TEHRAN -- Experts of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Kerman have started renovating the dome of Shah Nematollah Vali mausoleum, the Persian service of CHN reported here on Sunday.

Expert Hamid Ruhi said that the dome will be completely renovated.

The rods used during 1971 renovation and humidity have destroyed a large part of the dome, causing the tiles to bulge.

Shah Nematollah Vali, the poet, sage, and Sufi was the founder of an order of dervishes, as the main reason for the fame of the city.

Sufi Shah Nureddin Nematollah Vali was born in Aleppo (now in northern Syria), spending much of his early life in Iraq, including seven years in Mecca.

He then traveled to Samarkand, Herat, and Yazd before finally settling in Mahan in 1406.

He is said to have lived for one hundred years, from 1331 to 1431, and is the founder of the Nematollahi order of Sufi dervishes, who still gather at the sanctuary in Mahan.

The city of Mahan with its gardens and monuments lies 35km south of Kerman.

Shahzadeh Garden is worth a visit with its charming gardens and a collection of pools leading to a large palace.

The palace was once the summer residence of a prince though nobody is really sure of his identity.