Imamzadeh Ja'far, Borujerd

Imāmzādeh Ja‘far
Resting place of Ja‘far, grandson of ‘Alī ibn Husayn
Basic information
Location	Borujerd, Iran
Affiliation	Shia Islam
Architectural description
Architectural type	Mosque
Architectural style	Iranian

Imāmzādeh Ja‘far (Persian: امامزاده جعفر بروجرد‎‎) is a historical mausoleum in Borujerd, western Iran. The tomb contains the remains of Abulqāsim Ja’far ibn al-Husayn, grandson of the Shī‘ah Imam Ali ibn Hussayn.

History

Built in the 11th century AD, Imamzadeh Jafar is one of the few examples of the architecture of the Seljuq and Ilkhanid eras in Iran. A very similar mausoleum is the Tomb of Daniel in Susa, south western Iran. The building is octagonal with a high dome in the center. The height of the conic-shaped dome is 25 meters from the base. The main entrance is in east side and there are two halls decorated with tile work from the Safavid (16th century) and Qajar (19th century) times. The doors and the fringes are decorated by Safavid era intricate decorations. The interior decoration of the building has changed during different times and lastly, it has been covered with millions of small mirrors.

The main gate is in wood, with engraved decorations from Safavid era. Below the ground floor, there is a small room containing the main grave which is not accessible for public.

This shrine is located in the middle of a historical graveyard with many old graves and trees. 30 meters far from the main building there is another historical tomb, known as Do Khāharan ("The Two Sisters") which belongs to two saints.

In March 2006, a strong earthquake in Borujerd caused extensive damage to the tomb. The mud-brick parts of the building destroyed up to 50% according to the officials and a big hole appeared on the dome.

See also

• Media related to Imāmzādeh Ja‘far at Wikimedia Commons
• Borujerd earthquake, March 2006
• Holiest sites in Islam (Shia)
• Imām Ridhā Mosque
• Shāh Abdol Azīm Mosque

References

• Borujerd Information Portal
• CHN Press
• Mehr News 2006/04/03