The Glittering Mausoleum of Shah-e-Cheragh in Shiraz
SHIRAZ (Tasnim) – Shah-e-Cheragh (the shrine of the Lord of Light) is a funerary monument and mosque located in the city of Shiraz, in Iran, where lies the tomb of Sayyed Mir Ahmad and his brother, Sayyed Mir Mohammad, the sons of the seventh Imam and brothers of Imam Reza (AS).
The brothers' tombs, originally only simple mausoleums, became celebrated pilgrimage destinations in the 14th century when the pious and art-loving Queen Tashi Khatun erected a mosque and theological school by the tombs. After carrying out essential repairs, the queen ordered the tomb to be covered with millions of pieces of colored glass that glitter in the light and magnify its brilliance a thousand times. Shah-e-Cheragh is one of the most beautiful mosques and an important pilgrimage center of the city of Shiraz.
The expansive courtyard is a great place to sit and take in the bulbous blue-tiled dome and dazzling gold-topped minarets while discreetly observing the pious at what is one of the holiest Shiite sites in Iran. In the shrine itself, countless minute mirror tiles reflect the passion within, the Lonely Planet website reported.
A recently opened museum is housed in a new building off the northwestern corner of the courtyard (next to the shrine itself) and houses an interesting collection of shrine-related objects, including some highly prized old Qurans upstairs and an absolutely exquisite door decorated with silver, gold and lapis lazuli downstairs.
In the southeastern corner is the Bogh’e-ye Sayyed Mir Mohammad , which houses the tombs of two brothers of Mir Ahmad. The shrine has the typical Shirazi bulbous dome, intricate mirror work and four slender wooden pillars, leading some to describe it as more beautiful than Shah-e Cheragh.
