Journal of Razavi Culture

Abstract Throughout history, European travel writers and tourists interested in visiting the Razavi Shrine often traveled to Mashhad without knowing the specific rules of the Razavi Shrine and its sanctuaries. During their travels, tourists would ask their Muslim companions, who were on their way to visit the Shrine, They rarely mentioned in their travelogues any reports of their fellow travelers not being accepted, or any complaints or grievances about the regulations for travelers in pilgrimage caravans. However, when they arrived in Mashhad, based on their goals, which were mostly to tour and visit the historical complex of the Holy Shrine, They would encounter an unexpected challenge that would make them tired of the journey. Preventing non-Muslims from visiting the Holy Shrine was a problem during the Qajar and Pahlavi eras, which made European tourists very reluctant to travel to Mashhad. The research method in this study is quantitative and qualitative with a descriptive approach based on events taken from European travelogues in the 13th and 14th centuries AH. This research seeks to find the answer to the question: What measures or reactions did non-Muslim travel writers have in order to create a ban on the Holy Shrine? This research seeks to find the answer to the question: What measures or reactions did non-Muslim travel writers have in order to create a ban on the Holy Shrine? The findings of this study indicate that a large number of them were subject to the legitimate laws and current regulations of the Holy Shrine and public opinion. Therefore, after understanding the limitations, they preferred not to even approach the sanctum sanctorum. Some people also entered the shrine of Imam Reza through legal channels and influence, and a few people have also visited or reported on the holy shrine using subtle tricks and special tricks.

Abstract The bombing of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (P.B.U.H) by the Russians on the 10th of Rabi’ al-Thani, 1912, is considered a significant historical event in Mashhad. Known as the “Second Ashura,” the event was commemorated for a long time and poems were composed in its memory. In this regard, the current study sought to introduce and analyze the content of a newly discovered treatise concerning the bombing of Imam Reza’s shrine. To this end, the most reliable sources on this subject were identified and categorized into official sources, including documents, and unofficial sources, such as books and newspapers. Subsequently, to facilitate a comparative analysis of their content with the information in the treatise under discussion, the main topics were divided into several themes, including the types of financial and human damages, the method of attacking the shrine and the positioning of the cannons, the number of shells that hit the shrine and their locations. For each theme, the significance of the manuscript’s information was clarified in comparison to other sources. The codicological structure of the treatise and its informational value were also presented separately to further emphasize the importance of its content. The analysis of the research findings reveals that this manuscript has remained unknown until now, and its information has not been utilized elsewhere. Based on the style and manner of the information presented, the author was closely involved in the event and endeavored to provide an accurate depiction while fairly addressing its various dimensions based on personal observation and available evidence and documents. Some of the manuscript’s information, such as the way the event commenced and the incidents leading to the shrine being shelled, is consistent with other sources. In specific cases, such as the individuals involved, financial and human losses, the arrangement of military forces, and the method of bombardment, the treatise possesses informational value, and the sections concerning figures like Yusef Khan Herati’s fate are unique.

Abstract The Safavid era marked a significant expansion of Shia culture in Iran, leading to the establishment of numerous rituals and ceremonies honoring the Imams. Among these, the birthday celebrations of the Imams have gained prominence in recent centuries, becoming an integral part of Shia customs and traditions. The holy shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad serves as a focal point for many of these religious ceremonies, which are conducted with meticulous attention to detail and specific protocols. Some of these ceremonies trace their origins to initiatives undertaken during the Qajar and Pahlavi eras, highlighting the cultural, sociological, and historical significance of understanding their formation and the factors that influenced their development. This research focuses on the birthday celebration of Imam Reza in Mashhad, a pivotal religious observance for the Shia that has witnessed remarkable growth in the past two centuries. The primary research question seeks to identify the factors that transformed this birthday ceremony into a grand Shia celebration during the Qajar era and the subsequent Islamic Revolution. The findings of the research reveal that the Qajar dynasty, particularly through the initiatives of Naser al-Din Shah, Mozaffar al-Din Shah, and officials stationed in Mashhad, played a crucial role in the development of Imam Reza’s birthday celebration. During the Pahlavi era, administrative discipline, executive instructions, the creation of dedicated endowments, and media attention contributed to the expansion and widespread observance of the birthday celebration in Mashhad.

Abstract Souvenirs are interpreted as reminders of travel experiences, and buying souvenirs and taking blessings is one of the main components of pilgrimage. As a tangible symbol of the pilgrimage, souvenirs are a possibility to expand the sanctity and blessing of the pilgrimage. This research seeks to investigate what goods and with what motivation pilgrims buy as souvenirs during their trip to Mashhad, and to what extent they are satisfied with their shopping experience, and what types of objects pilgrims tend to buy as a blessing. Take to your city. The distinguishing feature of this research is to address the role of the special feature of “being blessed” in pilgrims’ souvenirs. Therefore, the typology of souvenirs and blessed gifts that pilgrims take to their city was also discussed. This research was conducted by survey method and 580 pilgrims were randomly selected during Nowruz 1401. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire and the questionnaires were completed by interview method. The interviewers were stationed at the four entrances of the Holy Shrine in order to consider the diversity of the sample. The findings showed that the souvenirs bought by the pilgrims can be classified into three major groups: local food, religious items, and consumer items. Of course, the share of local food is more in the souvenir basket of pilgrims. They were satisfied with their souvenir shopping experience in Mashhad (in terms of product and seller characteristics). Pilgrims are more satisfied with the stores and products related to Astan Quds Razavi. For the majority of pilgrims, the feature of “blessing” of souvenirs is very important, and they bought more religious goods as a blessing. Pilgrims receive gifts in the shrine as a blessing, which is sacred and precious to them. These gifts were classified into three groups (blessed foods, religious-cultural items and parts of the holy place). Pilgrims are more inclined to receive blessed food, especially “Ghazaie Hazrat” as a blessing. What is clear is that economic problems in recent years have affected the buying behavior of pilgrims, and pilgrims are more accepting of cheap goods. At the end, suggestions for future studies regarding the purchase of blessed souvenirs are provided.

Abstract    This research, with a descriptive-analytical approach, investigates the effects of the communication between pilgrims and neighbors in the religious ritual of walking to Mashhad in the last decade of the month of Safar in 1401 solar year, on two indicators of the quality of life and the social capital of the residents. The statistical population of this research is all experts in urban and regional planning and tourism and pilgrimage services in Mashhad. By examining the individual and demographics of the members and using a sample t-test in SPSS software, the two main research questions are answered, and then the importance coefficient of each criterion is addressed through AHP (hierarchical) analysis. According to the examination of the average indicators and criteria and the significance level of the quality of life index test and the significance level of the social capital index test, it can be concluded that this social connection increases the quality of life and social capital of the residents. In the category of quality of life, respectively (quality of environment and housing), (health and social-individual well-being) and (solidarity and participation) are recognized as having high priority, and (employment and income), (education and culture), (quality of infrastructure) ) and (entertainment and free time), are in the next priorities. Also, in the prioritization and importance coefficient of the social capital category, (trust in pilgrims), (security for traveling at night) and (awareness of religious tourism) have the highest importance coefficient.

Abstract Every year, a significant number of Shiites in the last days of the month of Ṣafar, especially from the anniversary of the death of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and the martyrdom of Imam Hasan (as), from the 28th of Ṣafar to the day of the martyrdom of Imam Riḍā (as), the 30th of Ṣafar, go on foot to Mashhad al-Riḍā. This ritual, which on the one hand is the end of Muharram mourning and on the other hand honors the Holy Prophet (pbuh), Imam Hasan and Imam Riḍā (as), has become a ritual that can be examined based on the opinions of Mircha Eliadeh, a religious phenomenologist. In the upcoming research, we will analyze this ritual by descriptive analytical method and relying on the views of Mircha Eliade. This research shows that this ritual has all the characteristics of a symbolic and narrative ritual of tashrruf (arrival to pilgrimage) and with its special coherence, it prepares the mentality of the participants for the transition from linear time to sacred time, and on the other hand, it is a systematic introduction to enter the sacred space of Imam Riḍā's (as) shrine. In fact, this ritual is like a window for the worshipers to enter the holy time and place. In addition, the said ritual has multiple functions such as relieving anxiety, enhancing the social personality and strengthening the religious identity of the worshipers.

Abstract In the middle history of Iran, in places where Sādāt [offspring and descendants of an Imam] were present, the position of Naqīb [chief of a tribe or other group or community] supervised the affairs related to Sādāt. The city of Mashhad is one of the places where different groups of Sādāt settled after the martyrdom of Imam Riḍā (as). Subsequently, there was a Naqīb to oversee their affairs. From the Ilkhāni period and especially the Ghāzān period (703-694 AH) Naqīb of Sādāt became the Naqīb of Mashhad. During the Timurid period, on the one hand, the city of Mashhad expanded, and on the other hand, with the space provided for the freer functioning of the Shiites until the formation of the Safavid period, Sādāt and Nuqabā enjoyed a wider role and function in Mashhad. Therefore, the role of Nagībān in this period in the administration of the city of Mashhad and the holy shrine is significant. This research tries to study and analyze the role of Naqībān in the development of Raḍavī culture, duties and consequences of their performance in the period under review in a descriptive-analytical method and historical approach based on library studies.
Findings show that the Naqībān, while maintaining their previous duties such as managing the shrine of Imam Riḍā (as) and the guardianship of Sādāt near the shrine of Imam Riḍā (as) and living in the city, also held the leadership of the city of Mashhad. By establishing relations and converging with the political rulers of their time and gaining their support, the Naqībān provided the conditions for promoting the culture of pilgrimage of Imam Riḍā (as) in addition to the spread of Shiism. And by playing a role in the administration of the shrine of Imam Riḍā (as), they promoted the holy shrine, promoted Raḍavī culture and also the development of the holy city of Mashhad.

Abstract The establishment of the Ṣafavīd rule by Shah Ismail in 907 A.H. aroused the sensitivities of Sunni neighbors. In the meantime, the Uzbeks, with their religious claims and territorial expansionism, prepared various attacks on different cities of Khorāsān, including Mashhad, in which the Raḍavi court played an important role. The present research uses a descriptive-analytical method based on library texts to answer the question: what is the position of Raḍavi court in these conflicts? The findings indicate the fact that the Raḍavi court has not only been affected by the course of these conflicts, but has also affected their course; thus, the Uzbek invasions of Mashhad led to their various looting of the Raḍavi court; But these invasions paved the way for the Safavid kings to pay more attention to the issue of pilgrimage to Mashhad and the reconstruction of the holy shrine. The Ṣafavīds were also able to use the various capacities of the Raḍavi court to confront the Uzbeks.