The Topography of Corporal Relics in Twelver Shiʿism

Abstract Because of the plurality of the venerated figures, the holy places of Twelver Shiʿism are numerous. This paper focuses on places of devotion that are supposed to contain bodily relics and presents them in a schematic framework to discuss the importance of some of these places, and some aspe...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Material Cultures in the Muslim World Vol. 1; no. 1-2; pp. 199 - 225
Main Author: Parsapajouh, Sepideh
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Leiden | Boston Brill 09.02.2021
Subjects:
ISSN:2666-6278, 2666-6286
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Because of the plurality of the venerated figures, the holy places of Twelver Shiʿism are numerous. This paper focuses on places of devotion that are supposed to contain bodily relics and presents them in a schematic framework to discuss the importance of some of these places, and some aspects of their transformations over time. I first identify the sacred figures of Shiʿism and the place or the places (multi-locality of tombs) attributed to each of them. I then move on to a discussion of two things that can seem paradoxical, i.e. the immateriality of the sacred figure, and his/her omnipresence beyond places. My findings are based on field observations and interviews, and on documentary and published sources.
ISSN:2666-6278
2666-6286
DOI:10.1163/26666286-12340009