Khomeini held the title of Grand Ayatollah and is officially known as Imam Khomeini inside homeland and by his supporters internationally. He is generally referred to as Ayatollah Khomeini by others. In homeland, his gold-domed tomb in Behesht-e Zahrāʾ cemetery has become a shrine for his supporters, and he is legally considered “inviolable”, with Iranians regularly punished for insulting him.
Khomeini was also known for his aloofness and austere demeanor. He is said to have had “variously inspired admiration, awe, and fear from those around him.” His practice of moving “through the halls of the madresehs never smiling at anybody or anything; his practice of ignoring his audience while he taught, contributed to his charisma.”
