Recognition of the location of holy shrines in the structure of the city and its effects on the formation of religious rituals (Case study: Shrine of Ali Ibn Mahziar in Ahvaz)

Holding rituals in the city is a reflection of collective life that strengthens social connectivity. Sacred places and shrines are an influential element in the construction and interconnectedness of Iranian cities. Religious shrines are the gathering places of different groups of people which link the flow of ceremonies and rituals. The purpose of this study is to investigate the position of Ali Ibn Mahziar’s tomb in the physical-spatial structure of Ahvaz and its effect on the formation of religious rituals, especially the mourning ceremonies of Tasua and Ashura within Ahvaz. This research is of descriptive-analytical type and employs methods of observation and field perceptions as well as reviewing the results of spatial arrangement analysis and graph modelling in order to study the adaptation of currents related to religious rites (for the movement of mourning delegations) and the existing city structure and especially the location of the shrine of Ali ibn Mahziar. Therefore, after field surveys, initial modelling was performed using graph theory approach and data analysis with centrality index and BC and DC scales, and then applying integration, connectivity and choice, space syntax analysis of Ahvaz city was implemented. The results show that the shrine of Ali ibn Mahziar plays a central role in attracting mourners from different parts of the city and strengthening social interactions and the presence of citizens. The focal position of the shrine in the configuration of the city reveals the close relation of this effective spatial element with the social patterns of the city, which over time, despite the changes, is still at the center of rituals and social interactions.