This paper investigates the role of belief and tradition of Iranians in shaping a multi-functional arena for spiritual and socio-cultural encounters through selection of one case study; Qadamgah tomb-garden in Neyshabur. Qadamgah is a physical representation of the faith of Iranians towards their eighth Shi’a Imam,that contains a dual connotation. Its layout evokes Muslim paradisiacal imagery, and the garden itself also embodies and reinforces this theological and spiritual denotation; it acts as a mediator to enter to Paradise or to receive divine rewards in the Hereafter. While with the passage of time, and as a consequence of ideological, political and economical changes, many Iranian historical gardens have been deliberately destroyed or their symbolism has been made impotent, Qadamgah garden have continued its function, remote from the world which have been dominated with political and ‘mercantilistic’ outlooks. Nowadays, it is more than a garden for contemplation; it is a source of pleasure, revenue, blessedness and is a true a place of assembly. This paper argues that the faith and tradition of the Iranian community is has been, and remains, a real force for continuity the socio-cultural life of the monumental tomb-garden of Qadamgah, helping it to resist complex ideological shifts and upheavals over the centuries, and transforming it into an ideal living heritage for spiritual and socio-cultural encounters.

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