A Historical Study of the Tombs of Safavid Kings buried in Fatimah al-Ma’sūmah’s shrine

After Fatimah al-Ma’sumah’s death in Qum, the city transformed into an important pilgrimage destination and a Shia center in Iran. After Shiism was established as state religion in Iran by Shah Ismail I, this city and its shrine came under the spotlight more than ever to the extent that after Shah Abbas I, all Safavid Shahs chose this shrine as their burial place. Since the Uzbeks desecrated the tombs of Shah Tahmasb I in Mashhad, it was tried to made the Safavid tombs in central Iran to be proteted. As Isakandar Beg Turkman says, Kaashan was selected the burial place of Shah Abbas the first. Anyway, choosing Qum and the Shrine as the burial place of the aforesaid Shahs, apart from the political attention the city received, caused many valuable monuments and architectural works to be added to the existing treasures of the shrine. Because studying and identifying the tombs of influential historical figures are among important historical debates, the present paper attempts to identify and investigate the mausoleums of Safavid kings in Qum relying on and using invaluable historical sources and comparing them with field observations. The study has employed field and library research, comparison and analysis of existing sources, especially first hand sources. In this historical study, after collecting the necessary data, they are organized, analyzed and finally conclusions are drawn.