The mausoleum of Imâmzâde ‘Ali in Shekarnâb, Âbyek

Death and absolution are the issues which have always preoccupied people of almost all religions. The belief that being close to the tomb of a saint, a martyr, a holy warrior, an Imâmzâde (an Imâm’s son and successor), etc. is the source of sanctity and purity has led to a lot of consequences. Among the countries of the world, Iran holds a particular position regarding the diversity of funeral rites and the number of mausoleums in it. The spiritual atmosphere and urban texture of some Iranian cities, such as Mashhad, Qom and Qazvin have caused them to be regarded as the Shi'a’s holy or religious cities. In general, and except for a few cases among the Sunnis, the Shi'i mausoleums and shrines are quite distinct from the rest. The Imâms buried therein had a spiritually exalted status, and it is worth indicating that a much more unworldly atmosphere prevails in the Shi'i mausoleums. This had also a significant effect on the architecture of these constructions. Thus in addition to the spiritual aspect, the builders tried to beautify the mausoleums through using various types of embellishment which gave them an air of splendor. The present article studies the mausoleum of Imâmzâde 'Ali in Shekarnâb, Qazvin which is a Shi'i mausoleum.