Hamidreza Azarinia

Founder of the Shia Museum| Shia Art & Heritage | Numismatics, Calligraphy & Historical Artifacts 🏛️

[Umut Güner @umuttgunerr]

İran'ın Yezd şehrinde, çöl sıcağıyla başa çıkmak için 2.500 yıldır dünyanın en yaratıcı doğal soğutma teknolojisiyle 700'den fazla rüzgar kapanı (bajir) kullanılıyor ve elektrik olmadan oda sıcaklıkları 15°C düşürülüyor.!

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

🚪 This historic door is more than wood and craftsmanship.

It preserves the memory of a remarkable continuity.

Amid the political rivalries of Sunni rulers in pre-Safavid Iran, one thing endured:

📜 Patronage of Shiʿi symbols! Why?

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

Why would a Sunni ruler mint coins bearing the Shii formula #AliWaliAllah?
This coin, struck in Fars under Mubariz alDin Muhammad Muzaffar, bears the inscription “Ali is God's chosen spiritual authority”. It reflects the public influence of #Shii communities in #preSafavid #Fars.

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

2/2)These inscriptions reveal how theological beliefs were woven into the architectural and devotional life of medieval Iran.

Discover these remarkable examples in Pocket Museum 16: Alid Presence in the Mihrabs of Pre-Safavid Iran.

Read online: https://t.co/ZASNefcuNR

#Shia

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

1/2)
What can a mosque's mihrab tell us about the history of Shi'i belief?

More than you might expect.

In several pre-Safavid Iranian mosques, the inscriptions of the mihrab, include the names of the Imams.

#IslamicArt #IranianHistory #Shiism #Epigraphy #Mihrab #ArtHistory

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

The 12th Imam is honored with the title AlHujjah affirming the continuity of divine guidance.

Far more than a seal, this is powerful evidence that Shia religious identity was deeply embedded in Persian art long before the Safavids

@britishmuseum OA+.14288
#IslamicArt #AhlulBayt

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

This tiny gemstone may be one of the strongest visual proofs of pre-Safavid Shia devotion

• Lady Fatima is placed above the Prophet and the Imams as Om alA'immah & OmAbiha.

• An open book above her symbolizes the inseparable bond of the Qur'an and the Ahl alBayt (alThaqalayn)

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

The Banu Hashim tradition of Salawat has always embraced the Prophet’s Family. This remarkable inscription invokes blessings upon the Ahl al-Bayt of Ali ibn Abi Talib, reflecting a long-standing understanding: the Prophet’s Household and the Ali (as) are one and the same.

[𐩣𐩰𐩺𐩵 مفيد يوكسل الحيدري الشافعي Müfid Yüksel @mufidyuksel]

Medine-i Münevvere (İstasyon) Müzesinde, Ehl-i Beyt’ten, Hz. İmam Hasan’ın (R.A) ahfadından Muammer bin Ahmed bin El-Kasım bin Muhammed bin El-Kasım bin İbrahim bin İsmail bin İbrahim bin El-Hasen bin El-Hasen bin Ali bin Ebî Tâlib’e ait mezar şâhidesi kitâbesi ve tercümesi. Kitabe okuma ve tercüme: Müfid Yüksel (Blogspot)

قراءتي لهذا النقش علی شاهد قبر لمعمر بن احمد بن القسم بن محمد بن القسم بن ابرهيم بن اسمعيل بن ابرهيم بن الحسن بن الحسن بن علي بن ابي طالب رضي الله عنهم في متحف المدينة المنوّرة

https://t.co/dcNrxwwVWU

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

(2/2) By pairing this local bird with the inscription "ʿAlī Walī Allāh," these coins beautifully fused the region's natural heritage with a rising Shiʿi identity. 🪙✨

#History #Numismatics #IslamicArt #Iran #persian #Shia #Shiamuseum

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

(1/2) That famous Ilkhanid "Hawk" coin from Astarabad? It's actually a case of mistaken identity. 🦅❌

Look closer at northern Iran's natural history, and you'll find the bird is a Caspian pheasant. 🪶

#History #Numismatics #IslamicArt #Iran #persian

[Ahab Bdaiwi איהאבּ ܐܝܗܐܒ @abhistoria]

The latest book in our series with Brill.

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

For the first time, the Verse of Purification (Q33:33) was inscribed on Islamic coinage in Iran, transforming currency into a public declaration of the sacred status of the #Ahl_al_Bayt.

A coin can sometimes tell a story that chronicles leave untold.
#Shia #Numismatics

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

🪙 When did the (Qur'an 33:33) first appear on Iranian coins to proclaim the virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt?

During the reign of Hasan ibn Zayd (al-Dāʿī al-Kabīr), in Ṭabaristān (250 AH / 864 CE), a remarkable innovation appeared on coins struck at Jurjan and Nishapur.

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

More than just art, it’s a monument of devotion. The inscriptions send blessings upon the 14Infallibles, honoring #ImamHusayn as the "Martyr of #Karbala" and beautifully celebrating Lady #khadija & Lady #Fatima affirming the sacred role of women in the #Imamiyyah faith. 🖤(4/4)

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

A 700-year-old masterpiece hidden in the desert of Kerman, Iran.🏜️

This is the Shrine of Imamzadeh Saleh in Anar—a breathtaking reflection of #Shia culture and #IslamicArt that even fascinated British General Percy Sykes in his #travelogue.

Let’s unlock its secrets 👇(1/4)

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

But the real jaw-dropper? The sacred #tomb box. It’s a masterclass in Islamic #calligraphy, weaving Foliate&Square #Kufic, Riqāʿ & #Thuluth.

Carved into the stone a #Hadith from Prophet Muhammad: "This world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever." (3/4)

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

"#ImamiyyaPocketMuseum 17" is a curated look at how the memory of the Martyr of Karbala manifested in historic artifacts. A must-read for those exploring #IslamicArt, #Epigraphy, and Iranian cultural history.

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

Did you know that the public commemoration of Imam Husayn in Iran predates the Safavid era by centuries?

Our latest book, "Pocket Museum 17," traces this deep spiritual history through the tangible material heritage of pre-Safavid Iran. 👇

[Hamidreza Azarinia @azarinia]

By examining coins and public inscriptions, the book reveals how three powerful words—"Husayn," "Shaheed" (Martyr), and "Karbala"—were embedded into the daily lives and collective memory of early Iranian societies.