The Petition Well Of Jamkarān Mosque From Superstition to Reality

Anthropological researches are a branch of sociological researches, mostly conducted with a qualitative method. In this type of research, the researcher tries to enter the research milieu with a multicultural mentality and with no prejudice to find his answers using a variety of techniques. The present article is a sample of this type of anthropological researches, conducted qualitatively by studying documents and interviews on the subject of ‘petition well of Jamkarān’. Some of the research questions are as follows: ‘Is the Jamkarān petition well a sacred place?’; ‘Is throwing written petitions into the Jamkarān well a superstitious practice or a religiously documented one?’; ‘If it is religiously documented, was it being done by religious scholars and great religious men as well?’; ‘What is the typology of those who throw their written petitions into the Jamkarān well?’; ‘May we classify the opponents of this practice into various types intellectually?’. Some of the research findings are as follows: This well has no sacred aspect and has been dug just for throwing written petitions; writing petitions is religiously documented in Islamic traditions; and the religious scholars would do this as well. Besides, the opponents and proponents of this practice are of a wide range.