The Shāh Abdol-Azīm Shrine ( fa, شاه عبدالعظیم), also known as Shabdolazim, located in

Rey Rey may refer to: *Rey (given name), a given name *Rey (surname), a surname * Rey (''Star Wars''), a character in the ''Star Wars'' films * Rey, Iran, a city in Iran * Ray County, in Tehran Province of Iran * ''Rey'' (film), a 2015 Indian film *The ...

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 ...

, contains the tomb of ‘Abdul ‘Adhīm ibn ‘Abdillāh al-Hasanī (aka Shah Abdol Azim). Shah Abdol Azim was a fifth generation descendant of Hasan ibn ‘Alī and a companion of Muhammad al-Taqī. He was entombed here after his death in the 9th century. Adjacent to the shrine, within the complex, include the mausolea of Imamzadeh Tahir (son of the fourth Shia Imam Sajjad) and Imamzadeh Hamzeh (brother of the eighth

Twelver Twelver Shīʿīsm ( ar, ٱثْنَا عَشَرِيَّة; '), also known as Imāmīyyah ( ar, إِمَامِيَّة), is the largest branch of Shīʿa Islam, comprising about 85 percent of all Shīʿa Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers t ...

Imām - Imām Reza).

Background

Abdol Azim migrated to Rayy out of persecution and subsequently died there. A piece of paper was found in his pocket outlining his ancestry as being: ‘Abdul ‘Adhīm son of ‘Abdillāh son of ‘Alī son of Husayn son of Zayd son of Hasan ibn ‘Alī. Shah Abdol Azim was sent to Rayy ( Modern day Tehran) by Imam Reza. His journey was full of hardships but he successfully reached there and delivered the message of Imam. He was one of the pious persons of his time. During his journey many spies of Abbasid Caliph Al-Matawakkil tried to capture him but failed. A movie on the life of Shah Abdol Azim Al-Hasani has been made and is available in Persian and Urdu languages.

History and design

Ibn Qūlawayh al-Qummī (d. 978 CE) "includes the shrine in his Kāmil al-Ziyārāt, one of the earliest pilgrimage guides for the Shiʿa, which suggests that the tomb of ʿAbd al-Aẓīm was already of some importance by the tenth century." The tomb of Abdol-Azim had also come under the patronage of Sunni rulers at times, a notable example being the mausoleum constructed over Abdol-Azim's tomb in the 1090s CE by orders of the Seljuk vizier Majd al-Mulk Asʿad b. Muḥammad b. Mūsā.Leisten, Architektur für Tote, pp. 240-241. The whole construction consists of a portal with a lofty

Iwan An iwan ( fa, ایوان , ar, إيوان , also spelled ivan) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called , a Persian term for a portal projecting ...

decorated with mirrors, several

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

s, a golden

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, from ...

, two tile

minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...

s, 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

sepulcher A tomb ( grc-gre, τύμβος ''tumbos'') is a 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 called ''immuremen ...

, and a mosque. The most historical and portable relic of this holy place, is its costly box which is made of betel-nut wood. On four sides of this precious box, a relief inscription in Nastaliq and Thuluth characters, is carved. The inscription ends with the date 1330 CE, and the name of the maker of the box, i.e., Yahya ibn Muhammad al-Isfahani. An inlaid door near the mausoleum of

Nasser al-Din Shah Naser al-Din Shah Qajar ( fa, ناصرالدین‌شاه قاجار; 16 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. He was the son of Mohammad Shah Qajar and Malek ...

, (This place used to be called Masjid-i-Holaku, prior to its being turned into a tomb) which bears the date 1450 CE, i.e., the period of Shah-rokh Bahadur

Timurid Timurid refers to those descended from Timur (Tamerlane), a 14th-century conqueror: * Timurid dynasty, a dynasty of Turco-Mongol lineage descended from Timur who established empires in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent ** Timurid Empire of C ...

`s reign, constitutes another historical relic of this structure. Two antique iron doors which are engraved with Kufic inscriptions are to be found in the treasure-house of the (Astaneh), which seem to be the oldest remains of this structure and to belong to the

Seljukid The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turk ...

period. But, at present, these two doors and the concluding part of their inscriptions bear the date 1538. Further, there is an inlaid door which had formerly been installed in the northern part of the ivan of Imamzadeh Hamzeh. This door has an inscription in Tulth calligraphy, dated 1512. The cupola of this structure has been built upon the order of

Majd al-Mulk radestani Qomi Majd or Magd ( ar, مجد) is an Arabic name which means "glory" or "praise". It may refer to: Organisations * Majd Movement, a political party in Lebanon * Al Majd SC, a former Lebanese football club * Al-Majd SC, a Syrian football club *Almajd ...

, and later on has been plated with gold. The ivan, portico and portal of the building date from the reign of

Shah Tahmasp I Tahmasp I ( fa, طهماسب, translit=Ṭahmāsb or ; 22 February 1514 – 14 May 1576) was the second shah of Safavid Iran from 1524 to 1576. He was the eldest son of Ismail I and his principal consort, Tajlu Khanum. Ascending the throne after ...

(

Safavid Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

king). The gold-threaded silk belonging to the

period. The silver-plated sepulcher has been made and installed by the order of

Fath Ali Shah Qajar 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 ...

. The mirror-work, paintings and gildings of the structure belong to the 19th century. Reparations are still being carried out in this complex of holy structures. Adjoining this holy tomb, there are some other tombs belonging to the Qajar monarchs, and the Ulamahs (religious scholars) and other personalities.

Notable Burials

* Abdol-Azim al-Hassani (789–866) – medieval scholar *Morteza Razi ( fa) (11th cent.) – medieval scholar *

Abu al-Futuh al-Razi Abu al-Futuh al-Razi ( ar, أبو الفتوح الرازي), full name Abū al-Futūḥ al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad al-Khuzāʿī al-Rāzī al-Nīsābūrī () or Abu al-Futuh Jamal al-Din al-Razi al-Nisaburi (), also known a ...

(1087–1157) – medieval scholar * Ahmad Monshi Qomi (1547–1607) – scholar * Abolghasem Ghaem-Magham Farahani (1779–1835) –

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

(1834–35) *Mohammad-Sharif Khan Mafi ( fa) (d. 1847) – politician * Qaani Shirazi (1808–1854) – poet *Saadat-Ali Shah ( fa) (d. 1876) – leader of Nematullahi Gonabadi Sufi order *Abbas-Ali Dadashbeig ( fa) (1814–1878) – military officer and father of Reza Shah *Mohammad Khan Majd ol-Molk Sinaki ( fa) (1809–1881) – politician *

Bahram Mirza Bahram Mirza Moezz-od-Dowleh Qajar ( fa, بهرام میرزا معزالدوله قاجار; 1806- 1882) was the second son of Abbas Mirza who was the youngest son of Fat'h Ali Shah Qajar. He was an educated and erudite man expert on many subjec ...

Moezz od-Dowleh (1806–1882) – Qajar prince and politician * Ali Kani (1805–1888) – cleric *

Qajar (1831–1896) – Shahanshah of Persia (1848–96) *Mohammad-Ali Sadr ol-Mamalek ( fa) (d. 1902) – politician *Vajihollah Mirza ( az) (1854–1905) – Qajar prince and politician *

Sattar Khan Sattar Khan ( fa, ستارخان, , October 20, 1866 – November 17, 1914), honorarily titled Sardār-e Melli ( fa, سردار ملی meaning ''National Commander'') was a pivotal figure in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and is considered ...

(1866–1914) – a leader of

Persian Constitutional Revolution The Persian Constitutional Revolution ( fa, مشروطیت, Mashrūtiyyat, or ''Enghelāb-e Mashrūteh''), also known as the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, took place between 1905 and 1911. The revolution led to the establishment of a par ...

*Soltan Hossein Mirza Jalal od-Dowleh ( fa) (1868–1914) – Qajar prince and politician *Nour-Ali Shah II ( fa) (1867–1918) – leader of Nematullahi Gonabadi Sufi order *Abolhassan Mirza ( az) (1847–1919) – Qajar prince and politician * Mohammad Tabatabai (1842–1920) – cleric a leader of Persian Constitutional Revolution * Malek-Mansour Mirza Sho'a' os-Saltaneh (1880–1920) – Qajar prince *

Mohammad Khiabani Shaikh Mohammad Khiābāni ( fa, شیخ محمد خیابانی, 1880–1920), sometimes spelled Khiyabani, also known as Shaikh Mohammad Khiābāni Tabrizi was an Iranian Shia cleric, political leader, and representative to the parliament. He wa ...

(1880–1920) – politician * Abolqassem Naser ol-Molk (1866–1927) – politician and regent of Persia (1911–14) *Ahmad Bader Nasir od-Dowleh ( fa) (1870–1930) – politician *Raf'at Semnani ( fa) (1882–1931) – poet *Mohammad-Hossein Nadoushani ( fa) (1864–1932) – politician *Ali-Mardan Khan ( fa) (1892–1934) – chief of Bakhtiari tribe *Banoo Ozma Eftekhar od-Dowleh ( fa) (1857–1935) – Qajar princess *Nezameddin Hekmat Moshar od-Dowleh ( fa) (1883–1936) – politician *Abdollah Haeri Rahmat-Ali Shah ( fa) (1862–1937) – Sufi leader *

Mohammad Aghazadeh Khorasani Mohammad Aghazadeh Khorasani ( fa, محمد آقازاده خراسانی; born 1877 in Najaf, Iran) was a Shia cleric from Iran, known for his scientific work published under pseudonyms such as Ayatollah Aghazadeh, Ayatollah Aghazadeh Najafi, ...

(1877–1937) – cleric * Firouz Mirza Nostrat od-Dowleh (1889–1938) – Qajar prince and politician *

Abdol-Hossein Mirza Farmanfarma Prince Abdol-Hossein Farman Farma ( fa, عبدالحسین فرمانفرما 1857 – November, 1939) was one of the most prominent Qajar princes, and one of the most influential politicians of his time in Persia. He was born in Tehran to P ...

(1852–1939) – Qajar prince and politician * Reza Shah Pahlavi (1878–1944) – chief of Persian Cossack Brigade (1920–21),

(1923–24) and Shahanshah of Iran (1925–41) (

Reza Shah's mausoleum The mausoleum of Reza Shah ( fa, آرامگاه‌ رضاشاه), located in Ray south of Tehran, was the burial ground of Reza Shah Pahlavi (1878–1944), the penultimate ''Shahanshah'' (Emperor) of Iran. It was built close to Shah-Abdol-Azim s ...

) *Gholamhossein Rahnama ( fa) (1882–1946) – scholar *Sadr-ol-Eslam Khoei ( fa) (1887–1948) – scholar *

Mohammad Qazvini Mohammad Qazvini ( fa, محمد قزوینی ; 1876–1949) was a prominent figure in modern Iranian culture and literature. Education and activities Qazvini was born in Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Pr ...

(1877–1949) – scholar *

Esmail Merat Esmail Merat ( fa, اسماعیل مرآت; 7 March 1893 – 18 December 1949) was Iran's minister of education during Reza Shah reign. He is founder of some faculties of university of Tehran, including law faculty and technical faculty. He has a ...

(1893–1949) – politician *Abdollah Mostowfi ( fa) (1878–1950) – politician *

Mostafa Adl Mostafa Adl ( fa, مصطفی عدل, also known as Manṣur-al-Salṭana (); 1882 – 12 July 1950) was an Iranian politician, diplomat, jurist, former Ambassador of Iran to Switzerland (1935–39) and president of University of Tehran (1941–42). ...

(1882–1950) – politician * Haj-Ali Razmara (1901–1951) – prime minister (1950–51) *Moahammad Mazaher ( fa) (1875–1954) – politician * Ali-Reza Pahlavi (1922–1954) – Pahlavi prince and son of Reza Shah *

Abbas Eqbal Ashtiani Abbas Eqbal Ashtiani ( fa, عباس اقبال آشتیانی; 1896-97 – February 10, 1956) was an Iranian literary scholar, historian, translator, and man of letters. Eqbal Ashtiani was born in Ashtian. He was educated at Dar ul-Funun (House ...

(1896–1956) – scholar * Ali Soheili (1896–1958) – prime minister (1942, 1943–44) *

Mohammad-Sadegh Tabatabaei Seyyed Mohammad-Sadegh Tabatabaei ( fa, سید محمدصادق طباطبایی) was an Iranian politician, Persian Constitutional Revolution, constitutionalist activist affiliated with the Secret Society (Persia), Secret Society and journalist. ...

(1881–1961) – politician *

Abolghasem Kashani Sayyed Abol-Ghasem Mostafavi-Kashani ( fa, سید ابوالقاسم کاشانی ''Abu’l-Qāsem Kāšāni''; 19 November 1882 – 13 March 1962) was an Iranian politician and Shia Marja. Early life His father, Ayatollah Hajj Seyyed Mostafav ...

(1882–1962) – cleric and politician * Fazlollah Zahedi (1892–1963) – army general and prime minister (1953–55) *Tayyeb Haj-Rezaei ( fa) (1911–1963) – political activist *Abdol-Azim Gharib ( ru) (1879–1965) – scholar *Nezam-Vafa Arani ( fa) (1887–1965) – poet * Hassan-Ali Mansur (1923–1965) – prime minister (1964–65) * Ziaeddin Tabatabaei (1889–1969) – journalist and prime minister (1921) * Badiozzaman Forouzanfar (1897–1970) – scholar *

Ahmad Matin-Daftari Ahmad Matin-Daftari, also known as ''Mo'in al-Dowleh'', ( fa, احمد متین دفتری; 23 January 1897 – 26 June 1971) was an Iranian politician. He served as the former Prime Minister of Pahlavi Iran from 1939 until 1940. Biography Ahmad ...

(1897–1971) – prime minister (1939–40) * Mohammad-Ali Emam-Shoushtari (1902–1972) – scholar *Davoud Maghami ( fa) (1938–1972) – politician *Mohammad-Kazem Assar ( fa) (1884–1975) – scholar * Ahmad Ashtiani (1882–1975) – cleric * Hajj Khazen Ol-Molk (1831-1901) – merchant, scholar * Mohammad-Amir Khatami (1920–1975) – commander in chief of

IIAF The history of the Iranian Air Force, currently known as the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, can be divided into two phases—before the Islamic Revolution, and after it. Imperial era The Imperial Iranian Air Force (IIAF) was a branch ...

(1958–75) * Ali-Asghar Hekmat (1892–1980) – politician *Soleiman Behboudi ( fa) (1896–1981) – politician *Nasrollah Falsafi ( fa) (1901–1981) – scholar *Reza Mafi ( fa) (1943–1982) – calligrapher *Hassan Nayyerzadeh ( fa) (1928–1983) – scholar * Karim Amiri Firuzkouhi (1910–1984) – painter *Mohammad-Ali Hedayati ( fa) (1910–1986) – politician *Amanollah Ardalan Ezz-ol-Mamalek ( fa) (1884–1987) – politician *Mehdi Soheili ( fa) (1924–1987) – poet *Hossein Lankarani ( fa) (1889–1989) – politician *Shamseddin Jazayeri ( fa) (1913–1990) – politician * Mohammad Taghi-Falsafi (1908–1998) – cleric * Abdol-Karim Haghshenas (1919–2007) – cleric *Abolghasem Gorji ( fa) (1923–2010) – scholar * Mohammad-Ali Taraghijah (1943–2010) – painter *

Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan (Persian: مصطفی احمدی روشن) (8 September 1979 – 11 January 2012) was an Iranian nuclear scientist who was assassinated in 2012. He was also deputy of commerce at the Natanz nuclear power plant. Life Ahmadi Rosh ...

(1979–2012) – scholar *

Azizollah Khoshvaght Azizollah Khoshvaqt ( fa, عزیزالله خوشوقت), also known as Ayatollah Khoshvaqt (1926 – 19 February 2013), was a contemporary philosopher, wikt:mystic, mystic, theologian and faqih. He was a student of Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai, Sey ...

(1926–2013) – cleric *

Mojtaba Tehrani Grand Ayatollah Agha Mojtaba Tehrani (Persian: مجتبي تهراني) (4 April 1933 – 1 January 2013) was an Iranian Twelver Shi'a Marja' taqlid, which is described as "a high-ranking Shia cleric who is regarded as a source of emulation". ...

(1937–2013) – cleric *

Sadegh Tirafkan Sadegh Tirafkan ( fa, صادق تیرافکن; July 3, 1965 in Karbala, Iraq to Iranian parents – May 9, 2013 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) was an Iranian contemporary artist who lived mainly in Tehran, Iran. Career Tirafkan employed differ ...

(1965–2013) – artist *Vali Akbar ( fa) (1970–2013) – wrestler * Mohammad-Reza Mahdavi Kani (1931–2014) – cleric and prime minister (1981) *Parviz Moayyed-Ahd ( fa) (1929–2016) – scholar *Mohammad-Taghi Nourbakhsh ( fa) (1962–2018) – scholar *

Mohammad-Ali Shahidi Hojjatoleslam Sayyid Mohammad Ali Shahidi Mahallati ( fa, سید محمد علی شهیدی محلاتی) was an Iranian cleric and politician who served as Director of Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs from 2013 to 2020. In 2009, form ...

(1949–2020) – cleric and politician * Ali Akbar Mohtashamipur (1947–2021) – cleric and politician *

Seyyed Mohammad Ziaabadi Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Ziaabadi (1928 - 8 February 2021) (Persian: سید محمد ضیاءآبادی) was an Iranian Mujtahid that was based in the Tehran Islamic Seminary. He specialised in Islamic ethics and interpretation of the Quran. ...

(1928-2021) - cleric

Background

History and design

Notable Burials

See also

References

Further reading