TEHRAN – Qajar era (1789–1925) Moshir hosayniya, also known as Soltani School in Shiraz, southern Fars province, has undergone some rehabilitation works, an official with the province’s Endowments and Charity Affairs Organization has said.

A hosayniya is a congregation hall for holding Shiite Muslim commemoration ceremonies, especially those associated with the mourning month of Muharram, the month in which Imam Hussein (AS) was martyred by the then ruler Yazid.

A budget of 1.8 billion rials (about $43,000 at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) has been allocated to the project, Saeid Sharifi announced on Saturday.

The project involves repairing the building’s façade and entrance corridor with the aim of reviving and renovating the hosayniya, the official added.

The structure was built as a school originally and then was endowed by its owner to be turned into a venue for religious ceremonies.

The building, which was once damaged in a fire almost 50 years ago, was inscribed on the National Heritage list in 1972.

For centuries, the commemoration of the battle of Karbala on the day of Ashura (literally meaning 10th as the battle took place on the 10th day of Muharram) and the epic passion and courage of Imam Hussein (AS) and his 72 loyal companions who were all martyred (in 680 CE) have been honored by Iranians, who are mostly Shia Muslims.

Therefore, hosayniyas and tekyehs, venues for the gathering of mourners who honor Imam Hussein (AS), have been considered important structures throughout Iranian architecture history.

Mourners, known as ‘heyat’ (literally meaning group or delegation), gather in these places to attend various ceremonies and rituals including Sineh-Zani, in which hundreds of men, all clad in black beat on their chests according to the rhythm of a sung eulogy.

Shiraz is home to some of the country’s most magnificent buildings and sights. Increasingly, it draws more and more foreign and domestic sightseers flocking into this provincial capital. Eram Garden, Afif-Abad Garden, Tomb of Hafez, Tomb of Sa’di, Jameh Mosque of Atigh, and Persepolis are among the historical, cultural, and ancient sites of Shiraz that are of interest to domestic and foreign tourists.

ABU/MG