Carpet Endowment to the Imam Riḍā's (A.S.) Shrine, Background and Methods From Safavid to Late Qajar

Imam Riḍā's (A.S.) Holy Shrine is one of the most important religious places for Muslims, especially the Shi’ites, which benefactors have always pay attention to it. So that endowment has played a significant role in meeting the needs of the Holy Shrine and affiliated places in various historical periods, especially from Safavid period. Carpets, along with other functional accessories, such as lighting fixtures, are significant parts of Shrine's endowments. Studies show that many researches have been carried out in various aspects in the field of recognition and introduction of the endowments of the Imam Riḍā’s (A.S.) holy shrine, but not dedicated to the carpet endowment. Accordingly, in this study, the historical background of carpet endowment for the Holy Shrine of Imam Riḍā (A.S.), as well as different types of carpets endowment and all kinds of endowed carpets has been studied to determine the status of endowment in providing the Shrine carpets from Safavid to the late Qajar. This article is a historical research based on library, documentary and field studies.