Pilgrimage to Mecca in Qajar Period (in the Travelogues of the Personages of This Period)

Using a descriptive-analytical approach, the present paper investigates the hajj travelogues of the personages in Qajar period and expounds the way of performing hajj rituals by Iranians in that period. The main question of the research is how Iranians used to perform hajj in that period and what factors influenced their hajj rituals. The research findings show that the conditions of hajj and, generally speaking, performing these rituals and visiting holy shrines by Iranians were greatly influenced by the deep ideological and historical differences between Shiite and Sunni schools of thought. Furthermore, this geographical region was under the control of the Ottoman Empire, therefore, the relations between the Iranian government and Ottoman government and the sociopolitical conditions of that time had a decisive role in this regard. In addition, the environmental and geographical conditions, such as long distance, fierce heat, waterlessness and drought and contagious diseases were influential, as well.