Ardabil Shrine

Ardabil, Iran

The shrine of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili, the Sufi mystic from whom the Safavid dynasty claimed descent. A UNESCO World Heritage Site embodying the Safavid synthesis of Sufism, Shia Islam, and royal power.

Historical Context

Sheikh Safi al-Din (1252–1334) founded the Safaviyya Sufi order in Ardabil. His descendants gradually transformed the order into a militant movement that eventually unified Iran under Shah Ismail I in 1501, establishing Twelve Shia Islam as the state religion.