Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Professor in Archaeology, University of Mazandaran, Mazandaran, Iran
2
PhD Student in Archeology (Islamic Era), Faculty of Art and Architecture, Mazandaran University
10.22077/nia.2023.6548.1765
Abstract
Islamic-era gravestones encompass a wide range of different species with diverse shapes and patterns. These stone works reflect human thinking regarding death and the afterlife. Iranian Muslims, by placing gravestones on the graves of their deceased, not only provided a platform for inscribing the name and date of death of the departed individual but also expressed their own purposes symbolically through the design of the gravestones. Although Islamic-era cemeteries in Iran contain inscribed tombstones, the use of symbolic, anthropomorphic, and zoomorphic gravestones has been more common in nomadic regions of Iran, including the provinces of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Khuzestan, Lorestan, and Isfahan. The results of studies conducted in the Shahsavar of Izeh cemetery, which belongs to the Bakhtiari tribes residing in northern Khuzestan and dates back to the late Islamic centuries (10th century onwards), indicate that people in this geographical area used various types of gravestones, with the lion-shaped stone being of greater importance and significance compared to other species. According to the beliefs of the Bakhtiari people, the installation of a lion-shaped stone was reserved for individuals who possessed bravery and a warrior spirit during their lifetime. Drawing inspiration from Imam Ali, who is known as Asadullah (the Lion of God), these individuals defended the oppressed against the oppressors and did not hesitate to protect the weak and poor. It should be noted that among the various species of gravestones found among Bakhtiari cemeteries, including simple, mihrab-shaped, anthropomorphic, congress-shaped, and lion-shaped statues, the lion-shaped gravestones are the rarest. This clearly demonstrates that the installation of a lion-shaped stone on the graves of the deceased was subject to certain conditions and requirements, and not everyone could have this type of gravestone. Archaeological studies suggest that the success in installing a lion-shaped stone provided a basis for pride and superiority among tribes, and if a tribe or clan unjustly and without meeting the necessary conditions attempted to install a lion-shaped stone on the graves of their deceased individuals, they would immediately face the strong reaction of the influential figures of the Bakhtiari people and the destruction of the mentioned grave. In this research, which is classified as fundamental research based on its objectives and historical research based on its nature and methodology, an attempt has been made to study and examine in detail the species known as the “congress-shaped lion stone” among the numerous species of gravestones in the Shahsavar of Izeh cemetery.
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