Ali- Ibn- Hamzeh Holy Shrine

 Ali- Ibn- Hamzeh Holy Shrine

The holy shrine of Ali- Ibn- Hamzeh, is one of the artistic, historical, and religious monuments in Shiraz. This holy place belongs to Amir Ali- Ibn- Hamzeh, Ibn- Musa Kadhim, that is, the grandson of the seventh Muslim Imam. The building is located in the vicinity of Hafiz’s tomb, very close to the Shiraz Dry River. This holy sanctum has been built during the Deilami period, founded by King Azad Al-Dula Deilami, and renovated during the Teiymouri dynasty.

Some parts of the building were constructed and some other sections were renovated again during the Pahlavi period by Master Habib Allah Jokar and under the skillful management of the renowned architect of the time, Master Peiravani. His private family graveyard is also right there in the garden area of the building. This very sanctuary is one of the spiritual, artistic, and historical tourist spots that have attracted the attention of many visitors each year. 

Ali Ibn Hamzeh, the son of Hamzeh, who is himself the son of the seventh Muslim Imam, Musa Kadhim, had to flee to Shiraz, as he was under the pressures of the government of his time, during the Abbassid Khalifs’ era during the Middle Ages, in about 840. He took shelter in one of the surrounding mountains nearby the city, Shiraz, later on, called Baba Koohi Mountains. He had been living there in seclusion. During the daytime, he was gathering firewood and used to come to Estakhr City gate and sell them to buy food for his family already with him in one of the caves of Baba Koohi Mountains.

Tragically, he was recognized by one of the king’s guards for his facial mole. They did behead him and sent his head to Baghdad, the headquarter of Abbassaid Khalifs, during that period. However, they buried his corpse close to Shiraz City Gate, the very place that is now his holy shrine. Years later, Azad Al-Dula Deilami, constructed a tomb on his grave and married the girl of one of Ali’s reverend family, Seyyed Sharif Ibn e Zeid. When he passed away, Azad Al-Dula, honorably buried him close to that holy place, on the west side of Ali Ibn Hamzeh’s tombstone. 

The entrance door of Ali Ibn Hamzeh holy shrine, though very old and worn out, is typically a sample representative of the artistic taste belonging to the people from Shiraz. It is traditionally craved leading the observers to an entrance arch above which a ruby stone tablet welcomes the visitors with beautiful calligraphy by King Ibrahim, the son of Shahrokh, king of the Teiymouri dynasty. All the dedications belonging to this holy shrine belong to Hamzavi family members who are the descendants of Ali Ibn Hamzeh.

Even before stepping in, every onlooker would be attracted to the unique turquoise dome of this holy place. The precious and artistic tile works that belong to the Deylami period are among the rare artistic pieces of traditional Iran. The holy shrine itself is located at the end of the hall after you have passed the entrance arch. While entering, you would see many chambers and houses that lead you to the tombstone. On top of the tombstone, there is a chamber-like altar made of wood that is in complete harmony with the woodcarving fretworks set to the main entrance door.

The walls and the ceilings are eye-catching covered by marble stones and artistic mirror-works with the reflections of green lights of the grand chandeliers on them. In every corner of the hall, there are many stone tablets with verses of the Holy Quran and the sayings of the great Prophets and Muslim Imams. 

In the garden area of the holy shrine, there had been the tombstones of several Kings of the Al-e-Bouyeh dynasty whose gravestones have been destroyed by the passage of time. Among them, one can name the graves of Ali Emad Al-Dulah, and Hassan Rukn Al- Dulah both belonging to the Middle Ages ( around the 8th century). There is a small narrow basin in the middle of the garden that has created such a calm and heavenly atmosphere in the area. The surrounding interior walls of the garden are all constructed in an arch-like style with beautiful marquetry works on their exterior sides. There are other centers located in this holy area as well, like a library with related manuscripts, a cultural center with translators and tour guides, and a specialized center on The Holy Quran studies. 

The simplicity of the brick-style structure of the exterior Shrine building with the creamy gold cubes artistically set round the arch-like walls is in an exquisite arrangement with the genuine brown color of the antique narrowed, taper-shaped, wooden windows that are delicately reticulated in a highly classic model representative of the Islamic architecture. The lazuli, azure tiles with Islamic calligraphies that have been worked in between the arches and walls, mythological symbolize the everlasting endurance of the soul and add an extra transcendental ambiance to the holy area of the shrine.

The thick-set base of the dome is exactly located on top of the azure tile works of the walls is covered in a shiny, illustrious sky-blue marquetry works with yellowish gold tile works in between that have created a sleek, glossy perspective that easily begets a unique heavenly setting. The two ascending prayer towers have truly made an actual holiness to the sanctuary. The symmetrical cedar trees in the very front yard create a specific Persian forefront to the exterior longshot of the building. Amazingly, the single palm tree in the very center, exactly above the basin has offered a tint of Arabic tone to the atmosphere that is highly suitable to the theme of the shrine with a Muslim fugitive fleeting to a Persian territory. Idealistically, the sour orange trees of the yard would loudly speak the Shirazi tone of the place, altogether creating a collage art that is outstandingly the artistic style of the Deylami era.  

This is Shiraz, the city of art, culture, and true faith. A fictitious place that is an all-inclusive example of the cradle of civilization. It includes everything, from secular beauties to sacred shelters of belief and spiritual serenity.