A Brief Look at the Tombs of Shiite Sects in Sham

Sham (the classical Arabic name for Syria) has been populated by the adherents of different Islamic sects ever since the coming of Islam. Shiite sects have also been living in this territory since the early centuries after Hegira; even they have sometimes succeeded in establishing Shiite governments. Jabal Amel once was one of the most important academic centers for Shiite jurisprudence. These considerations are indicative of the utmost importance of the examination of the history and beliefs of this territory. One of the ways in which one can study the history, society, and the beliefs of the people of a region, is to take its holy shrines and sacred places into account. Thus, the present writing is concerned to consider the most important tombs of different Shiite sects. The paper is divided into four parts, each of which is concerned with the tombs of one sect: the first part is concerned with the tombs of Twelvers; the second with the tombs of Alevis; the third with the tombs of Ismailis; and the fourth with the tombs of Hurufis. Discussing the center of every sect, each part has been concerned with a brief introduction of its holy tombs. Finally, two considerations have been made about the significance of the study of these tombs.