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Zarei M E, Sharahi E. (2023). Investigation on Karaj Abu-Dolaf Khanqahs base on Written Sources and Archaeological Evidence. Parseh J Archaeol Stud. 7(25), 193-217. doi:10.30699/PJAS.7.25.193
URL: http://journal.richt.ir/mbp/article-1-589-en.html

Abstract
City of Karaj Abu-Dolaf is one of the important cities in Islamic period which formed in early Islamic period then got prosperity in middle centuries. Knowledge about this city was limited to written resources till three decades ago. At present, we have more information about its location and remains through enough archaeological surveys as well as study of texts. One of the most important remains of it are Khanqahs. Khanqahs were constituted as centers for teaching the bases of religious learning and the principles of the Sufi orders from the fourth century in Islamic lands. Besides the city of Karaj Abu-Dolaf had several Khanqahs, so the aim of this research is to investigate those through archaeological survey then documents and texts. This research has three questions as following: 1. what time is supposed to formation and development of Khanqahs based on written documents and historical evidence? 2. What role documents and archaeological evidence has in coincidence of Karaj place with Astaneh city? 3. What were the location of Khanqahs in spatial structure of Karaj city? The approach of this article is historical-descriptive-analytical and information was obtained via documentary and field researches. Till now, no research has done about Karaj Khanghahs and based on documents and archaeological surveies, in addition to coincidence of current location of Astaneh city with old city of Karaj Abu-Dolaf, we can state Khanghahs of Karaj city were parts of spatial structure of city and sustained its functional relations with the architectural structures and remains after city’s decline.
Keywords: Khanqahs,Zawiah, Karaj Abu-Dolaf, Astaneh, Sufism.

Introduction
Khanqahs are one of the important architectural space related to sufism and its thoughts. One of the cities that these sort of spaces was prominent is Karaj city.  This city was formed in entrance of Islam then in middle century was one the important cities of Jebal or Iraq ajam (Banakati, 2007: 458; Ibn-Batuteh, 1997: V. 1: 281). Written sources have mentioned the location, political and social status of Karaj thus these traces let investigators to purpose suggestions about coincidences of Astaneh city with Karaj. Fortunately,through recent decade a lot of archaeological evidence were recognized in Astaneh city. One of the most important evidence was the inscription of instruction of a Khanqah and other works related to this structure that was found in water infrastructure digging in 2017. This discovery provides conditions to understand the function of Khanqahs at Karaj city. Following discovery, through study of local resources, spaces with function of Khanqah and Zawiah was recognized. According to local traditions those spaces were used by some of the sufi elders whose names and lands which were dedicated to their Khanqahs were mentioned by some endowments documents. Documents provide backgrounds to understand the relative location of these Khanqahs then usage of aerial photos and field survey helped to determine two Khanqahs location like Zawiah of Sheihk najm-odin Mahmud. Also Authors’ discussed the status of two elders named Pir Ismail and Pir Agha then tried to clarify the role of them as local elders. 
Questions & Hypothesis: 1. What time is supposed to formation and development of Khanqahs based on written documents and historical evidence? 2. What role documents and archaeological evidence has in coincidence of Karaj place with Astaneh city? 3. What were the location of Khanqahas in spatial structure of Karaj city?
The hypotheses are: 1. Karaj Khanqahs were constructed in middle Islamic period. 2. Available documents, confirm the status of Karaj Abu-Dolaf with current situation of Astaneh city. 3. Some evidence like inscription of Khanqah instruction, Khanqah Sheikh Mahmud Karaji and grave of local elderly shows status dedication in name of Khanqah or Zawiah in special structure of Karaj city.

Identified Traces 
Astaneh town located in 8 Km of Shazand city. Resources, confirm the status of this city with historical Karaj city. What causes the study of Karaj Khanqahs are classified in two group: 1. Archaeological and architectural evidence 2. Historical documents. Archaeological evidence includes “inscription of Khanghah structure” and ruins of architectural spaces in Astaneh city in name of Khanqah and grave of Sheikh Najm-odin Mahmud, Kamal-odin Ismail Khanqah and grave of Pir Ismail as well as Pir Agha.
Inscription of Khanqah instruction, is a turquoise square tile with 5 cm diameter and dimension of 42 cm that letters of inscription are carved in kufic scripts on its bed. The inscription is as following: 

انشاء بناء هذا الخانقاه/ [بید] الفقیر المحتاج/
الـ[ـی رحمـ]ـۀ ربه الخبیر،/بخـ[ـتیا]ر بن ابی‌بکر الدّما
نخـ[ـی]ر، لیکون محض رجال /المتصوّفه المختارین

Khanqah Sheikh Mahmud Karaji in Sheikh District of Astaneh city is known as “Sheikh Grave” the palace he was buried. Three historical documents from Timurid, Safavid and Qajar period are available related to Sheikh Grave that introduce the trustee of endowment as well as dedication of farms. In two older documents the name of Karaj are mentioned. In these three documents there is a list of farms dedicated to these elders’ mausoleums. A general overview of these documents shows that titles of some of these farms are repeated in these documents. These titles are as follows: Savanj (Savaj, Savanj); Seven; Ahangaran; Balman; Azna; Dow Khawharan; Aghran and Sheikh. The location of some of these farms suchas Ahangaran, Balman, Dow Khawaharan; Aghran and Sheikh could be identified at the town of Astanah and its vicinities. There is a safavid documentfor the Kamal-odin Ismail Khanqah that listed the endowment of it but its building had been destroyed. The monument of two local elders (Pir Agha and Pir Ismail) had been destroyed but there is a little evidence related to the monument of Pir Ismail. 

Conclusion
The goal of this research based on three question, time of Khanqah formation, documents and available evidence in locating the Karaj city into today Astaneh town and status of Khanqahs in Karaj city spatial structure. Base on tiles inscription type, form and type of stone grave inscription, we could suggest that Karaj Khanqahs at least were active in 6 to 8 centuries in middle Islamic period. Besides, the Zawiah of Sheikh Najmol-din Mahmud is the most important Khanqah that should to be dated which it need to excavate the Sheikh grave located in Sheihk district square. Documents that have studied gives a considerable information to locating Karaj with the current city of Astaneh. These documents in addition to state the function of Khanqahs and depicting the importance of trustees and maintaining the endowments for the elder’s monuments, mention the name of Karaj as well as other places that their location could be traced in vicinity of Astaneh and Shazand cities. Khanqahas and graves of elders in Astaneh city, were in relation with other spatial structure of this city in its prosperity. 

Acknowledgment
We are grateful to Ali Jiryaei Sharahi, Hassan Khanabadi Bozchaloei and Abbas Bavarsaei for their sincere cooperation in preparing the maps and plans.

Observation Contribution
The participation of the first author was 60% and the second author was 40%. In this article, the collection of library information and documents was done by the first author and field investigations by the second author. The writing of the article has been done in a combined way and with the consensus of two authors.

Conflict of Interest
The authors of the article have not received any money from a third party (government, commercial, foundation, etc.) for any part of the article, there is no ongoing publication, refereed or registered, related to this work And they have not used any interdisciplinary tests