Historical documents and archaeological data play an important role in clarifying obscurities and ambiguities in history and in analyzing the cultural, political, economic, and social developments of a given period. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Complex of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili contains many known and unknown sources from the periods of Sufi leadership and Safavid rule. These materials are essential for filling the gaps in the religious history of the Safavids before the formal establishment of a national Iranian government based on Shi’a. One of the key historical issues in the last three decades of the 9th century AH and the first two decades of the 10th century AH is the public declaration of the Safavid religious inclination, which became fully apparent with the rise of the dynasty’s founder. This article, using field, library, and documentary studies, along with a descriptive-analytical method based on first-hand sources, investigates the religious orientation of Alamshah Begum, mother of Shah Ismail I, based on religious relics, inscriptions, and manuscripts preserved in the Sheikh Safi complex. The main questions addressed include: What are the reasons for attributing the existing marble tombstone in the cemetery courtyard next to Sheikh Safi's shrine to Shah Ismail’s mother, and what is its date? What is the connection between Alamshah Khatun’s religious orientation and the contents of the newly discovered manuscript in the collection and the inscriptions on her tombstone? This study also examines her transformation from Christianity to Islam, with a focus on Shi’ism. Analysis of inscriptional documents from the religious and educational institutions of Sheikh Safi from the late 9th and early 10th centuries AH shows the public declaration of her belief in Islam and her husband’s Shi’a faith, partially reflected in Shi’a inscriptions and her burial near her Safavid ancestor.
Type of Study:
Original Research Article |
Subject:
Islamic era Received: 2024/10/22 | Accepted: 2024/12/9 | Published: 2024/12/20