Shah-e-Cheragh, the funerary monument and mosque, is the most important place of pilgrimage within the historic city of
shiraz. The shrine of Shah-e-Cheragh which literally translates to the king of the lamp, is housing the
tomb of Sayyed Mir Ahmad, the brother of Imam Reza (AS), who died in 835 CE.
Sayyed Mir Ahmad, one of Imam Reza’s 17 brothers, was hunted down and killed by the caliphate on this site in AD 835 and his remains are housed in this glittering shrine.
A mausoleum was first erected over the grave during the 12th century but most of what you see dates from the late-Qajar period and the Islamic Republic.
The tombs became celebrated pilgrimage centres in the 14th century when Queen Tashi Khatun erected a mosque and theological school in the vicinity.
Shāh-é-Chérāgh is Persian for "King of the Light".
The site was given this name due to the nature of the discovery of the site by Ayatullah Dastghā'ib (the great grandfather of the contemporary Ayatullah Dastghā'ib).
He used to see light from a distance and decided to investigate the source. He found that the light was being emitted by a grave within
...see more a graveyard.
The grave that emitted the light was excavated, and a body wearing armor was discovered.
The body was wearing a ring saying al-‘Izzatu Lillāh, Ahmad bin Mūsā, meaning "The Pride belongs to God, Ahmad son of Musa". Thus it became known that this was the burial site of the sons of Mūsā al-Kādhim.
The decorative work in a mosaic of mirror glass, the inscriptions in stucco, the ornamentation, the doors covered with panels of silver, the portico, and the wide courtyard are most attractive.
The tomb, with its latticed railing, is in an alcove between the space beneath the dome and the mosque. And this custom of placing the tomb in this position, so that it is not directly under the dome, is to be seen in other famous places of pilgrimage in the city of shiraz, and may be considered a special feature of shiraz shrines.
Two short minarets, situated at each end of the columned portico, add impressiveness to the mausoleum, and to the spacious courtyard, which surrounds it on three sides.
Inscribed on the Iran’s national heritage list, the shrine of Shah-e-Cheragh is the city’s most notable religious site.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.tehrantimes.com
http://www.lonelyplanet.com
