The tomb of Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution and its first Ayatollah. A 2015 reconstruction transformed the barren interior into a massive and lavish pilgrimage site, integrating state propaganda into Shi’ite mythology. At left is the zarih, an ornamentally caged burial space.
"The mausoleum takes the form of a 126-by-126-meter square, which can be subdivided into nine smaller squares of 42 by 42 meters. The number 126 is a symbolic reference to the total number of Islamic prophets and messengers. The dome was designed to be 42 meters high as a reminder of the year 1342 in the Hijri Shamsi calendar (1963 in the Gregorian calendar), to mark the starting point for the anti-monarchic movement in Iran. Likewise, measuring from the base, the dome is 57 meters high, signifying the year 1357 (1979 in Gregorian calendar), during which the Iranian Islamic Revolution occurred. Finally, the structure’s total height from its base to the top of its decorative lantern is 68 meters, a reference to the year 1368 (1989 in the Gregorian calendar), that in which Ayatollah Khomeini passed away. Further symbolic is that the complex includes a total of five domes (the main golden one in addition to four smaller turquoise ones) as a reflection of Âl-e Abâ, the “Family of the Cloak,” which includes the Prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fâtema, his cousin and son-in-low Ali, and his grandsons Hassan and Hussein. Some locals note that the height of each minaret is 91 meters (298 feet), a reference to Ayatollah Khomeini’s age. However, Khomeini lived for only 87 years (from 1902 to 1989), raising questions about whether the minarets accurately reference his age. During its reconstruction, the roof of the haram was redesigned to exhibit the Shi‘ite symbol of kheimeh [a tent]. Ahmad Khomeini first proposed this addition as a reference to the historical noon of Âshurâ, when the army of the Caliph Yazid, after killing Imam Hussein, burned the tents of his followers in the desert of Karbala (in present-day Iraq)."
Source: SHIRVANI, SHAHRZAD. “Making Histories of ‘Sacred’ Mausoleums: Architectural Representation of Changing Islamic Ideologies.” Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, vol. 29, no. 2, 2018, pp. 55–71. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26877323. Accessed 30 Apr. 2020.
DudeAbides101 says
"The mausoleum takes the form of a 126-by-126-meter square, which can be subdivided into nine smaller squares of 42 by 42 meters. The number 126 is a symbolic reference to the total number of Islamic prophets and messengers. The dome was designed to be 42 meters high as a reminder of the year 1342 in the Hijri Shamsi calendar (1963 in the Gregorian calendar), to mark the starting point for the anti-monarchic movement in Iran. Likewise, measuring from the base, the dome is 57 meters high, signifying the year 1357 (1979 in Gregorian calendar), during which the Iranian Islamic Revolution occurred. Finally, the structure’s total height from its base to the top of its decorative lantern is 68 meters, a reference to the year 1368 (1989 in the Gregorian calendar), that in which Ayatollah Khomeini passed away. Further symbolic is that the complex includes a total of five domes (the main golden one in addition to four smaller turquoise ones) as a reflection of Âl-e Abâ, the “Family of the Cloak,” which includes the Prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fâtema, his cousin and son-in-low Ali, and his grandsons Hassan and Hussein. Some locals note that the height of each minaret is 91 meters (298 feet), a reference to Ayatollah Khomeini’s age. However, Khomeini lived for only 87 years (from 1902 to 1989), raising questions about whether the minarets accurately reference his age. During its reconstruction, the roof of the haram was redesigned to exhibit the Shi‘ite symbol of kheimeh [a tent]. Ahmad Khomeini first proposed this addition as a reference to the historical noon of Âshurâ, when the army of the Caliph Yazid, after killing Imam Hussein, burned the tents of his followers in the desert of Karbala (in present-day Iraq)."
Source: SHIRVANI, SHAHRZAD. “Making Histories of ‘Sacred’ Mausoleums: Architectural Representation of Changing Islamic Ideologies.” Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, vol. 29, no. 2, 2018, pp. 55–71. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26877323. Accessed 30 Apr. 2020.