Spiritual City Landscape

There has always been a logical connection between the formation of traditional Iranian cities and urban areas in terms of micro and macro scale. Definitions of modernity and the formation of new economic and social relations led to the physical appearance of a gap between past and present urban spaces; this heterogeneity, particularly within the context of historical religious center resulted in a break in the social and urban development. On the other hand, interventions in the immediate context of these centers at any time depending on the value of the function assessed by officials and experts; vary between the two approaches to conservation and development. Historical change in "Ray" city shows that the main structure of the city ends in the Hazrat Abdul-Azim shrine, which is considered the most important historical and cultural - religious values that are revealed together in this area. The Shrine Street is located near the entrance to the shrine which acted as a public space in the context of traditional Abdul-Azim town since Qajar period and has defined access quality to the centre. The North Avenue improvement project has only considered the walls and pavements which could not maintain the identity of the place. Concepts such as respect for the principle of hierarchy of norms regarding pilgrimage, environmental potentials, cultural and social history, and especially the micro-behavior small objects in the space, needed to be considered as the basis for intervention.