We’re extremely excited to welcome Fuchsia Hart as an incoming Placecloud expert. Fuchsia is a PhD student at the University of Oxford studying shahs & shrines in 19th-century Iran and interested all things Islamic art, Iranian history & Persian literature. Fuchsia will be publishing our first viewpoints in the Middle East in July:
The Shah ʿAbd al-ʿAzim Shrine, Rayy, Iran
This viewpoint will introduce the ʿAbd al-Azim shrine in Rayy, to the south of Tehran, and then focus on the assassination of Nasir al-Din Shah at the shrine in 1896.
Shah Cheragh Shrine, Shiraz, Iran
The Shah Cheragh Shrine is the most notable shrine in the Iranian city of Shiraz. This viewpoint will introduce the site and examine the pilgrimage practices which take place there.
The Mosque of Shaykh Lutfallah, Isfahan, Iran
This small mosque is one of Iran’s most iconic buildings. Situated on the western side of Shah ʿAbbas’s 17th-century ‘Plan of the World Square’ in Isfahan, this viewpoint will explore the building of the mosque and its original intended purpose.
The New Court, Shrine of Imam Reza, Mashhad, Iran
Imam Reza was the eighth of the Twelve Imams, and the only Imam to be buried in Iran, making his shrine the most significant religious site in the country. This viewpoint will focus on the New Court which was added to the shrine by Fath ʿAli Shah (r.1797-1834) in 1818.
Qadamgah Shrine, Nishapur, Iran
This viewpoint will visit the Qadamgah shrine, near Mashhad. Said to mark a spot visited by Imam Reza (‘qadamgah’ literally means ‘stepping place’), this viewpoint will explore the 17th-century construction of the shrine and the beliefs attached to it.
Fayziyya Madrasa, Shrine of Fatima Maʿsuma, Qom, Iran
Fatima Maʿsuma was the sister of Imam Reza. Her shrine in Qom was heavily patronised by Fath ʿAli Shah and so this viewpoint will explore his patronage of a new madrasa (religious school) for the site.
The Shrine of Imam Ḥusayn, Karbala, Iraq
Introducing one of the most significant shrines for Shiʿi Muslims, which marks the burial spot of the third of the twelve Imams, Ḥusayn, this viewpoint will focus on the Wahabbi-Saudi raid of the shrine in 1802.
The Karte Sakhi Shrine, Kabul, Afghanistan
This is one of the most important sites for Shiʿi Muslims in Kabul, said to mark the spot where the Prophet’s cloak spent a night while being taken south to Kandahar. It is a particularly important site for the Hazaras, a community who have sadly been the target of many violent attacks over recent years, some of which took place at this shrine.