The Separation of Holy Shrines from Peripheral Fabric Based on the Perfect Man Concept; An Examination of Place (Case Study: Shrine of Imam Reza in the Holy City of Mashhad)

This study endeavors to explore the predicament associated with spaces lacking distinctive character and identity, ultimately resulting in the estrangement of shrines from their peripheral surroundings. Focusing on Mashhad, renowned as the holiest city in Iran and a site of numerous interventions, this research employs it as a case study. The central inquiry revolves around establishing a coherent nexus between the notion of polarity and the intellectual foundations shaping the development of environs surrounding holy shrines. The core objective is to discern the alignment of contemporary advancements around these shrines with their initial conceptual underpinnings. Employing a qualitative approach, this research adopts a descriptive method rooted in the case study framework. The outcomes derived from statistical analysis and the application of space syntax techniques reveal that extensive interventions encircling the shrine of Imam Reza have significantly disrupted the city's connectivity with the shrine. This disruption has led to the displacement of residents, severed emotional ties with the surrounding fabric, and a perceptible attenuation of the sense of place, culminating in the erosion of the genius loci or spirit of place. Furthermore, an examination of the fabric of this separation underscores an anti-Shiite intellectual basis, demonstrating incongruence with the ideal of human communion with "the perfect man." In light of these findings, it is proposed that development initiatives in Islamic cities should prioritize considerations aligned with the intellectual foundations governing city construction. This emphasis is crucial for sustaining the inherent character and spirit of the place amidst developmental endeavors.