Identification and Verification of Cultural Areas of Cemeteries for Religious Tourism (Case Study: Cemeteries of Mashhad Urban District)

Cemetery is one of the effective elements in arranging the spatial structure of human settlement and especially Iranian cities. The social-cultural development of cemeteries along with the increase of social interactions and presence of citizens will bring vitality to urban spaces. The current research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. The method of data collection is documentary and survey, and ArcGIS software and models such as cluster analysis (Group Analysis) and interpolation (IDW) were used for quantitative data analysis. In order to identify and verify the cultural areas of cemeteries, accessibility indicators such as Imam Reza shrine, typical tourist attractions, historical monuments, residential centers and other citizen facilities and services were used. The results showed that the shrine complexes of Imam Reza, Gonbad Kheshti, Gonbad Sabz and Khwaja Rabi as the first cultural area, Yasir and Nasser as the second cultural area, Khwaja Murad and Khwaja Abbasalt as the third cultural area and Miami as the fourth culture area can be identified. In order to increase the role of the cultural areas of cemeteries in the urban vitality of Mashhad metropolis, the indigenous model of the garden-cemetery to promote the Iranian identity in historical cemeteries and the planning of tourism facilities and equipment through the spatial-functional connection of cemeteries with the shrine of Imam Reza in socio-cultural development of urban cemeteries is effective.