Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil

The shrine of Sheikh Safi al-din in Ardabil is Sufi mysticism translated into architecture. Built between the early 16th and late 18th centuries, the ensemble fits library, mosque, school, mausolea, cistern, hospital, kitchens and bakery into ingeniously used space, while the route to the Sheikh's shrine passes through seven segments and eight gates — the seven stages and eight attitudes of Sufism. Richly ornamented throughout, it was inscribed by UNESCO in 2010.