Safayieh Garden

The Safayieh Garden beside the Cheshmeh Ali Historical Complex in Shahr-e Rey
Map of Safaiyeh Garden approved by Mozaffar ad-Din Shah

Safaiyeh Garden (Persian: باغ صفائیه, romanized: Bagh-e-Safayieh;), located in Cheshmeh Ali near Ibn Babawayh Cemetery, Shahr-e Rey in north of Iran. The garden covered a large part of the Cheshmeh Ali area. It remains the only green space left in the Safaiyeh and Cheshmeh Ali neighborhood. It was a garden established in honour of Mirza Safa (Reza Qoli Savadkouhi Mazandarani, known as Pir-Safa or Mirza Safa), one of the well-known Sufi mystics of the Qajar era, after his death. Pir-Safa was one of the sheikhs of the Komiliyeh branch of the Noorbakshia order during the Qajar era. It was founded by the order of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar and named Bagh-e Safaiyeh (Safaiyeh Garden), and was gifted to Pirzadeh Naeini, one of the prominent disciples of Mirza Safa.[1][2]

History

When Mirza Safa passed away, he was buried near Cheshmeh Ali. Haj Mohammad Ali Pirzadeh, who had become a disciple of Pir-Safa in Istanbul and was known for his politeness and good character—which brought him into contact with political and court figures—was eventually granted the lands surrounding Pir-Safa’s tomb by order of Naser al-Din Shah and upon the recommendation of Sepahsalar. Pirzadeh transformed these lands into a lush and beautiful garden, naming it Safaiyeh in memory of Pir-Safa. Motivated by his deep affection and devotion to Pir-Safa, Pirzadeh made great efforts to develop and beautify the garden, and he was eventually buried there himself, beside Pir-Safa.[3]

Founding Safaiyeh Garden

During the reign of Naser al-Din Shah, after the death of Mirza Safa, and upon the request of Mirza Hosein Khan Sepahsalar, the shrine of Mirza Safa in Cheshmeh Ali was, in 1875, granted ownership along with forty-eight hours of water from the qanat belonging to the lands of Toghrol Tower, under the name Safaiyeh, in Shahr-e Rey, to Pirzadeh. The Safaiyeh Garden was established at that location, and Pirzadeh settled there.

Safaiyeh Garden Dispute

In 1899, 25 years after the gifting of the Safaiyeh Garden, a dispute arose between Haji Pirzadeh and Malek Mansur Mirza Shoa as-Saltaneh (the second son of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar and owner of the lands, castle, and Dowlatabad Garden) regarding the boundaries of Safaiyeh Garden. However, by order of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah, a group of officials visited the disputed area, ruled in favour of Haji Pirzadeh, and drew up a map of the area. This map was approved and sealed by those officials, confirmed by Atabak Khan, and finally endorsed by the Shah himself.[4]

Pirzadeh Garden Legacy

Pirzadeh’s Safaiyeh Garden was, in its time, a place frequently visited by Qajar nobles and dignitaries, including Naser al-Din Shah, as well as devoted followers and well-known dervishes. It is said that on the day Naser al-Din Shah was assassinated during a pilgrimage to the Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine, he had planned to stop by the garden on his way back to his palace in Tehran to visit Haji Pirzadeh and have lunch there. After Pirzadeh's death on 12 March 1904, in accordance with his will, he was buried in the same garden.[5]

Graves Located in Safaiyeh Garden

See also

References

  1. ^ Afshar, Iraj, "Haji Mohammad Ali Pirzadeh," Vol. 1, p. 104, Savad va Bayaz, Tehran, 1965 (Solar Hijri year 1344).
  2. ^ A newly unearthed historical photo released for the first time: A gathering of foreign ambassadors and aristocrats in the Safaiyeh Garden hamshahrionline.ir in Persian
  3. ^ A newly unearthed historical photo released for the first time: A gathering of foreign ambassadors and aristocrats in the Safaiyeh Garden hamshahrionline.ir in Persian
  4. ^ Afshar, Iraj, "Haji Mohammad Ali Pirzadeh," Vol. 1, p. 104, Savad va Bayaz, Tehran, 1965 (Solar Hijri year 1344).
  5. ^ The Great Islamic Encyclopedia, Pirzadeh Naeini, Volume 14, page 5606
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.