Imam Reza shrine
The Imam Reza Shrine is the mausoleum of Ali al-Rida, the eighth Imam in Shia Islam, located in Mashhad, the province of [Razavi Greater Khorasan|Khorasan province|Razavi Khorasan], Iran. As one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, nearly 30 million Muslims making pilgrimages to the shrine every year, the most visited pilgrimage site in Islam.
Imam Reza was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, known for his piety and learning. Born in 766 CE, his lineage traces back to Ali via Muhammad’s daughter Fatima, from their son Husayn. He is part of the chain of mystical authority in Sunni Sufism, making him widely respected in Sunni Islam as well. He is also regarded as a model of asceticism in Sufism, and the chains of authority in Shia Sufism progress through him. Uyoun Akhbar Al-Ridha have recorded miracles which have occurred at the shrine.
The shrine covers an area of 1,200,000 square meters, making it the third largest mosque in the world, after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. The Goharshad Mosque, a museum, a library, four seminaries, a cemetery, and the Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, are also contained within the complex. The complex was added to Iran's National Heritage List on 6 January 1932, and on 2 February 2017, it was added to the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Also buried within the shrine are the members of the Timurid, Safavid and Qajar family members, alongside the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid, polymath Baha al-Din al-Amili, crown prince Abbas Mirza, and many other notable political figures, scholars, and clerics.
Religious significance
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:History
Early years
Dar-ul-Imarah 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 was changed and known as the Mashhad-ur-Reza. Mashhad literally means 'a place where a martyr has been buried'.Martyrdom of Ali al-Ridha
In 818, Imam Ali al-Ridha was murdered by the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun and was buried beside the grave of al-Ma'mun's father, Harun al-Rashid. After this event, the location was called Mashhad al-Ridha. Shias and Sunnis 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.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.
Samanid era
The Samanids, who ruled over a large part of Greater Khorasan, were notable patrons of Sunni Islamic scholarship. They maintained and supported religious institutions, including the early structures around the Imam Reza shrine. Although there are limited architectural remnants from their time, historical accounts suggest that the Samanids contributed to the preservation and modest development of the shrine, ensuring that it remained a focal point for pilgrims in the region. Their support laid the groundwork for later dynasties to expand the shrine.Ghaznavid era
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, Sebuktigin, the Ghaznavid sultan devastated Mashhad and stopped the pilgrims from visiting the shrine. But in, Mahmud of Ghazni started the expansion and renovation of the shrine and built many fortifications around the city.Seljuk era
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. In, as borne out by inscriptions on certain tiles, Allaudin Khwarezm Shah carried out renovations on the shrine.Mongols
During the Khwarazmian dynasty, some repair and decoration was made inside the shrine. In 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, Khorasan was plundered by the invading hordes and the survivors of this massacre took refuge in Mashhad and settled around the shrine. Sultan Muhammad Khudabandeh Iljaitu, the Mongol ruler of Iran, converted to Shi'ism and ruled Iran from until, once again renovated the shrine on a grand scale.
Timurid era
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. 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.Safavid era
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, 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 and Mughal Emperor Akbar. The latter was notably a Sunni.
Afsharid and Qajar era
Nader Shah Afshar and [Qajar dynasty|the Qajar Iran|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. The whole complex was greatly damaged in 1911, but it was repaired after a while.
Modern era
There were significant changes in the complex in. Old Falakah was extended up to a radius of 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, 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.
The shrine is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 100 rials coin, issued since 2004.
Kitchen
The harem kitchen receives 10 to 40 thousand visitors per 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 one course meal per person every three years.During Ramadan, the Commune Kitchen feeds approximately one million pilgrims and citizens.
Incidents
1994 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, when hundreds of pilgrims had gathered to commemorate the death of their third Imam, Husayn ibn Ali. The attack left at least 25 dead and at least 70 injured. The bomb was equivalent to of TNT, according to experts. 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
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.Specifications
Courtyards
The complex contains a total of seven sahns, which cover an area of over : The courtyards also contain a total of 14 minarets, and three fountains.Halls
From the courtyards, external hallways named after scholars lead to the inner areas of the mosque. They are referred to as Bast, since they were meant to be a safeguard for the shrine areas:- Bast Shaykh Toosi – leads to the Central Library
- Bast Shaykh Tabarsi
- Bast Shaykh Hur Ameli
- Bast Shaykh Baha'i