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The Holy Chapel of Imam Khomeini
The Holy Chapel of Imam Khomeini
When the Shiite revolutionary, founder and first Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini died in 1989, Shiite clerics wondered how to honour the great man. Let my readers judge whether they overdid it. In the article I also describe the nearby Behesht-e Zahra military cemetery, which is the main resting place for those killed in the Iran-Iraq War.
The Holy Chapel of Imam Khomeini
On the outskirts of Tehran lies the Holy Chapel of Imam Khomeini. Although it does indeed house the chapel where Khomeini was buried, I think that description is too modest. A better description would be: ‘a vast Muslim temple complex.’ Driving from the airport to Tehran, a grand Muslim palace with a massive golden dome, two blue domes, and four golden minarets reaching a height of 91 meters can be seen in the distance.
On the premises of the Holy Chapel of Imam Khomeini.
Leaving the metro station, which was decorated with portraits of Iran’s supreme leaders, I saw a long body of water with fountains in front of me. Before, the building was so massive that the entire complex could easily be converted into an airport or a housing development. The Holy Chapel of Imam Khomeini encompasses a mausoleum, a cultural and tourist center, a seminary, propaganda shops, a row of shops, a massive two-story building with a parking lot, a university for Islamic studies, and a branch of the National Museum of Iran. Construction began in 1989 and is ongoing, covering 20 square kilometres. It’s hard to believe that the complex is so vast and constantly expanding.
The room containing the chapel containing Khomeini’s body is so large that several passenger planes could easily be parked inside. Inside, in addition to the very large green chapel, there are also large posters depicting statesmen such as Ayatollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khamenei, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and General Qasem Soleimani. There are also posters showing Iranian missiles flying towards Israel and the US, the martyrdom of Iranian mothers and their sons, and obvious hatred for Israel. Before entering, I was thoroughly searched by security, and on the way to the chapel, I looked at Shiite revolutionary posters.
On the premises of the Holy Chapel of Imam Khomeini.
According to online sources, the cost of building the Ruhollah Khomeini Mausoleum, including all the buildings on the grounds, was estimated at $2 billion!!! Couldn’t this money have been invested in healthcare and environmental protection? It could have been, but the spread of Islam is more important to the regime. Iran can therefore find the money for even more enormous mosques and mausoleums, despite the fact that I’ve seen many poor people traveling around the country. Official sources say there are as many as 80,000 mosques in Iran. Don’t they have enough?
I repeat: $2 billion to bury the deceased and build another Islamic center! I assure you, I’m not the only one wondering what the point is. When I went to Mashhad in 2013 to see the Haram temple complex, a young Iranian man told me he couldn’t bear to look at any more mosques. How many more can one have?
In the mausoleum of the great Islamic revolutionary, Ayatollah Khomeini.
In my opinion, the main problem with this entire temple complex is that this enormous place is empty. It’s true that people visit occasionally, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they only do it once in their lives. Sometimes they are Muslims wanting to pay their respects to a great leader, and sometimes Polish tourists wanting to have that travel experience. However, I got the impression that this place, built at a huge cost, was empty.
By comparison, I saw crowds and long winding lines in Beijing at the Mao Zedong Mausoleum, and in Hanoi at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. However, the enormous and downright extravagant Khomeini Mausoleum is rather empty. Looking at this enormous Islamic monument to money, I came to a certain conclusion. If I was to become a great statesman one day, I wouldn’t want golden palaces to the sky and stone monuments in the shape of aggressive wolves and slender weasels. Let them just plant a tree and write that beneath it they buried a white adventure traveller, who wasn’t always understood correctly.
The chapel where Khomeini is buried. Through the green glass, one can see his coffin, flowers, and banknotes donated to expand the Khomeini complex.
When I rode the subway to see the Khomeini Chapel, I expected a small chapel, or perhaps a tomb with a statue and flowers, but instead I saw a huge Islamic center outside Tehran, where the chapel is located. I realized that Muslims never tire of building massive mosques. Iran already has religious cities like Qom and Mashhad, and Esfahan, Yazd, Shiraz, and every other city has its own large mosques. I think the so-called ‘Khomeini Chapel’ could be promoted by the regime as another Qom or similar ultra-Islamic pilgrimage center.
The Problem of Islamization
I began to wonder if it wouldn’t be better to create a national park in the same location. They could dig a large artificial lake, plant trees around it, and release animals? On 20 square kilometres it would be a beautiful green space with a lake; and perhaps an orchard with banana trees and date palms. Instead of another massive mosque made of steel and concrete, and so massive that it’s probably visible from space, couldn’t the Ayatollah in power have planted a vast garden like Kew Gardens in London? Of course the flora and fauna would be adapted to the Persian climate, and I believe this would be a much better, more pleasant, healthier and a cheaper project. Around the park I would also build running tracks for Persian athletes and playgrounds for children; and an open-air drive-in cinema.
In front of the mausoleum where Khomeini is buried. Behind me are the portraits of great leaders.
Instead of another Islamic centre with minarets towering above the clouds, couldn’t the Ayatollah have built a water park for the Iranians, with greenery, swimming pools, and winding slides? The regime in Iran could take inspiration from water parks such as the one in the Canary Islands in Spain, or the one on the island of Corfu in Greece. Persian girls could slide down high slides and then sunbathe on the grass, instead of dressing in black sheets. I believe that especially in Iran’s hot climate this would be a much better and cheaper project. For a change, in water parks and gardens Iranians wouldn’t have to constantly worry, as they do in depressing mosques, chapels, and mausoleums.
Unfortunately, this isn’t possible in Iran because the Muslim mentality is structured in such a way that Muslims would build a minaret on the last square meter, and this is unfortunately the fanaticism of all Islamic regimes. I hope the government in Tehran reads this article and takes my idea into consideration. I don’t think Khomeini would mind if around the temple complex Iranians had at least a huge park with a big lake full of fish. I just want Iranians to feel better and have some outdoor fun.
The hatred of Israel in Iran is obvious, and given the Zionists’ numerous crimes, it doesn’t surprise me at all. This poster depicts Israel as a vermin digging its own grave.
In Istanbul in 2013, riots broke out when the Muslim regime in Turkey tried to destroy the last green space in this overcrowded and hot city, and build a shopping mall and mosque there. This is Gezi Park, next to Taksim Square, where I lived for a while in 2024/25. I should add that Taksim Square already has a huge mosque, which could also fit a Jumbo Jet inside.
!!! To better understand the gravity of the Islamization problem, let’s imagine that an Islamic regime came to power in England, and that’s why they would fill Richmond Park with concrete and built Mecca No. 2 on its grounds. I have no doubt that this would happen. I believe that travelling in Muslim countries is often a very interesting adventure, but Islam itself, especially in excess, can lead to depression and a dark regression in time.
Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery
It’s usually worth combining a trip to the Khomeini Mausoleum with the nearby Behesht-e Zahra military cemetery. This cemetery is the main resting place for those killed in the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), and I must admit, it turned out to be very interesting and educational. Anyone who thinks it’s not worth going there because it’s just graves might be missing out.
Graves at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.
Behesht-e Zahra houses numerous exhibitions, monuments, memorials to victims, and tombstones, allowing one to better understand an important part of Iranian history. In Persian cemeteries, graves are flat stones at ground level with a memorial stone about the deceased.
Behesht-e Zahra, however, is a unique cemetery. Near the graves of soldiers who died in the war, including boys, are glass boxes containing mementos of the deceased. These typically include portraits, posters, Iranian flags, and life-size cut outs of soldiers.
Graves at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.
The Behesht-e Zahra cemetery is very atmospheric and patriotic, and has been very effectively used by the regime as a propaganda tool. In this case, I believe this is appropriate, as remembering a tragic history unites the nation. I saw many photos of the Ayatollahs and posters depicting Iranian soldiers marching to the Iraqi front. There were also posters depicting such important figures as Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, General Qasem Soleimani, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash.
The cemetery also featured a tank on a pedestal, a war memorial, and a large boat commemorating the martyrs of the Iranian navy. It commemorates, in particular, those who died during “Operation Pearl” (Amaliyat-e Morvarid) in 1981, during the Iran-Iraq War. On one alley, there’s also an elegant pedestrian street with a poster showing Khomeini and a large grenade.
A poster at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery. I believe it is a very valuable place for those interested in Iranian history. Here, even among the families of the victims, one can better experience this terrible war.
I also spent a lot of time in a souvenir shop selling propaganda items. I received a stamp of General Soleimani as a gift, although there were many photos of the Ayatollah, books about the war, the Hezbollah leader, and photos of fallen soldiers. It was a charming place, and I noticed that women, in particular, were happy to have me there, as they could tell me about the war and the martyrdom of the Iranian people during it. People also come to the cemetery to spend time at the graves, eat, and drink tea.
Behesht-e Zahra is sad, but valuable and instructive. Traveling through Iran, I saw posters in every city depicting fallen Iranian soldiers from this city. I got the impression that Behesht-e Zahra cemetery had more visitors than the Khomeini Chapel. Entire families come there to spend time with their fallen family members. I also observed the same emotion, sadness, and sentimental atmosphere at the cemetery in Shush, Khuzestan Province.
Summary
I think the Khomeini Chapel and the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery are worth visiting. It’s another travel experience, which can easily be seen during a day trip from Tehran. Get off at Haram-e Motahar-e Emam Khomeini station.
Revolutionary poster depicting Iranian soldiers led by General Soleimani on their way to liberate Palestine.
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