An imamzadeh () is a 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

Shi'i Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...

Imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, serve ...

. The term is also used in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Azeri Azerbaijanis (; az, Azərbaycanlılar, ), Azeris ( az, Azərilər, ), or Azerbaijani Turks ( az, Azərbaycan Türkləri, ) are a Turkic people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. They are the second-most nume ...

. Imamzadeh means "offspring" or descendant of an imam. There are many different ways of spelling the word in English,Esposito, John L. 2003. The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford University Press. Oxford. p 136. such as imamzada, imamzadah and emamzadah.Lambton, A.K.S. "Imamzada." Encyclopedia of Islam, Second Edition. Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. Van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2010. Brill Online. Augustana. 6 April 2010 Imamzadeh are basically the Syed's or Syeda's as they have descended from the Imams. Imamzadehs are also sayyids, though not all sayyids are considered imamzadehs. There are many important imamzadehs. Two of these are

Fātimah bint Mūsā Fatima bint Musa ( ar, فَاطِمَة بِنْت مُوسَىٰ, '; born 1st Dhu al-Qadah 173 AH – 10th or 12th of Rabi' al-Thani 201 AH; approximately March 22, 790 AD – November 7 or 9, 816 AD), commonly known as Fatima al-Ma'suma ( ar ...

, the sister of Imam

Ali al-Ridha Ali ibn Musa al-Rida ( ar, عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُوسَىٰ ٱلرِّضَا, Alī ibn Mūsā al-Riḍā, 1 January 766 – 6 June 818), also known as Abū al-Ḥasan al-Thānī, was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the ...

, 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 ...

Imam, and

Zaynab bint Ali Zaynab bint Ali ( ar, زَيْنَب بِنْت عَلِيّ, ', ), was the eldest daughter of Ali, the fourth Rashidun Caliphate, Rashidun caliph () and the first Imamate in Shia doctrine, Shia Imam, and Fatima, the daughter of the Muhammad, Is ...

, daughter of Ali, considered by Shi'i Muslims to be the first Imam and by Sunni Muslims as the fourth Rashid. Imamzadehs are not traditionally women. Secondly, imamzadeh is a term for a shrine-tomb of the descendants of Imams, who are directly related to

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...

. These shrines are only for the descendants of Imams and they are not for the Imams themselves. These shrine-tombs are used as centers of Shi'i devotion and pilgrimages. They are believed to have miraculous properties and the ability to heal. Many of them are located in Iraq, Medina, India and Iran. Mollah imamzadeh tabriz

Many people visit the imamzadehs that are relatively close to them. There are also special ziyarat-namas (pilgrimages) for many of the imamzadehs. Some of these pilgrimages even happen annually during the certain time of year. Some of the imamzadehs are not as well kept as others. According to Reinisch, an imamzadeh that he saw was mostly in ruins, though it is still important.

List of imamzadeh shrine-tombs

Imamzadeh Hamzah, Tabriz Imāmzādeh Hamzah ( fa, امامزاده سيد حمزه) is an Imamzadeh mosque complex in Tabrīz, Iran. The mosque contains the grave of Hamzah, son of the Twelver Shī‘ah Imām, Mūsā' al-Kādhim. Location The Imāmzādeh Hamzah mos ...

* Imamzadeh Hamzeh, Kashmar *

Imamzadeh Ja'far, Borujerd Imāmzādeh Ja‘far ( fa, امامزاده جعفر بروجرد) is a historical mausoleum in Borujerd, western Iran. The tomb contains the remains of Abulqāsim Ja’far ibn al-Husayn, grandson of the Shī‘ah Imam Ali ibn Hussayn. Histo ...

Imamzadeh Ja'far, Damghan An imamzadeh () is a 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 Shi'i Imam. The term is also used in Urdu and Azeri. Imamza ...

Imamzadeh Ja'far, Isfahan Imamzadeh Ja'far ( fa, امامزاده جعفر) is an imamzadeh in Isfahan, Iran. It is located opposite the Esmaeil religious complex. It is one of the pre-eminent structures of the Ilkhanid era. It is related that this emamzadeh is the grave o ...

* Imamzadeh Saleh, Shemiran *

Imamzadeh Sultan Mutahhar Imamzadeh Sultan Mutahhar is an historical mausoleum in the city of Rudehen in Tehran province. Located in the ''Bumehen'' neighborhood of Roudehen, the current structure was rebuilt in the 15th century and contains the tomb of the murdered so ...

Shah-Abdol-Azim shrine The Shāh Abdol-Azīm Shrine ( fa, شاه عبدالعظیم), also known as Shabdolazim, located in Rey, Iran, contains the tomb of ‘Abdul ‘Adhīm ibn ‘Abdillāh al-Hasanī (aka Shah Abdol Azim). Shah Abdol Azim was a fifth generation des ...

Shah Cheragh Shāh Chérāgh ( fa, شاه چراغ) or Shahcheragh Shrine is the tomb of Ahmed bin Musa (Imam Reza's brother) in the center of Shiraz. It is the third most important shrine in Shia Islam in Iran, after the Imam Reza shrine and Fatima Masum ...

Imamzadeh (Ganja) Imamzadeh Mausoleum or Goy Imam Mosque ( az, İmamzadə türbəsi) is located 7 km northward to Ganja. It consists of a complex including walls with entrances, small mosques and funerary monuments. The mausoleum, located inside the mosque, bea ...

Imamzadeh Ahmad Imamzadeh Ahmad ( fa, امامزاده احمد) is an imamzadeh in Isfahan, Iran. The Imamzadeh comprises a tomb, to the north and west of which are two ''iwans''; the tomb faces a vast yard where several famous people, like Amir Kabir's daughte ...

Imamzadeh Esmaeil and Isaiah mausoleum Emamzadeh Esmaeil ( fa, امامزاده اسماعيل) is a historical complex in Isfahan, Iran, which dates back to the Seljuk and Safavid era. This complex is located near the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, in the Hatef street and contains two m ...

Imamzadeh Haroun-e-Velayat The Imamzadeh Haroun-e-Velayat ( fa, امامزاده هارون ولایت), or the Harun-i Vilayat Mausoleum, is an imamzadeh in Isfahan, Iran. It is located opposite the Ali minaret in Dardasht and belongs to the Ismail I era. There are m ...

Imamzadeh Mohammad An imamzadeh () is a 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 Shi'i Imam. The term is also used in Urdu and Azeri. Imamza ...

Imamzadeh Seyed Morteza Imamzadeh Seyed Morteza ( fa, امامزاده سید مرتضی) is related to the Qajar dynasty and is located in Razavi Khorasan Province, Kashmar Kashmar () ( fa, کاشمر, also Romanized as ''Kāshmar''; formerly ''Keshmar'', '' Torsh� ...

Imamzadeh Shah Zeyd Imamzadeh Shah Zeyd ( fa, امامزاده شاه زید) is an imamzadeh in Isfahan, Iran. It belongs to the early Safavid era. It is well known for paintings on its walls. These paintings are about the Battle of Karbala. Cavalries are in most of ...

* Imamzade Hossein, Qazvin

Popular culture

The Imamzadas were so influential that some cities or parts of cities are named after the Imamzadas who are buried there, for example,

Torbat-e Heydarieh Torbat-e Heydarieh ( fa, تربت حيدريه, also Romanized as Torbat-e Ḩeydarīyeh; also known as Torbat-e Heydari, Turbat-i-Haidari, Torbate Heydari, and Turbet-i-Haidari, and for short Torbat) is a city and capital of Torbat-e Heydarieh C ...

Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh ( fa, آستانه اشرفيه, also Romanized as Āstāneh-ye Ashrafīyeh; also known as Astane and Āstāneh) is a city and capital of Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh County, Gilan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its populatio ...

in Gilan, Astaneh near Arak, and

Shahreza Shahreza ( fa, شهرضا, also Romanized as Shahrezā and Shahriza; formerly Komsheh, then Qomsheh (Persian: ), also Romanized as Kowmsheh, and Qowmsheh) is a city and capital of Shahreza County, Isfahan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its ...

References

{{Iranian architecture Shia imams Islamic terminology Shia Islam Architecture in Iran Tombs in Iran Islamic pilgrimages Shrines in Iran

List of imamzadeh shrine-tombs

Popular culture

See also

References