Shah Cheragh Shrine
Situated in the city center of the beautiful city of Shiraz, the Mausoleum of Seyyed Amir Ahmad ibn Musa Kazem (AS), the descendent of the seventh Shia Imam known locally as Shah Cheragh (literally means ‘King of Light’) is the third most important pilgrimage center in Iran after the shrines of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad and Fatima Masumeh (SA) in Qom.
Dating back to the early ninth century CE, the mausoleum is the most notable religious site among many splendid Islamic constructions in Shiraz where in 835 CE Amir Ahmad took refuge from the tyranny of the Abbasid rulers on the Shia Sect. It was the 14th century CE when the shrine was spread into a mosque and a theological school, becoming a more enchanting site on the order of the pious and art-loving queen Tashi Khatun.
The holy shrine includes the exquisite dome and two nice minarets with wonderful tile work as well as interior walls covered with beautiful cut glass and amazing multi-colored tiles. Likewise, it consists of a wide courtyard with a big pool in the middle, a colonnaded porch, and the tomb chamber with latticed railings as the main parts, offering the indescribable sense of beauty and tranquility.
The impressive decorations and ornamentations of the shrine such as mirror glass, stucco inscriptions, and doors adorned with silver panels are so attractive that makes the mausoleum a must-see part on the itinerary of those who visit Shiraz, whether domestic or foreign tourists.