Shah Cheragh and The Dazzling Dome of Mirrors

Shah Cheragh is a religious monument located in Shiraz, the capital of the Fars Province in the southern part of Iran. The story of its founding and its awe-inspiring decoration have made it one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the country. The combination of these two brilliant elements make it obvious why it is called King of the Light.

This monument houses the tombs of Amir Ahmad and Mir Muhammad, the sons of the 7th Imam, Musa al-Kadhim, and the brothers of the 8th, Imam Reza. Although a mausoleum was first constructed over the site during the 12th century, most of the present structure dates to the late Qajar period and from the time of the Islamic Republic. Shah Cheragh is the third most venerated pilgrimage site in Iran, after the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad and the Fatima Masumeh Shrine in Qum.

Shah Cheragh at night with pilgrims. (javier san felipe larrea/CC BY NC ND 2.0)