Mystery Surrounding Discovery of Mummified Body at Abdolazim Shrine
While the head of the cultural heritage committee of Tehran City Council announced that a body discovered during construction operations to expand the Abdolazim shrine complex was likely to belong to Reza Shah Pahlavi, the Abdolazim shrine in Rey city denied this report.
While the head of the cultural heritage committee of Tehran City Council announced that a body discovered during construction operations to expand the “Abdolazim Hasani Shrine” was likely to belong to Pahlavi I (Reza Shah Pahlavi), the Abdolazim shrine in Rey city denied this report.
The principalist Farsi News Agency wrote: “While some individuals without any evidence claim that the remains of the body discovered in Shahr-e Rey belong to Reza Khan Pahlavi, the officials of the shrine of Abdolazim stated that the discovered body is not mummified but rather belongs to a deceased person from ancient cemeteries surrounding the shrine.”
Mostafa Ajerloo, deputy of publicity and communications at Abdolazim shrine, said: “Since there was a cemetery near the shrine, it is a natural occurrence that a body would be found within the area, and it is clear that during the implementation of any development plan there is a possibility of discovering remains of buried bodies. In this matter, the relevant authorities immediately buried the remains of the body according to Islamic rules upon discovery, and all the rumors circulating in cyberspace regarding the mummification of the discovered body are baseless.”
Initial Rumors
The head of the cultural heritage committee of Tehran City Council’s Islamic Assembly said on Monday (3rd of Ordibehesht / April 23rd) in an interview with ISNA news agency that the body discovered during construction operations to expand the “Abdolazim Hasani Shrine” was likely to belong to Pahlavi I (Reza Shah Pahlavi).
According to the head of the cultural heritage committee of Tehran City Council’s Islamic Assembly, the mummified body was found following excavation in the western part of the courtyard of Shah Abdolazim Hasani, and “the excavation was halted due to the discovery of this mummified body so that relevant authorities could conduct a more thorough investigation.”
Khalilabadi further added: “Some speculate that the body may belong to Pahlavi I, who was brought to Tehran in mummified form and was buried in the Abdolazim Hasani shrine.”
This cultural heritage official emphasized that regardless of who the body belongs to, due to its mummified state it has a heritage value and must be preserved. He also noted: “Of course, the final opinion should be given by heritage experts and forensic medical examiners to determine who this body belongs to.”
Reza Shah died of a heart attack in Johannesburg on the 4th of Mordad 1323 (1944). After his death, Reza Pahlavi’s body was taken to Egypt in Johannesburg. Subsequently, Mohammad Reza Shah, his son, brought his father’s body to Iran with full ceremonies and buried it in the surroundings of the Abdolazim shrine located in Rey city.
The mausoleum of Reza Shah Pahlavi was destroyed after the 1979 Revolution by Sadegh Khalkhali, the religious judge of the time. Khalkhali himself mentioned the destruction of Reza Shah’s mausoleum in a section of his memoirs.
Source: DW
