Mausoleum of Imam Khomeini

The Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini houses the tombs of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, his wife Khadijeh Saqafi, and his second son Ahmad Khomeini; and some political figures, such as former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former Vice President Hassan Habibi, Lieutenant General Ali Sayad Shirazi, Iranian Revolution figure Sadeq Tabatabaei, and MP Marzieh Hadidchi. The mausoleum is located to the south of Tehran in the Behesht-e Zahra (Paradise of Zahra) cemetery. Construction commenced in 1989 following Khomeini’s death on June 3 of that year. It is still under construction, but when completed will be the centrepiece in a complex spread over 20 square kilometres (4,900 acres), housing a cultural and tourist centre, a university for Islamic studies, a seminary, a shopping mall, and a 20,000-car parking lot. The site is a place of Ziyarat for followers of Imam Khomeini. It is used symbolically by government figures and is on occasion visited by foreign dignitaries. Every year, Imam Khomeini’s death anniversary is marked on 4 June at the mausoleum in a ceremony that is attended by governmental officials, foreign ambassadors, and others.