The Imamzadeh Haroun-e-Velayat ( fa, امامزاده هارون ولایت), or the Harun-i Vilayat Mausoleum, is an
imamzadeh
An imamzadeh () is a Persian language, Persian term with two related meanings: a type of holy person in Shia Islam, and the shrine-tomb of such a person.
Firstly, it means an immediate descendant of a Shia, Shi'i Imamah (Shia doctrine), Imam. T ...
in
Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. It is located opposite the
Ali minaret in
Dardasht and belongs to the
Ismail I
Ismail I ( fa, اسماعیل, Esmāʿīl, ; July 17, 1487 – May 23, 1524), also known as Shah Ismail (), was the founder of the Safavid dynasty of Safavid Iran, Iran, ruling as its King of Kings (''Shahanshah'') from 1501 to 1524. His re ...
era. There are many accounts of Harun Vilayat, the person who is buried in it. Some say that he is
the seventh Imam's son and others, that he is
the tenth Imam's son, but aside from the matter of who is buried in it, it is the most important historical structure related to the early
Safavid era
The Safavid dynasty (; fa, دودمان صفوی, Dudmâne Safavi, ) was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history, as well as one of th ...
. Beyond the
tomb
A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a :wikt:repository, repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be ...
it has also a
portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
, a
tile
Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or o ...
d
dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
and a large yard.
It seems that some repairs and improvements were carried out in the
Fath-Ali Shah
Fath-Ali Shah Qajar ( fa, فتحعلىشاه قاجار, Fatḥ-ʻAli Šâh Qâjâr; May 1769 – 24 October 1834) was the second Shah (king) of Qajar Iran. He reigned from 17 June 1797 until his death on 24 October 1834. His reign saw the irr ...
era.
The mausoleum has become a shrine reputed to have miraculous powers and is also venerated by some
Armenian Christian
, native_name_lang = hy
, icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg
, icon_width = 100px
, icon_alt =
, image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg
, imagewidth = 250px
, a ...
s.
ArchNet.org: Imamzadah Harun-i Vilayat
/ref>
References
External links
ArchNet.org: Harun-i Vilayat Mausoleum photos
ArchNet.org: Imamzadah Harun-i Vilayat
Researchgate.net: "Harun-i Vilayat Shrine of Isfahan: Its Quiddity and Religious Ties" (thesis Feb 2019 by Samaneh Pouremadi)
Further reading
*Newman, Andrew (ed.), 2003: ''Society and Culture in the Early Modern Middle East: Studies on Iran in the Safavid Period''. Brill: Leiden and Boston
{{Iran-struct-stub
Shrines in Iran
Tombs in Iran
Mausoleums in Isfahan
Architecture in Iran