The cemetery and shrine complex of Imamzadeh Abdollah is located in Rey. The main edifice of the complex dates from the Safavid period (1272 Lunar Hegira), and has undergone many changes over the years. The building currently in use is from the Pahlavi period. The characteristics that make this cemetery unique and worth- while of preservation are: • The siting of the monument and cemetery is such that they can’t be seen at first glance and must be sought out. In fact this complex has a particular Iranian quality: it is inward facing and hidden. • The shrine is a new building in the shape of a stone cube constructed under the old dome. The cemetery around the shrine is organized like an old town. • Towards the north, behind the row of family vaults facing the shrine, narrow passageways lead to rectangular courtyards lined with vaults. These small vaults are 25-30 meters and have doors and windows similar to a house. Some even have a small yard with a tree. The building elements, brick walls, frontispiece, roof parapet ..., all mimic residential or religious buildings but at a smaller scale. Every- thing has been squeezed in and all the elements have been shrunk. It feels as if life goes on unchanged after death, albeit in a more limited and tighter fashion. • The structures and yards are built similar to courtyard houses along a north-south axis (and perpendicular to it). This method of siting which has its roots in the study of climate was developed to provide ideal climatic conditions in houses and has no logical function in a cemetery, but it is a sign of the Iranian’s lack of interest in devel- oping particular building typologies for differing functions, which has resulted in the similarities between mosques, schools, and caravan- serais. • It is difficult to grasp the overall ordering principles of the complex due to its many trees, lack of a main axis, and the organi- zation of the courtyards, yet a continuous circulation path has been maintained throughout the cemetery, which helps to orient the visitor. The yards are placed next to one another like links in a chain and short, narrow passages connect them from the corners. Locating a small entry at the corner of the yard emphasizes its enclosure and containment. The space inside each yard is very calm and the trees and elements such as fences, frames for placing photos of the deceased, flowerpots, benches, small showcases ..., subdivide
the yard into smaller sections, which allows the mourners a certain level of privacy. It seems that another principle of Iranian architecture and urban design has been followed in this complex: the subdivi- sion of space in such a way that allows the circulation path to remain cohesive while moving from one space to another, creating a sense of order within an apparent setting of disorder and chaos. This order is completely felt in the northeastern section that has remained rela- tively untouched. • The presence of trees and plants as a representation of life is strongly felt in the cemetery. • Following Islamic guidelines, the graves are placed perpendicu- lar to the Qibla (Mecca) axis, so that the deceased faces Mecca. This particular layout which is in contrast to the direction of the vaults has created a strange rhythm in the yards. • The tombstones are varied and every once in a while one can find a beautiful carved example among them. These variations have caused the graves to be higher or lower and not on level with one an- other, which forces the visitor to look down while passing the graves, and to notice their shapes and writings. This feature that seems to have taken place accidentally is in complete harmony with the es- sence of the cemetery. While the pavement that connects the graves around the shrine to one another and has been done in the style of city parks, contradicts the mood of the cemetery and defeats the mysterious variations of the headstones, crooked brick pavers, the greenery growing out of stone cracks and in between brick pavers, which are all familiar, sad, and yet alive. In the northern yards of the cemetery, which have not yet been paved with concrete, it seems that the remaining graves are not as frightful and rigid as the uniformly shaped concrete tombs that squeeze one’s body and prevent it from seeing or feeling the earth. It is as if life continues in this section of the cemetery, the sun rises, rain falls, birds sing, the sun sets, night falls, and the dead become lonesome. The photographs of the deceased, sometimes alone and at times with family members, wear- ing wedding gowns or athletic outfits representing glorious victories, with ribbons, medals, flowers and even veils standing in as wedding altars for unwed youth, emphasize this feeling. The secret behind the attraction of this area may simply be this: sustaining life in an area of death, in the form of a garden with flowers and evergreen trees, representing eternal life after death.