Abbasquli Khan Seminary

Abbasquli Khan Seminary

The Gate of Abbasquli Khan Seminary
General Information
Founder	Abbasquli Khan Shamlu by order of Shah Sulayman Safavi
Established	1077/1666-7 (Safavid era)
Type	Seminary
Location	Mashhad
Coordinates	36°17′08.1″N 59°37′06.1″E
Specifications
Status	Active
Facilities	Library

ʿAbbāsquli Khān Shāmlū Seminary is a historical monument and a school of religious sciences in Mashhad, which Abbasquli Khan Shamlu constructed in the Safavid period. It is an active seminary in Mashhad, a city in the northeast Iran. Today, this seminary is located at Nawwab-i Safawi Street at the margin of the underpass and adjacent to the Radawi Shrine.

History

Abbasquli Khan Biglar Baygi built the school in 1077/1666-7 at the command of Sultan Suleiman Safawi. The builder's name is mentioned in an inscription on the entrance gate of the school.

Architectural Features

The school is built with two floors, and on its four sides, there are four porticos in the style of Safavid architecture. It has over 100 chambers. The school is fully built with blocks and is decorated with tiles and muqarnas at the entrances of porticos, chambers, and arcades. In the process of expanding the Shrine of Imam al-Rida and the widening of Nawwab Safawi Street, the entrance gate of the school was moved backwards without damage to its appearance. It is now located on the southern side of the street.

Library

The library of Abbasquli Khan School was built in 1334/1955-6 by Sayyid Hasan Muhaddith. Its first books were endowed by Sayyid Ali Bihishti, and more books concerning Islamic sciences were later added to it.

Present Status

Abbasquli Khan School is an architectural monument of Mashhad, supervised by the Organization of the Cultural Heritage of Khorasan. Today, the school is located adjacent to Nawwab-i Safawi Street's southern side. It counts as a centre of the Seminary School of Mashhad.