Document Type : Research Paper
Author
M.A. Student, History of Islamic Art, Department of Advanced Studies in Art, Faculty of Visual Arts, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
It is commonplace for new religions to transform a place of worship while maintaining traditional beliefs in revised forms. Many structures from the Islamic era, such as mosques and Imamzadehs, were built in Iran, however many of them had pre-Islamic origins. The historical mausoleum of Al-Rashid bi’llah or Imamzadeh Prince Hossein, which dates to the sixth century AH and coincided with the Seljuk period, is among the significant, historical, and archaic structures of Isfahan. This building is situated in the Jey neighborhood, one of Isfahan’s oldest neighborhoods with a pre-Islamic origin. There are several contradictions and ambiguities about the history and identity of those buried in this mausoleum. To answer the question of whether this building has pre-Islamic roots, this study aims to introduce the historical process based on the available documents and evidence as well as archaeological findings. It also relies on reliable documents and sound rationales to determine the identity of the buried people.
In this fundamental and applied study, the data gathered through the library research and field methods was examined using the inductive approach. employs a descriptive, analytical, and and analytical methodology and historical approach. According to research findings, the site of the current structure was previously occupied by the Mehr and Anahita Temple and a Zoroastrian religious structure. These structures were destroyed in the Arab invasion of Iran, and a sturdy mosque was erected there in the second and third centuries AH. Caliph Al-Rashid bi’llah was killed in Isfahan in the sixth century and buried in the northern part of the mosque. The Caliph’s mausoleum was constructed in the same century, together with a mosque, a minaret, and a dome. Just the tomb remains after the mosque and minaret were demolished in the centuries that followed. It seems that the people buried in this place are Prince Hussein, a descendant of Imam Hassan (AS), and Caliph Al-Rashid bi’llah.
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