gilan.

The building is paved with stone and the tomb has an entrance door and two windows, and a charity box can be seen next to the entrance, and when we enter the tomb through the door, three tombs can be seen inside.

The branches of shrubs growing on the walls of the building indicate little attention to it, and it is possible that with the growth of roots and proliferation of shrubs, cracks and fractures in the wall will be created and gradually destroyed.

According to the locals, the middle tomb belongs to Sheikh Mahmoud Khivi and the owner of the southern tomb or towards the mountain belongs to the Sufi Ayub al-Din Tat, who is said to have been the architect and builder of the stone part of the building. According to the narration of Kamal-ud-Din tomb, the tomb on the north side or towards the paddy field is one of the great scholars of science and mysticism in the region, and some have considered this tomb to belong to the son of Sheikh Mahmoud.

The windows of the tomb are protected by iron fences and the melted candles in front of it and the threads and green cloths tied on the window railings, indicate the people referring to this tomb for the secret and need and mediation of the sheikh to be met. Has needs.

The door of the mausoleum is open and it seems that one of the villagers closes it at night and opens it in the morning, and unfortunately, seeing some images, such as the presence of animals in the area of ​​this recorded historical monument, its nostalgia becomes more frequent.

Carved and carved stones can be seen around and around the tomb, and some of them have been broken, but their reliefs and reliefs remain, and there may be parts of the tombstones of the deceased buried near the tomb, but the secrets of this stone are revealed. Requires technical and scientific research by archaeologists.

Improper way and homelessness of the tomb

The dirt, flooded and uneven road of the tomb, which is separated from Vermoni by the village of Anbaran, although it is not far from the tomb, but the unsuitability of the road can prevent many enthusiasts from watching it, and on the other hand, due to the privacy of the sanctuary. And the tomb area, especially at night, there is a possibility of abuse by illegal diggers.

If the tomb of Sheikh Khivi has a smooth access road and asphalt with standard widths and signs and its area is enclosed and a fee is received from tourists and visitors to enter and visit this historical and religious monument, the cost of its protection will be covered and With the opening of tourists’ feet to its grounds, the dust of homelessness will be removed from the face of the tomb.

Astara Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Office announced in October 1998 that the 800-year-old tomb of Sheikh Khivi is the oldest historical monument in Gilan province after the Aspi Mosque of Rezvanshahr. Restoration of the tomb began in mid-1997 at a cost. O amounting to one billion and 750 million rials has been completed in October 1998.

The restoration of the building included the reconstruction of a part of the wall, sanding and paving of the area, installation of lights and its introduction sign, and to some extent removed the homelessness from its face, but the lack of proper access can be considered the most important cause of homelessness.

The number of visitors to the Astara Bird Garden, which is located next to the main road, is much higher than the number of visitors to the tomb of Sheikh Khivi, but if this monument has a proper way, the tourism industry will flourish with the movement of cultural heritage enthusiasts to this area. And side jobs will be created in the path of the tomb and the business field of several people will be provided.

From the lack of credit for the restoration of historical monuments to the plan to create a museum site

The effect of high humidity and sultry summers in Gilan on the erosion and erosion of historical monuments is inevitable, and the Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of Gilan in early November this month to visit this monument to allocate funds for the restoration of the tomb Due to the special climate of the province, it was considered insufficient.

However, referring to the climatic conditions of Gilan, Jahani stressed the need for continuous and fundamental restoration of many historical monuments and said: “Their restoration is beyond the responsibility of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and all organizations, institutions and people should be involved in this.” Help.

He recently proposed the creation of a museum site at the site of Sheikh Khivi’s tomb in Astara and announced that preparations have been made for the construction of a museum site for the Islamic tombs of the city in that tomb.

Jahani has mentioned the cooperation of the governorate, endowments and charitable affairs, rural councils and non-governmental organizations in this regard and has expressed hope that the museum site will be operational in the near future.
According to him, in order to revive and preserve this historical monument during the previous years, repairs and lighting have been carried out from the city and provincial credits and a plan has been prepared to determine the area and privacy of the building.

Mojtaba Abh Roshan, in charge of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department of Astara, also stated during the visit: Be.

There are other holy shrines such as the tomb of Pir Qutbuddin and the tomb of the Imams of Ibrahim and Qasim (AS) in Astara. But the road is the infrastructure of revival and development, and it seems that along with the creation of the museum site, the construction of a suitable road for the tomb should be pursued.

The border city of Bandar Astara with a population of 91,000 is located in the westernmost part of Gilan province, the border of the Republic of Azerbaijan and neighboring Ardabil province.