Velayat Gate; The Most Important Place-Memorial of Holy Mashhad

The gateways to cities are the first spatial impressions through which every newcomer immediately encounters the urban environment. City entrances therefore become arenas where imagination and reason are simultaneously engaged. At present, the quality of entrances to many cities is characterized by forgotten urban spaces, often marked by widespread disorder and incompatible structural elements. Accordingly, the central concern of this research is how to overcome such an unseeing urban system—one that, at the very outset, gives rise to endless questions. These systems, lacking identity and status, can only acquire meaning through creative architects and, in turn, become inseparable parts of the city itself. The main objective of this study is to clarify the portrayal of the city’s image based on citizens’ lived experience of the creation of a gate in the city of Mashhad. The research is conducted using an applied study approach with a descriptive–analytical method, emphasizing the correction of the visual culture of Mashhad through the employment of architects and artists and the provision of appropriate grounds for the emergence of lasting monumental elements. First, the study addresses the formulation of the problem and reviews the relevant specialized literature in order to enable practical use of these foundations through a new approach or through the production of an original urban design outcome. Subsequently, guided by the same objective, design principles and recommendations for improving and enhancing the quality of urban entrances are presented. The findings show that if a city cannot establish a dynamic visual alignment with its residents, it will not achieve effective visual communication and therefore cannot adequately represent its valuable inner capacities.