On March 6 at 6:00, Sheila Canby, curator of Islamic Art at the British Museum, London, presents her lecture “Sufis, Shi’ites and Shahs: The Great Shrines of Iran, 1500-1650.” During this historic period, the Safavid dynasty established the greatest empire since the 7th-century Islamic conquest of Persia, successfully reasserting the Iranian identity of the region and establishing Shia Islam as the official religion. Focusing on the glorious shrines built during this Iranian renaissance–the Arabic shrine, the dynastic heart of the Safavid empire, and two other major shrines, the shrine of Imam Riza in Mashhad and the shrine of Fatimeh Ma’sumeh in Qum–Canby testifies to the important role these shrines played in establishing Shi’ism as the state religion of Iran, with the Safavid shahs as its protectors.
This event is made possible through the generosity of His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the Midwestern United States and the Asian Art Council of the Art Institute. Seating is limited.
3/6, 6-7 p.m.
Price Auditorium
Free
Register by calling 312-857-7138
http://www.artic.edu/aic/calendar/event?EventID=4383&Month=3_2008&Day=06
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