The New Building of the Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi
The glorious victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and, developing and propagating the research culture in the Islamic society, necessitated developing and expanding the Central Library of the Astan Quds Razavi. Owing to this reason, the new building of the Central Library has been constructed under the wise guidance and auspices of the Paramount Leader of the Islamic Revolution, and special management and supervision of the reverend representative of Wali Faqih (Paramount Leader) in Khorasan province, who is also the grand reverend custodian of Astan Quds Razavi. This monument, constructed by efforts of the skilled engineers, architects, artists and workers, has been situated between the sanctuaries of Shaykh Toosi, and Shaykh Tabarsi, adjacent to the sacred buildings of the Holy Shrine. It is a three storeyed building, constructed in an area of about 11000 square meters, and covered infrastructure of 28000 square meters.
A complete combination of the traditional Iranian-Islamic architecture applied in the construction of the sacred buildings of Astan Quds Razavi, together with the changes arising from the system of the Islamic Republic of Iran in this field, and also exerting the latest modern international standards pertaining to the librarianship have created a glorious complex which is exactly unique in the world.
In this complex, the spaces, inspired by the Islamic architecture art and its physical connections, have provided and created a new revolution and innovation in the architecture art suitable for the library buildings. It is actually perfect. For this reason, each storey of this building has been separated for special practical applications, to be used by many applicants.
Owing to the environment conditions of Mashhad, the least necessity of the public to access, the first floor has been alloted to the stores and treasuries of manuscripts and printed books.
Separate reading-rooms for men and woman have been placed in the ground floor. Owing to the adjacency of these reading-rooms to the treasuries of the first floor, there are provided maximum facilities in this floor to render services. The book circulation hall (book-deposit), administrative department of the library, assembly hall, the worship room, and the other lateral spaces, and necessary services have been predicted in the ground floor. Each of these places has been explained as the following.
The assembly hall of the library contains two sections including a waiting room, and a main hall.
The waiting room (hall) covers an area of about 330 square meters, and has a capacity of about 600 people in a standing posture. The ceiling of this hall has been divided into eight parts, of which four have been decorated with coloured plaster work, in the corners.
The Blessed Tradition of Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.) about Imam Ali (A.S.) has been decorated with plaster works, on their margins. (("Those whose master I am, Ali(A.S.) will be their master too")).
A design of an arched building decorated with paintings and gold-coated plasters can be observed on the other four corners. The most glorious and magnificant plaster art-works, full of sinuous designs (having many curves and twists), have been applied in this bulding, in the traditional form. The arabesque designs have gloriously been accomplished on the four corners of the ceiling.
Owing to applying coloured plasters in a depth of 10 m.m, no change will be appeared in the plaster works of this hall in the course of time. This style of plaster work applied in the traditional monuments of Iran, is a new style with no past records. There are several show-cases in the walls of this hall that can be used as an exhibition.
The main hall (Amphitheatre), furnished with 761 chairs, covers an infrastructure of about 1100 square meters. This hall contains an auditorium, a stage and a monitor room.
Subsequent to the main cover, the ceiling of the assembly hall (amphitheatre) has been decorated with the arabesque designs in the traditional style. 777 decorated orifices, in which a design of plaster art work has been applied, have been constructed on the ceiling which is exactly a kind of suspended one. The lateral walls, as high as 110 cm have been decorated with a design of glazed tiles and stone, The revetment are riprapped to prevent any echo produced in the assembpy hall, according to the measurement of the voice rebound. Above these decorative gazed-tiles and stone, 22 spires have been constructed between the pillars, in the lateral walls. The surface around these spires, have been decorated with gold-coated plaster works. Some Holy Verses of the glorious Quran, and blessed traditions of the Immaculate Imams can be observed on the decorative plaster mouldings of the walls. The famous holy tradition of Silsilatol Zahab has been gloriously imprinted on the stage of the assembly hall. 761 chairs fixed in this hall, have been equipped with the system of simultaneous translation in three foreign languages. Two rows of chairs enjoy microphones.
The mentioned hall has also been equipped with the system of video projection, and facilities of showing film (36 m.m film) controlled by Monitoring Room.
The Worship Room
The Worship Room covers an area of about 120 square meters.
The lattice ceiling and structure of this room have been made of wood. Its wooden networks have been constructed similar to the lattice designs applied on the sacred tombs. There is a date-palm model made of wood, in the center of the Worship Room, reminding the pillars of the first mosque of Islam constructed by the Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W) in Qoba near the holy city of Madinah. This palm-like tree has been fixed in the hall as a pillar.
Wooden pieces, in the form of small and big leaves, have been arranged in a particular order on the ceiling. The Holy Names of the Immaculate Shi'ite Imams (A.S.), and the Holy Names of Allah-the Exalted - have been engraved on the surface of the wooden leaves proportionally. The famous tradition of the Holy Prophet of Islam(S.A.W.) "Those whose master I am, Ali(A.S.) will be their master too" has been inlaid repetitively with wood around the mentioned ceiling. The lights of the ceiling are handmade which have been done in the form of a circle design, on which the holy word of "Ya Khaleqe Noor" (O the Creator of Light) has been engraved. The holy verse of the Glorious Quran
i-e"Allah, the Exalted, is the Light of the Universe " has been engraved on the glassed suface of the lamps placed on the corners of the ceiling. The structure of the worship room has been totally made of wooden frames. The arabesque designs inlaid with wood have been fixed in these frames.
Among these frames, two frames 2 m by 2 m have been constructed in the form of a 32 sided frame with particular designs. The holy name of Imam Ali(A.S.) has been written in the center of one of these two frames. 32 traditions from the Holy Prophet of Islam(S.A.W.) selected from the Sunnah sources have been engraved around the mentioned frame. The designs have been arranged in such a way that the holy name of Ali(A.S.), and the holy traditions written on the left side, begins with the holy name of Imam Ali(A.S.). The holy name of Hadrat Fatemah(A.S.) - the holy daughter of the Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.)- , has been written in the centre of the second frame. This one has been also decorated in a similar way to the first one. 32 traditions from the Holy Prophet of Islam(S.A.W.) related to the high rank and dignity of Hazrat Fatemah (A.S.), selected from the sunnah sources, have been written on the upper part of the frame, just around the mentioned holy name.
The Entrance of the Library
Two stone frames have been constructed in the ground floor, and installed on the walls of this entrance placed at the sanctury of Shaykh Toosi.
The stone inscriptions installed on the mentioned stone frames illustrate the history of the Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi, and about the new building (date of inauguration and working). These inscriptions have been sculptured in stone, and gilded by the artists of Astan Quds Razavi. One of these inscriptions is in Persian language with Nastaliq script (A style of the Persian calligraphy). And the other one is in Arabic language with Riqa script (a style of Arabic calligraphy).
There are four stone inscriptions inlaid and sculptured in a new and unique style, beside the stairs. Four texts ascribed to the speeches of the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Paramount Leader have been written and gilded in Persian language with Nastaliq script (a Persian style in writing).
The Deposit Rooms of the applicants have been situated in the front part of the stairs. The ceiling of these rooms have been decorated with coloured plaster mouldings. A golden stripe on the margins can be observed on the ceiling. The walls of this part have been coated with white stone and ultra-marine glazed tiles joints. The visitors can clearly read the divine phrase of "There is no God bu Allah - the Exalted" - from the joined seams of the ultra-marine glazed- tiles. The main public stairs of the floors have been situated in the entrance hall, adjacent to the mentioned space. The final ceiling has been also decorated with various coloured plaster mouldings, have been constructed in the form of a pendant. These plaster chandliers together with the beautiful and artistic laticed plaster work applied around it, have been constructed to provide the natural light of the hall.
The portrait of the Late Founder of the Islamic Revolution, and that of the Paramount Leader have been gilded and decorated with plaster mouldings, in another part of the mentioned entrance. The margins of this portrait have been beautifully painted.
The Holy Verse of "Obey Allah - the Exalted - the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), and the Immaculate Imams (A.S.)." been has been imprinted on the other part of this portrait. The Deposit Book Section has been situated in the right side of this entrance, to render services to the applicants, without referring to the other parts of the library. The applicants can also borrow or give back borrowed books in this entrance, and leave the library.
The left side wall of this entrance has been decorated with plaster frames in three sections. Some holy verses of the Glorious Quran have been imprinted on the tableaux 2m by 5m installed on each section. There are two yards 20m by 33 m at the middle of the building in the ground floor. These yards have been constructed and decorated according to the traditional architectural style.
Several porches, constructed around the yard, provide natural light for the halls. These porches can be used in the floors through the halls. The facade of these yards is in fact a combination of tiles and bricks, decorated with Chinese brick layer works. The ceiling of these yards have been decorated with plaster mouldings. The corners of these eight porches have been connected together-two by two - and decorated with plaster works. 50 sentences related to Khorasan have been handwritten, and inlaid on the wooden door of these yards.
The chapter from the Holy Qur'an "Noon Wal Qalam" has been written on the four portals. There is stony fountain at the middle of one of these yards, under which an emergency water reservoir has been constructed for extinguishing fire. There are four little gardens in the four corners. Stone bases. together with coach like lanterns have been installed in the middle of each of these little gardens.
There is a stone skylight in the middle of the other yards which diffuses light in the basement. A model of the Glorious Qur'an has been installed above the mentioned stone skylight, around which some stony books can be observed. Various holy names from the Glorious Quran, and Islamic books have been carved on these stony books.
There is a large hall in the basement, in the lower part of the library.This hall, equipped with sufficient equipments renders services in the form of self-service. Open book-shelf auditoria for men, women and children, audio-visual auditoria, the archive of Khorasan and Toos, archives of the press and documents, the center of computer, and archives department have been situated in this basement. There is also a book castle in the basement equipped with technical and administrative facilities, and an engine room. The capacity of this castle is 120 cubic meters.
The heating installation system is totally an air-conditioning system, together with air-handling units. Two separated air-handing units have been installed in the library to keep immunity and environmental principles. These units, using the central heating system separated from the air blown in the public space of the library, have been installed for the treasuries placed in the first floor.
The fire-alarm system, controlled by central room placed in the monitoring section, have been equipped with different boards, proportionate to the practical usages, in each of the spaces of the library. This system has been applied in three different methods. The Halon 1301 is used in the archives, and book treasuries to put out fire.
A Water system, to extinguish fire, has been applied in the corridors, amphitheatre, and main sections. And fire-extinguisher is used in the engine-room, air-handling units, kitchen and self-service hall.
A completely modern system of telelift has been applied in the library to transser books from the treasuries to the determined places to prevent wasting time. Furthermore, two eight-passenger elevators have been installed here to transfer people. Two other modern systems, applied in the library, are the audio system of pitching and the computer system to render information related to more than one million copies of books preserved in the treasuries.