Jump to content

Imam Reza shrine

Coordinates: 36°17′17″N 59°36′57″E / 36.2880°N 59.6157°E / 36.2880; 59.6157
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Shrine of Imam Reza)

This article is about the shrine. For the adjacent mosque, see Goharshad Mosque.
Imam Reza shrine
حرمِ امام رضا
The shrine in 2013
Religion
AffiliationShia Islam
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusShrine, imamzadeh and mausoleum complex
LeadershipAhmad Alamolhoda (imam)
StatusActive
Location
LocationMashhad, Razavi Khorasan province
CountryIran
Imam Reza shrine is located in Iran
Imam Reza shrine
Location of the shrine complex in Iran
Map
AdministrationAstan Quds Razavi
Geographic coordinates36°17′17″N 59°36′57″E / 36.2880°N 59.6157°E / 36.2880; 59.6157
Architecture
TypeIslamic architecture
Style
Completed818 CE
Specifications
Capacity700,000 worshippers
Dome(s)Two (maybe more)
Minaret(s)12
Minaret height70 m (230 ft)
Site area267,069 m2 (65.994 acres)
Shrine(s)One: Ali al-Rida, 8th imam
Website
aqr.ir (in Persian)
Official nameImam Reza shrine
TypeBuilt
Designated6 January 1932
Reference no.140
Conservation organizationCultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran

The Imam Reza shrine (Persian: حرم امام رضا, romanized: Haram-e Emâm Rezâ, lit. 'Sanctuary of Imam Reza'; Arabic: العتبة الرضوية) is a Shi'ite shrine, imamzadeh and mausoleum complex, located in Mashhad, in the province of Razavi Khorasan, Iran. The shrine contains the remains of Ali al-Rida, who is regarded as the eighth Imam in Shia Islam. Also contained within the complex are the Goharshad Mosque, a museum, a library, four seminaries,[1] a cemetery, the Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, and other buildings.

The complex is one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, is a major Iranian tourism center,[2][3] and has been described as "the heart of the Shia Iran"[4] with 25 million Iranian and non-Iranian Shias visiting the shrine each year, as of 2007.[5]

The shrine covers an area of 267,079 square metres (2,874,810 sq ft) while the seven courtyards which surround it cover an area of 331,578 square metres (3,569,080 sq ft), totalling 598,657 m2 (6,443,890 sq ft).[6]

The complex was added to the Iran National Heritage List on 6 January 1932, administered by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran, and, on 2 February 2017, was added to the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[7]

Religious significance

[edit]

Shia sources quote several hadiths from the Shia Imams and Muhammad that highlight the importance of pilgrimage to the shrine. A hadith from Muhammad says:[8]

One of my own flesh and blood will be buried in the land of Khorasan. God the Highest will surely remove the sorrows of any sorrowful person who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine. God will surely forgive the sins of any sinful person who goes on pilgrimage to his shrine.

History

[edit]
Main article: History of the Imam Reza shrine

Early years

[edit]

Dar-ul-Imarah (Royal Residence) or the garden of Humayd ibn Qahtaba al-Ta'i was a fortress in the village of Sanabad. It dates from before the Islamic era. It had been placed at the fork road of Sanabad, Neishabour, Sarakhs, Toos and Radkan. This fortress had been a place for the frontier guards to take position and establish the security of these roads and regions. After the demise of Harun al-Rashid, he was buried in this place. Due to this historical event, the Dar-ul-Imarah was known as the Mausoleum of Haruniyyeh. The original inner building of Dar-ul-Imarah had been a Zoroastrian temple. This building was demolished by the order of al-Ma'mun, and then it was reconstructed according to the special architecture of Khorasan. Four plain and short walls, covered with a low-slope dome, were constructed around the building. Afterwards, the name of the mausoleum (Haruniyyeh) was changed and known as the Mashhad-ur-Reza. Mashhad literally means 'a place where a martyr has been buried'.[9]

Martyrdom of Ali al-Ridha

[edit]
Imam Reza shrine before development

In 818, Imam Ali al-Ridha was murdered by the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun (ruled 813–833) and was buried beside the grave of al-Ma'mun's father, Harun al-Rashid (r. 786–809).[10] After this event, the location was called Mashhad al-Ridha ("the place of martyrdom of al-Ridha"). Shias and Sunnis (for example, Ibn Hibban wrote in his Kitab al Siqqat that whenever troubled and in Mashad he would always visit the shrine to ask for relief from problems that bothered him) began visiting his grave on pilgrimage. By the end of the 9th century, a dome was built on the grave and many buildings and bazaars sprang up around it. For the next thousand years, it has been devastated and reconstructed several times.[11]: 12–16 

The celebrated Muslim traveler Ibn Battuta visited Mashhad in 1333 CE and reported that it was a large town with abundant fruit trees, streams and mills. A great dome of elegant construction surmounts the noble mausoleum, the walls being decorated with colored tiles. Opposite the tomb of the Imam is the tomb of Caliph Harun al-Rashid, which is surmounted by a platform bearing chandeliers.[2]

Ghaznavid era

[edit]

By the end of the third Hijri century, a dome was built on the grave of Imam Reza and many buildings and bazaars sprang around the shrine. In AH 383 (993/994), Sebuktigin, the Ghaznavid sultan devastated Mashhad and stopped the pilgrims from visiting the shrine. But in AH 400 (1009/1010), Mahmud of Ghazni started the expansion and renovation of the shrine and built many fortifications around the city.[12]

Saljug era

[edit]
A picture from second sanctuary

Sultan Sanjar, after the healing of his son in the shrine, renovated the sanctuary and added new buildings within its precincts. At the time of Sultan Sanjar Saljuqi, after Sharaf al-Din Abu Tahir b. Sa'd b. Ali Qummi repaired the shrine, he began to construct a dome over it.[13] In AH 612 (1215/1216), as borne out by inscriptions on certain tiles, Allaudin Khwarezm Shah carried out renovations on the shrine.[13]

Mongol invasion

[edit]

During the Khwarazmian dynasty, some repair and decoration was made inside the shrine.[13] In AH 612 (1215/1216) two very glorious embossed Thuluth inscriptions in form of square tile work were fixed on both sides of the shrine entrance-by the side of Dar al-Huffaz porch—in which the names and descent of Imam Reza back to Imam Ali were written. The complex includes some other inscriptions and three mihrabs of this era. During the Mongol invasion in AH 617 (1220/1221), Khorasan was plundered by the invading hordes and the survivors of this massacre took refuge in Mashhad and settled around the shrine.[14] Sultan Muhammad Khudabandeh Iljaitu, the Mongol ruler of Iran, converted to Shi'ism and ruled Iran from AH 703 (1303/1304) until AH 716 (1316/1317), once again renovated the shrine on a grand scale.[12]

Timurid era

[edit]

The glorious phase of Mashhad started during the reign of Shahrukh Mirza, son of Tamerlane, and reached its zenith during the reign of the Safavid Shahs, who ruled Iran from 1501 to 1736 CE. Shahrukh Mirza, whose capital was Herat, regularly visited Mashhad for the pilgrimage of the shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.). In the 15th century, during the reign of the Timurid Shahrukh Mirza, Mashhad became one of the main cities of the realm. In 1418 CE, his wife, Empress Goharshad, funded the construction of an outstanding mosque beside the shrine, which is known as the Goharshad Mosque.[11]

Safavid era

[edit]
Main Gate of Imam Riza, Mashhad, 1850s. Photo possibly by Luigi Pesce (Italian, 1818–1891)

With the emergence of the Safavid dynasty in 1501 CE and their declaration of the Twelver Shi'ite sect as the state religion, Mashhad reached the peak of its development. However, since Khorasan was a border province of the Safavid Empire, Mashhad suffered repeated invasions and periods of occupation by the Uzbek Khans – Muhammad Khan, Abdullah Khan Shaibani, Muhammad Sultan and especially Abdul-Momen Khan. These invasions continued up to AH 996 (1587/1588), the reign of Shah Abbas I, who finally drove out the Uzbeks from Khorasan. Sahn Atiq was extended in the time of Shah Abbas I, and during the Safavid era, efforts were made for its further improvement.

During the Safavid era, the shrine also received patronage from rulers of the Indian subcontinent, namely Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk (founder of the Qutb Shahi dynasty) and Mughal Emperor Akbar. The latter was notably a Sunni.[15]

Afsharid and Qajar era

[edit]
Complex's main garden in 1910
Shrine's view from Tehran Street, 1956

Nader Shah Afshar and the Qajar Shahs who ruled Iran from 1789 to 1925 CE expanded the various places in the shrine. There were also some improvements in the shrine complex during the Qajar Dynasty. There was also some repair in both courtyards during Mozaffar ad-Din Shah's monarchy.

Following the coup in December 1911, Russian artillery shelled revolutionaries who had taken refuge in the shrine.[16] The whole complex was greatly damaged in 1911, but it was repaired after a while.

Modern era

[edit]
Imam Reza shrine at night, 2000s
Volunteers placing carpets in the Imam Ridha Mosque for the afternoon prayers

There were significant changes in the complex in AH 1347 (1928/1929). Old Falakah was extended up to a radius of 620 metres (2,030 ft) before the victory of the Islamic Revolution, and an important part of Holy Buildings' historical structure was demolished without considering its antiquity and elegance.

On 13 July 1935 (11th Rabi al-Thani 1354 AH), during the Goharshad Mosque rebellion, armed forces of Reza Shah, the reigning monarch of Iran and founder of Pahlavi dynasty, invaded the shrine and massacred people gathered in the Goharshad Mosque. The people there were protesting against the modernization policies of the Shah which many, especially amongst the Shia clergy, considered to be anti-Islamic, including the banning of hijab for women in Iran. Shortly before the Iranian Revolution, on 21 November 1978, troops under orders from the regime of Mohammad Reza Shah, Reza Shah's son and successor, killed approximately 12,000 people within the shrine.[citation needed]

The shrine is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 100 rials coin, issued since 2004.[17][18]

Incidents

[edit]
1994 bombing
[edit]
Main article: Imam Reza shrine bombing

On 20 June 1994, a bomb explosion occurred at the shrine. To maximize the number of casualties, the explosion took place on Ashura, one of the holiest days for Shia muslims,[19] when hundreds of pilgrims had gathered to commemorate the death of their third Imam, Husayn ibn Ali.[20] The attack left at least 25 dead and at least 70 injured.[19][a] The bomb was equivalent to 4.5 kilograms (10 lb) of TNT, according to experts.[22] Although a Sunni militant group claimed responsibility, the Iranian government laid the blame on the People's Mujahedin of Iran, and others accused a Pakistani militant.

2022 stabbings
[edit]
Main article: Imam Reza shrine stabbings

On 5 April 2022, a stabbing attack took place at the shrine, killing two Shia clerics and wounding a third. The perpetrator, identified as foreign national Abdullatif Moradi, was immediately arrested along with six others accused of assisting him. The victims were active members of non-profit constructing and cultural communities, motivated by anti-Shi'ism.[24]

Commune kitchen

[edit]

The harem kitchen dines 10 to 40 thousand visitors a day and sometimes on occasional events cooks for as many as 250,000. It has an Astan quds website page and there is an ID register and ticket lottery for a meal one course per person every three year.[25][26] During Ramadan, the Commune Kitchen feeds approximately one million pilgrims and citizens.[27]

Specifications

[edit]

Courtyards

[edit]

The complex contains a total of seven sahns, which cover an area of over 331,578 m2 (3,569,080 sq ft):[28] The courtyards also contain a total of 14 minarets,[29] and three fountains.[30]

Name Images Area appurtenant Year of first building
m2 sq ft
Islamic Revolution Courtyard four balconies, steel window
Freedom Courtyard 4,600 50,000 golden verandah
Courtyard of Goharshad Mosque
Quds Courtyard 2,400 26,000
Islamic Republic Courtyard 10,000 110,000 two minarets
The Razavi Grand Courtyard
Gadeer Courtyard
An image of Inqilab-e Islami Courtyard, Imam Reza Shrine

Halls

[edit]
A view of the existing sanctuary

From the courtyards, external hallways named after scholars lead to the inner areas of the mosque. They are referred to as Bast (Sanctuary), since they were meant to be a safeguard for the shrine areas:[31]

The Bast hallways lead towards a total of 21 internal halls (Riwaq) which surround the burial chamber of Ali al-Ridha.[32] Adjacent to the burial chamber is also a mosque dating back to the 10th century known as, Bala-e-Sar Mosque.[33]

Goharshad Mosque

[edit]
Goharshad Mosque details
Main article: Goharshad Mosque

This mosque is situated adjacent to the shrine of Imam Ridha.

Ali al-Ridha's Tomb

[edit]

It is located beneath the Golden Dome and surrounded by different porches each bearing a separate name.

Museums and other historical appurtenants

[edit]

There are two museums within the shrine limits, the Astan Quds Museum and the Quran Museum.

Notable burials

[edit]
Main article: List of burials at Imam Reza shrine

The shrine is the site of many notable burials, including members of the Timurid, Safavid, and Qajar families, and many notable political figures, scholars, and clerics. The first burial at the shrine was Harun al-Rashid, who died in 809 CE. Following that, Imam Ali Reza was interned following his death in 818 CE.

Tourism information

[edit]

The shrine is visible from far away and has entrances on all sides. There are separate entrance doors for males and female worshippers. Bags and cameras have to be left at luggage deposit offices outside the shrine for a 10,000 rials fee. Visitors are subject to a physical security check prior to entering the shrine gates. Mobile phones can be brought into the shrine. Females are required to wear a chador.

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Other estimates range from 200 to nearly 300.[21][22][23]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "The Islamic Seminaries At The Holy Shrine". Imam Reza (A.S.) Network. Archived from the original on May 30, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2009.[self-published source?][dead link]
  2. ^ a b "Sacred Sites: Mashhad, Iran". sacredsites.com. Archived from the original on November 27, 2010. Retrieved March 13, 2006.
  3. ^ "Religious Tourism Potentials Rich". Iran Daily. Archived from the original on June 12, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  4. ^ Hafiz, Yasmine (April 24, 2014). "Imam Reza Shrine Is The Heart Of Shi'ite Iran And The World's Largest Mosque-- See It Through A Pilgrim's Eyes" (includes images). Huffington Post. Archived from the original on May 8, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  5. ^ Higgins, Andrew (June 2, 2007). "Inside Iran's Holy Money Machine". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  6. ^ "The Glory of the Islamic World". Imam Reza (A.S.) Network. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2009.[self-published source?][dead link]
  7. ^ "Shrine of Imam Reza in Iran's Mashhad, Once Visited By Guru Nanak". NDTV. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  8. ^ Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha. Vol. 2. July 23, 2015. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  9. ^ "Look at the history of Imam Reza's burial ground (Persian)". mashreghnews.ir. January 24, 2012. Archived from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 11, 2017.
  10. ^ Dungersi, Mohamed Raza (January 1996). A Brief Biography of Imam Ali bin Musa (a.s.): al-Ridha. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. p. 42. ISBN 978-1502834249. Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Zabeth, Hyder Reza (1999). Landmarks of Mashhad. Foundation of Astan Quds Razavi. ISBN 9789644442216. Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Petrushevski, Ilia Pavlovich (1970). Islam in Iran. ketab.com. p. 271. ISBN 9781595844613. Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  13. ^ a b c "How the shrine of Imam Reza was built?". Iranian student's news agency. Archived from the original on October 15, 2016. Retrieved January 4, 2014.
  14. ^ Lorentz, John H. (2010). The A to Z of Iran. Scarecrow Press. p. 202. ISBN 9781461731917. Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  15. ^ Bosworth, Clifford Edmund (2008). Historic cities of the Islamic world. Brill. p. 337. ISBN 978-90-04-15388-2. OCLC 231801473.
  16. ^ Axworthy, Michael (2010). A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind. Basic Books. p. 212.
  17. ^ "Banknotes & Coins". Central Bank of Iran. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  18. ^ "100 Rials". Central Bank of Iran. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  19. ^ a b Haeri, Safa (June 21, 1994). "Bomb kills 25 and injures 70 at Iran's holiest shrine". The Independent. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  20. ^ "Bomb Kills 25 At Holy Place In Iranian City". The New York Times. June 21, 1994. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  21. ^ Atkins, Stephen E. (2 June 2011). The 9/11 Encyclopedia: Second Edition. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9781598849219. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  22. ^ a b "Bomb explosion in Imam Reza Holy Shrine". Islamic Revolution Document Center. 1994. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  23. ^ "Context of 'June 20, 1994: Ramzi Yousef Bombs Iranian Shrine'". www.historycommons.org. Archived from the original on January 12, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2016.
  24. ^ حضور معنادار مردم در مراسم تشییع پیکر شهید اصلانی/ ‌پیکر شهید رمضان در کنار شهدای انفجار حرم ‌رضوی آرام گرفت + فیلم و تصاویر. خبرگزاری تسنیم [tasnimnews.com] (in Persian). Archived from the original on April 7, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  25. ^ نحوه ثبت نام در مهمانسرای حرم امام رضا (ع). eghtesadonline.com (in Persian). February 20, 2020. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  26. ^ "Archived copy". farsnews.ir. Archived from the original on August 7, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  27. ^ توزیع بیش از یک میلیون بسته‌ افطاری در حرم رضوی - ایسنا. ISNA.ir (in Persian).
  28. ^ "Sahn (Courtyards) Around the Holy Shrine". Imam Reza (A.S.) Network. Archived from the original on May 29, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2009.[self-published source?][dead link]
  29. ^ "Minarets". Imam Reza (A.S.) Network. Archived from the original on May 30, 2008. Retrieved May 26, 2009.[self-published source?][dead link]
  30. ^ "Saqqah Khaneh". Imam Reza (A.S.) Network. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2009.[self-published source?][dead link]
  31. ^ "The Bast (Sanctuaries) Around the Holy Shrine". Imam Reza (A.S.) Network. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2009.[self-published source?][dead link]
  32. ^ "Riwaq (Porch)". Imam Reza (A.S.) Network. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2009.[self-published source?][dead link]
  33. ^ "The Bala-Sar Mosque of the Holy Shrine". Imam Reza (A.S.) Network. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2009.[self-published source?][dead link]

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Donaldson, D. M. (1935). "Significant Miḥrābs in the Ḥaram at Mas̱ẖhad". A. Islam. Vol. ii. pp. 118–27.
  • Hakami, Nasrine. Pèlerinage de l'Emâm Rezâ: Étude Socio-économique (in French). Tokyo: Institute for the Study.
  • Mawlawī, ʿA.-Ḥ.; Moṣṭafawī, M. T.; Šakūrzāda, E. (2011). "Āstān-e Qods-e Rażawī". Encyclopædia Iranica.
  • Melville, C. P. (1996). "Shah ‛Abbas and the Pilgrimage to Mashhad". In Melville, C. P. (ed.). Safavid Persia: The History and Politics of an Islamic Society. London. pp. 191–229.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Pope, A. U.; Ackerman, P. (eds.). Survey of Persian Art, 1964–7. Vol. 2. pp. 1201–11.
  • Saadat, B. (1976). The Holy Shrine of Imam Reza, Mashhad, 4 vols. Shiraz.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa. 1989.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Imam Reza Shrine.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Mashhad.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imam_Reza_shrine&oldid=1291321872"