The Expansion of the Holy Shrine of Hadrat Ma’sumah (A.S.)

The new grand complex is constructed in the southern part of the holy shrine of Hadrat Ma’sumah (A.S.) with an area of 1800 square meters and infrastructure about 60000 square meters. Its construction commenced in 2002 and was inaugurated by Sayyid Muhammad Khatami, former President of Islamic Republic of Iran in 2005.
The project was completely financed by the government of Islamic Republic and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development carried out its construction. With its latest architectural foundation and structures, it can bear 9-degree Richter scale earthquake shocks. This complex had been wholly constructed by the Iranian engineers.
Muqarnas, traditional knots and white cement types of modern architectural calligraphies have been used in the façade of this complex; also, designs of the courtyard display beautifully bulged and calligraphically narrated scripts, using the same bricks.
The grand complex consists of some sites:

Imam Khomeini (R.A.) grand prayer hall.
Hadrat Sahib al- Zaman (A.S.) courtyard.
Hadrat Najmeh Khatun prayer hall.
Spacious parking located in the underground.
Grand guesthouse.
Washing Rooms.
Logistic services, power, audio systems and installation offices and shrine guards.
Imam Khomeini (R.A.) Grand Prayer Hall
This occupies an area of 800 square meters with four gateways linked to Eram street eastward, the newly paved street westward, al Imam al-Mahdi (A.S.) courtyard westward and the holy shrine northward. Around the prayer hall, short pillars can be found over which a floor is located on a low square. On the internal walls of dome there is an epigraph ornamented with a mixed golden and silver color and in this epigraph, the verses of the Quranic chapter of Nas are inscribed in Thulth script.
In the Qiblah side of prayer hall, there is a mihrab (altar) which is decorated with stucco work of Islamic paintings and the floor of the prayer hall and its walls with a height of ½ m. are covered with green marble stones and the design of windows and the strongly lit prayer hall have multiplied the beauty of Iranian Islamic architectural styles.

Hadrat Sahib al-Zaman (A.S.) Courtyard
This courtyard along with the buildings situated in its surroundings occupy an area of 800 square meters and has four gateways from four corners, eastward is Imam Khomeini (R.A.) prayer hall, westward rests Ahanchi bridge, northward sets behind Azam mosque and in the south it oversees the newly built street.
The exclusive characteristic of the courtyard is that all the gateways have shoe-keeping rooms and pilgrims can cover the distance from this entrance to the holy shrine, barefooted through the corridors.
In the middle of the courtyard, there is also a beautiful pool built with new styles that displays a special significance when powerful light projectors are on at night. Quranic inscriptions in modern design made of white cement and bricks attract the attention of every viewers and pilgrims.

Hadrat Najmeh Khatun Prayer Hall
This is exactly located under the Imam Khomeini (R.A) prayer hall, occupies an area of 8000 square meters, and has been built with special patterns of Islamic architecture. In this place, religious ceremonies and the Qum’s Islamic seminary classes are regularly held.
With a difference in surface of 50cm, the central part of the prayer hall has presented a new design and special manifestation. It is interesting to note that this prayer hall lies lower than the riverbed adjacent to the holy shrine. If necessary, Friday and congregational prayers can be held across the riverbed, which is, dry now. This indicates the far-sightedness of the officials and engineers of the project.

Guesthouse
In the western part of the underground one, there is a grand guesthouse of the holy shrine, which opens gateways to the newly built street, the underground prayer hall, and Sahib al – Zaman (A.S.) courtyard. The guesthouse have the capacity to serve 1000 pilgrims and the servants of the holy shrine at noon and night and has washing rooms, one kitchen and some storerooms.

Washing Rooms
These washing rooms are located in the western and eastern part of the new courtyard divided into two sections one for women and other for men.
This complex with most beautiful and modern welfare and hygiene facilities, can offer good services to pilgrims. The washing rooms in the western part number 150 and those of the eastern part 60.

Logistic Services
In some part of the underground two, there are installations, storerooms and the holy shrine requirements.

Offices
On the upper floor of Sahib al-Zaman (A.S.) courtyard, the office of the custodian of the holy shrine, the ceremony hall and shrine guards’ office are located.

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