Sacred Foothold of Hazrat Khezr

Sacred Foothold of Hazrat Khezr in the Chahkooh Gorge on Qeshm Island, won Third Place in the Renovation category at the 15th Memar Award (2015). Located in the heart of the Qeshm Global Geopark, the project was executed with a modest budget of 30 million tomans within just three months. The site is a natural gorge with stone walls shaped by water and wind over thousands of years, serving as both a significant tourist destination and a sacred pilgrimage site on Qeshm Island.

Using local materials and indigenous construction techniques, the architect designed a light and minimal structure. Local stones and mud mortar are the project's primary materials, harmonizing with the natural environment. The access path to the shrine is formed by natural stone steps passing through the rocks, gradually guiding visitors from the open space of the gorge to the enclosed sacred space of the foothold. The project's minimal design preserves the grandeur of nature at this site, reducing human intervention to the absolute minimum.