The Safavid Dynastic Shrine

'This engaging study promises to become the standard work on the Safavid dynastic shrine at Ardabil, one of the most important shrines of the Islamic world. In its interweaving of architectural and dynastic history, The Safavid Dynastic Shrine moves well beyond its immediate subject, shedding new light on the role of regional shrines in the articulation and consolidation of Safavid authority and ideology more generally.' - Finbarr Barry Flood, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Humanities, Institute of Fine Arts and Department of Art History, New York University; 'Kishwar Rizvi's book on the shrine of Shaykh Safi al-Din at Ardabil is a thorough appraisal not only of the architecture of Safavid Iran but of the intricate relationship between religion, mysticism and royalty in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Analyzing the rituals performed at the Ardabil Shrine, Dr. Rizvi has linked her discussion of its architectural forms with descriptions of the buildings' function and their users. Because this book examines the shrine from a multitude of angles, it should appeal to readers interested in Safavid history, politics, religion, archaeology, art and architecture. Among the leaders of a new generation of Islamic art historians, Kishwar Rizvi has notably advanced the study of Safavid Iran with this volume.' - Sheila Canby, Patti Cadby Birch Curator in Charge, Department of Islamic Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art