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Piety and Politics in Qajar Iran

The Takkiyya Mu’avin al-Mulk in Kermanshah

Nahid Massoumeh Assemi author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:18th Apr '24

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Piety and Politics in Qajar Iran cover

A detailed study of the architectural history of a takkiya Shi’i religious site in Kermanshah, Iran

The Takkiyya Mu’avin al-Mulk is a building complex in the city of Kermanshah in western Iran, dedicated to the annual commemoration of the martyrdom of Husayn ibn ‘Ali at the Battle of Karbala in 680, an event of seminal significance to Shi'i Islam. Private takkiyyas built by social elites were a phenomenon of the Qajar period, with their construction motivated by a political quest for legitimacy. This book examines the intersection of art and architecture, popular piety, and the politics of legitimation. Through an examination of the building and its decorative programme, it addresses issues of patronage, Shi’i iconography and popular religious practices during the early 20th century in Iran. It further argues for the role of takkiyyas in creation of a sense of community and group identity; the formative stage of the emergent idea of nationhood at the time, amongst those who frequented them.

This is a remarkable book, which I highly recommend. Its focus is the Takkiyya Mu'avin al-Mulk and its rich decorative programmes. The author paints around these a colourful, and highly informative, picture of Iranian Shi’ism, its rites and its ceremonies. In addition, she brings to life the Takkiya’s wealthy merchant patron within the setting of early 20th century Iranian society and the country’s constitutional movement. * James Allan, Professor, University of Oxford, UK *

ISBN: 9780755652648

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

288 pages