About 25-30 kilometers southeast of Isfahan, there is a city that is one of the most fertile and green regions of this province, due to its juxtaposition to Zayandeh Rud. According to the reports of the Cultural Heritage, handicrafts and Tourism Organizations of Falavarjan, this city is considered the fourth historical city is Isfahan province with 464 historical attractions, after Kashan, Ardestan and Natanz. Interesting among the historical attractions of this city are Baba Mahmoud bridge, Imamzadeh Shah Abolqasem in Sohrofirouzan, The Jews’ Cemetery, Moayyed House in Zefreh, Jamah Mosque of Oshtorjan and Pir Bakran mansion. Pir Bakran, Baba Mahmoud and the cemetery are located in Pir Bakran county.
Pir Bakran is a town named after one of the famous mystics of the eighth century: Mohammad ibn Bakran, best known as Pir Bakran. He taught people in the end of seventh and the beginning of eighth century AH in a small room inside a village that has become today a city. He was buried at the same place and the then ruler of the region ordered to build a construction for his commemoration. It is now famous as Pir Bakran. The building was later completed as a three-storey structure. He died at the same time as the beginning of the reign of Oljeitu when he became the follower of Shia’. Therefore, we can see the name of Rashidun and The Fourteen Infallibles on the eastern wall of the building carved in a stucco.
The mausoleum has a porch, a courtyard with high ceiling surrounded by a porch and passageway. Due to the 20-meter height of this building, Ernest Herzfeld compared it with Taq Kasra. The court of the mausoleum is restricted from three sides and it is just open from the southern side. The tomb of Pir is placed in the northern side of the building to which a restricted room with dome ceiling is connected. This place had been dedicated to teaching and discussion. The height of the entrance is about seventy centimeters. According to the experts, this is the oldest part of the complex.
The construction materials are brick, stone, adobe and mortar. The main materials in construction of two first floors are stone and mortar, but the upper floor has been built by the brick. In addition, the floor of all rooms, except for Chelle Khaneh, are covered with brick. There is no stone decoration in this building. The only stone ornaments are those carved on the stone box or the same tombstone written by Thuluth script. There are two dates in this inscription one related to the year of the death of Pir Bakran, 703 AH, and the other referring to the construction date in 712 AH.
In addition to Stucco works, the mausoleum has many brick and tile workings with unique colors of glaze. The master of these decorations was Mohammad Shah, the painter. He was a pioneer in stucco work and his name has been recorded in the inscriptions around the courtyard. Interesting among the decorations of this mausoleum are walls, the vault coverage of the porch with stucco works using foliage and flower and bush. Mehrab has also some beautiful stucco and tiling that have been mostly damaged due to different human and environmental factors.
There is a stone inside the mausoleum with a slot that is considered by locals to be the E’ijah's horse footsteps. But Ernest Herzfeld believes that this is the same stone that was to be used in the temple of Jerusalem. He says that considering the existence of the Jews’ cemetery here, this place had possibly been the residence of the Jews in the past.
Until 1310 SH, the building was more used for the religious ceremonies, but it was registered in this year and started to be restored and reconstructed.
