Imamzade Harun Vilayat Shrine - Isfahan
Introduction
The complex of Harun Vilayat or Haruniye enshrines the burial site of Imamzade Harun bin Musa al-Kazim. It is located in the Dardasht quarter of Isfahan, opposite the famous Minar Masjid Ali. This part of Isfahan once was the original centre of the city till 1590 and mausoleum was built in 1512-13 by Mirza Shah Husain.
Frescoes
After entering through the courtyard, there is another wooden door before one could enter the shrine. One thing I noticed at the entrance of the shrine that there were frescos on the walls. In Islam, it is forbidden to draw painting of a holyman (including Holy Prophet & Imams) but this fashion started with the Safavid of Iran.
One of them shows Imam Ali (A.S.) is shown alongwith his two famous sons, Hassan (A.S.) and Hussain (A.S.). Another painting seems to show Imam Hassan and Hussain with the Holy Prophet in the centre. Most mainstream Muslim scholars will disagree with the production of the painting of the religious figures.
Dispute about the burial
The shrine of Harun Vilayat is also famous among the Armenian Christians for it’s miraculous powers. There is a disputes, who is buried here, ranging from the son of the tenth imam, the son of the eleventh imam, the grandson of the sixth imam or the seventh Imam.
Regardless what the theories say about the site, I will stick with the sign by the local government which refers this site to Harun (brother of Imamzade Ali and son of Imam Musa al-Kazim). Next to zarih, there is a small mehrab was located on the site to give the direction to Qibla, incase someone wanted to pray. On one of the walls, with the help of multi coloured tiles, an Aryan sign is created to show that Iranian people are proud of their Aryan heritage.
There were few graves built next to the shrine belonged to various people who had lived in Isfahan in the past. The names of the people who were buried there were on the rugs with a Koran and a large portrait of the deceased beside them.
