Historical monument of Sefevids in jeopardy

On the occasion of the upcoming 500th anniversary of the Sefevid dynasty, the Civil Solidarity Party (CSP) organized on May 12 a visit to the Mausoleum of Sheik Juneid, the grandfather of the founder of the dynasty Shah Ismayil Khatai, in the Khazra village of Gusar province on the border with Russia.

“This mausoleum, as well as the nearby Sefevid cemetery, are in a half-ruined state. Relevant state bodies must take urgent measures to restore the important historical monument”, says the CSP spokesman Elchin Mirzayev.

The dynasty of Azeri Sefevid Shahs, which ruled Iran for some 250 years, was founded on the first year of the 16th century. Its founder, Shah Ismayil Khatai, announced the Azeri Turkic language as state language in Iran. He was also a renowned poet and wrote in this language. Some of his poems were repeatedly published in Baku, a monument erected, and one of the Baku districts, an underground station, streets, etc. named after him.*