Qadamgah is a
Shia pilgrimage site historically associated with the city of
Nishapur. As a result of
Emam al-Rida's journey from
Medina to
Merv, during which he traversed a significant portion of Iran, numerous
qadamgahs are attributed to him. The most renowned
qadamgah associated with him is located in Nishapur, constructed under the orders of
Shah 'Abbas in 1611 over remnants of an earlier structure. It is widely believed that a footprint embedded in a block within the building is that of Emam al-Rida. The majority of
qadamgahs attributed to Emam Ali al-Ridha in Iran date back to the
Safavid era. At least one-tenth of the 250
qadamgahs in
Iran which are associated with a prophet, an emam, or a holy figure are attributed to Ali al-Ridha. Most of these
qadamgahs are located along his route from
Medina to
Merv (the so-called "Path of Wilaya"); however, there are
qadamgahs attributed to him in other regions of Iran. The village of Qadamgah was converted to a city in 1996. ==Demographics==