Ardabil, the Shrine of Sheikh Safi

The Safavid dynasty takes its name from the Sufi sheikh Safi al-Din Ishaq (1252-1334), who lived in Ardabil. Two centuries later the followers of the order he founded here, above all the Qizilbash of the Turkic tribes, brought Shah Ismail to the throne.

In the 16th-17th centuries a complex of library, mosque, madrasa, hospital and kitchen grew up around Sheikh Safi's tomb. Shah Ismail is also buried here. The ensemble was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010.