Shiraz: Islamic Destinations

There are numerous shrines in Shiraz and its surroundings such that some refer to Fars province as the land of holy shrines.
Many historians and religious scholars consider Shiraz as one of the first Shiite cities and refer to it as the Home of the Faithful.
Numerous religious sites in Shiraz date back to 2nd and 3d centuries AH (after hegira), and manifest the rich cultural background of the region’s people, IRIB reported.

Holy Shrine of Shahcheragh
The shrine of Ahmad ibn Mousa (AS) also known as Shahcheragh, one of the descendants of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad (blessings of God be upon him and his progeny), is one of the most important and largest shrines in Shiraz.
It glitters like a gem at the heart of the historical city of Shiraz.
Ahmad ibn Mousa was martyred along with a large number of his relatives during his trip to the city of Tous, the headquarters of the Abbasid Caliph Mamoun, on the order of this autocratic ruler in 2nd century AH.
He intended to meet his brother, Imam Reza (AS), the 8th infallible successor to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who had been forcibly taken to this city.
The tomb of Ahmad ibn Mousa (AS) was discovered in the 5th century AH and a mausoleum was built over it.
During the rule of Shah Ismaiel I in 912 AH, this mausoleum was repaired. Ninety years later, following an earthquake, half of this mausoleum was destroyed and was later renovated.
Thereafter, the tomb was reconstructed on several occasions. In 1958, the previous dome of this mausoleum was replaced with the current dome, which has a stronger structure.
Following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the shrine was widely renovated. Its courtyard and sanctum were expanded.
The current Shahcheragh Shrine includes a porch and numerous chambers linked to the tomb.
The shrine’s architecture, mirror decorations, calligraphies, plasterworks and the silver doors of the porch are valuable examples of this Islamic artwork.
The tomb of Seyyed Amir Mohammad (AS), the brother of Shahcheragh, is also located in the eastern corner of the shrine and decorated with mirrors. The sepulcher of this tomb is made of silver and has been chiseled by highly skilled Iranian artists.

Jame’ Atiq Mosque
Jame’ Atiq Mosque is also one of the most ancient religious sites of Shiraz, which is also known as Jomeh Mosque (Friday Mosque).
This mosque, located east of Shahcheragh Shrine, was made in 281 AH.
Jame’ Atiq Mosque has six gates. Within the courtyard of this mosque, a cubic building has been constructed. The inscriptions of this building have been written during the rule of Sheikh Abu Es’haq Injou.
The building of Jame’ Mosque was been vastly damaged due to an earthquake and renovated during the rule of Safavid and Qajarid dynasties.

The Holy Qur’an Gateway
In addition to the beautiful and large mosques of Shiraz, Darvazeh Qur’an (Qur’an Gateway) is another valuable historical monument of Shiraz.
This monument, located northeast of Shiraz, has been named Qur’an Gateway since a copy of Holy Qur’an has been placed on top of its high roof.
This roof was made during the rule of Ezoddoleh Daylami in Fars province, and the copy of Holy Qur’an was placed within it.
After the roof suffered damage, it was renovated during the rule of Zandieh Dynasty ruler, Karim Khan Zand.
In 1937, part of this roof again suffered damage and was reconstructed a few years later.In 1948, Hussein Igar, one of the businessmen of Shiraz, financed the renovation of this roof.
The cover of this roof displays a number of verses of Holy Qur’an, which have been written over tiles.
In addition to the monuments, which manifest the art and culture of previous generations, Shiraz is home to numerous cultural buildings such as historical schools, libraries, museums and the tombs of philosophers and poets.
Every day, these sites receive thousands of people who reaffirm their allegiance with the previous cultural figures of this land.
These cultural monuments include the tombs of gnostic poets, such as the acclaimed Iranian gnostic poets Hafez, Sa’di and Khajavi Kermani.