A survey conducted to reconstruct Ali-Qapu Transom embellishments

Sheikh Safi mausoleum includes a number of buildings of different periods, which Shah Tahmasb first turned them into a single complex. Later, Shah Abbas amended this complex and added important buildings to it. In general, the great importance of this historical monument is reflected in its relationship with the Safavid dynasty.  According to the travelogues and tourists and historians’ writings and also photos and documents left, the first gate of Sheikh Safi complex, known as Ali-Qapu Transom, has had a magnificent and unique architecture. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, such as exhaustion and damages from war, earthquakes and conscious and unconscious human damages, etc., the remaining parts of this monument were destroyed after surveying the embellishments’ and mosaic tile inscriptions’ remnants  by the order of Mr. Ismail Dibaj, the archeology representative at that time, in the beginning of November 1942. However for some reason Ali-Qapu Transom, the square and the original space of the complex, have been destroyed and despite the damage to the spatial mass of the complex and its originality, today it is necessary to rebuild this historical monument and compensate for this damage and fix it. Achieving the complex’s historical and urban identity and completing it is inevitable. The remaining parts of this historical monument’s tiles are the most important goal and value in the reconstruction of the transom.  There are many narrations and travelogues about Ardebil, Sheikh Safi al-Din mausoleum and Ali-Qapu Transom until Friedrich Sarre examined the mausoleum in 1897 and published the first correct description of this complex. His research results were published in the form of a book named “Ardebil”, which is one of the most important sources about this historical monument, and due to research activities shortage on Ali-Qapu Transom and the details of its embellishments; this research is of a great importance. Little research has been conducted on Ali-Qapu Transom including: Mesbahi (2009), Rezazadeh (1999), M, E, Vivor (1970). However, the studies and researches that have been conducted on this magnificent building are incomplete, and all the original sources should be re-examined and revised in the original texts. The purpose of this article is to reach the general architectural design of this monument and to survey and document the mosaic tiles remaining from the transom so that despite the remaining black and white images from the transom’s generalities, the main color and technique of architecture, embellishments and mosaic tiles can be discovered. The method of this research is based on the available documents, library research, field research and comparative comparison. The value of any historical monument and old building is in the physical evidence that was made in the same period. The sensitivity of the embellishments and the Transom’s tiles protection is to entrust these documents and historical identity to the next generation correctly and without fail. Reconstruction of this magnificent architecture, which is a symbol, sign and part of the identity of Ardebil city, is inevitable. It is necessary to explain that Dar-al-Aman makes sense with this historical monument, means that it should be given priority with high sensitivity as soon as possible.