The Mausoleum of Safavid Princes (; ), also known as the Mausoleum of Seti Fatemeh, is
Twelver
Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the Islamic schools and branches, largest branch of Shia Islam, Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twel ...
Shi'ite
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood to ...
mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...
and funerary complex, located in the Chaharsu-ye-Kuchak district of the city of
Esfahan, in the province of
Isfahan
Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. The mausoleum, completed in 1632
CE, entombs the remains of some of the great-grandsons of
Safavid
The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...
ruler,
Shah Ismail I who were executed during the reign of
Shah Safi.
The complex was added to the
Iran National Heritage List
Iran National Heritage List is a register of nationally significant monuments, places, buildings, events, etc., officially registered under the National Heritage Preservation Act of 1930. According to Article 1 of this law, "All the industrial mon ...
on 13 December 1934, administered by the
.
History
When Sam Mirza came to power as the new
Shah of Iran
The monarchs of Iran ruled for over two and a half millennia, beginning as early as the 7th century BC and enduring until the 20th century AD. The earliest Iranian king is generally considered to have been either Deioces of the Median dynasty () ...
and took the royal title of Shah Safi, he ruthlessly eliminated anyone he regarded as a threat to his power, executing almost all of the Safavid royal princes.
Some of these murdered or executed princes were entombed between the years 1631 to 1632 at the spot where the mausoleum is now.
The mausoleum was renovated in 1826 during the reign of
Fath-Ali Shah Qajar
Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (; 5 August 1772 – 24 October 1834) was the second Shah of Qajar Iran. He reigned from 17 June 1797 until his death on 24 October 1834. His reign saw the irrevocable ceding of Iran's northern territories in the Caucasus, com ...
.
An inscribed poem, dating back to the same year, reveals a name of a "Muhammad Ali Khan" who was responsible for the renovations.
Tomb of Seti Fateme
On the west of the mausoleum is the Tomb of Seti Fateme () which is believed to contain the grave of Siti Fatimah, a daughter of the seventh Imam of
Ahlulbayt,
Musa al-Kadhim
Musa al-Kazim (; 745–799) was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the seventh imam in Twelver Shia Islam. Musa is often known by the title al-Kazim (), apparently a reference to his patience and gentle disposition. He was born ...
.
This building dates from the reign of
Shah Abbas I
Abbas I (; 27 January 1571 – 19 January 1629), commonly known as Abbas the Great (), was the fifth Safavid shah of Iran from 1588 to 1629. The third son of Shah Mohammad Khodabanda, he is generally considered one of the most important rulers ...
. Despite the attribution, there is no historical evidence that a daughter of Musa al-Kadhim was buried there, nor is there any proof for her existence.
There is a private mausoleum for the influential families of Soltan Khalifa and Sadat Marashi in this area as well.
Gallery
BIBI SETTI21.jpg, Inside the tomb of Seti Fateme
See also
*
List of historical structures in Isfahan
*
List of mausoleums in Iran
*
Shia Islam in Iran
The Arab conquest of Iran, which culminated in the fall of the Sasanian Empire to the nascent Rashidun Caliphate, brought about a monumental change in Iranian society by purging Zoroastrianism, which had been the Iranian nation's official and m ...
References
External links
{{Isfahan Province
17th-century religious buildings and structures in Iran
Buildings of the Qajar period
Mausoleums, shrines and tombs on the Iran National Heritage List
Domes in Iran
Mausoleums in Isfahan
Minarets in Iran
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1632
Religious buildings and structures with domes
Religious buildings and structures with minarets
Safavid architecture in Iran
Shrines in Iran
Twelver Shia shrines