Mashhad-e Ardehal
مشهد اردهال
A shrine in the mountains west of Kashan, host each autumn to the carpet-washing ceremony inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Mashhad-e Ardehal is the shrine of Sultan Ali, a descendant of the Imams, in the mountains about 40 km west of Kashan. Its interior is covered in mirror mosaic that glitters with light. On the second Friday of the Iranian month of Mehr (usually early October), men from the surrounding area hold the “Kaleshuyan” carpet-washing ceremony. They lift rolled carpets on wooden poles, wash them in a stream and return them to the shrine, in commemoration of local martyr legends. It was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2012. On the day of the ceremony, crowds fill the site, and visitors should dress modestly.
Opening hours
All day (crowded on ceremony days)
Nearby sights
- Niasar Chahartaqi & Rais Cave
- Fin Garden (Bagh-e Fin)
- Tepe Sialk
- Nushabad Underground City (Ouyi)
- Tabatabaei House
- Abbasi House
- Borujerdi House
- Sultan Amir Ahmad Bathhouse