مرکز ارتباطات‌و رسانه

The most important mission of Imam Reza shrine is guiding people to spiritual perfection in accordance with Imam Reza’s life and conduct. One of the prerequisites of this mission is applying targeted means proportionate to people’s needs. To that end, printing and publishing books and promotion of the culture of book reading have been among effective steps ever taken. Imam Reza shrine has attached great significance to books and reading as effectual ways and means for conveying cultural messages.

 Establishment of Imam Reza shrine library in Safavid Era (۱۵۰۱-۱۷۳۶)

Imam Reza library is one of the biggest and most valuable libraries in Iran and in the Islamic world. Remaining documents from Safavid, Afsharid and Qajar eras attest to its long history. Archived documents and manuscripts in Organization of Libraries, Museums and Documents recount the history of the administrative building of the shrine, number and type of occupations, expenses and financial matters, related endowment deeds, method of fundraising, type of cataloguing, method of retrieving information and lending books, the library building in different eras, and structural transformation in past eras.

 ۴۰۰ years of librarianship in Imam Reza shrine

Libraries have a pivotal role in formation and evolution of human knowledge. Thanks to the work of librarians, these centers have, for centuries, provided scientists and researchers with precious opportunities, without whose efforts the hard work by the guardians of written human records cannot be repaid. Books and reading have a longstanding history in Iranian and Islamic culture and civilization. The archived works in the Documentation Center of the shrine bears witness to this claim. Librarianship was the first job in Imam Reza shrine library. The oldest document regarding librarianship in the center dates back to ۱۶۰۰ AH. Since this is the only existing document in Iran, it is highly valuable for research on libraries and librarianship.

 ۱۰۰ years of cataloguing art

Cataloguing of manuscripts is almost a century-long art in Iran. The first catalogues in Iran, which belong to the shrine library, were written by some front-runner Iranian cataloguers such as Sheikh Mohsen Khalesi, Morteza Qolikhan Na’eeni, Haj Emad ul-Mohagheghin Vaez Tehrani, etc. in ۱۹۲۶. The cataloguing section of Organization of Libraries, Museums, and Documents was launched in the same year – the oldest cataloguing center for books and Quranic manuscripts in the country. Manuscripts are the cultural wealth of a nation, displaying artistic values in different centuries.

 Publication of ۱.۸m copies of Holy Quran

Ever since its establishment, the Printing and Publishing Institute of Imam Reza shrine (Behnashr) has produced some ۳۰ kinds of complete Quranic copies, and some ۸ types of selected excerpts from the writings of experts such as Yazdi, Neirizi, Osman Taha, etc., the translations of Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi, Ayatollah Meshkini, Ayatollah Mahallati, etc., and gilded by figures such as Hossein Namvar, Abbas Atapour, etc. in different lengths – ۷ to ۱۶ lines – in variety of colors. So far, some ۱.۸m Quranic copies have been published and distributed in the markets across the country.

 ۴۰ years of experience in specialized publication

Behnashr is a publisher with ۴۰ years of experience under its belt. This publishing institute, affiliated to Imam Reza shrine has functioned as a public publisher since ۱۹۸۳. During the first three decades of its history, it published works on numerous subjects. The Publishing Institute of Imam Reza shrine produced authored and translated books on as many as ۲۶ different subjects such as psychology, Islamic Science, pure science, medicine, etc. for different groups including researchers, children and adolescents.

 Valuable works for pilgrims

As outlined by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting with Imam Reza shrine officials, the decision-makers took the initiative to lay the foundation for the first printed productions of the shrine. Therefore, the Cultural Products Section in Imam Reza Shrine’s Deputy Office for Islamic Ideology Dissemination was established in ۲۰۰۳, the Books Commission was launched and members followed up book publication and purchasing procedure. The epistemic demands of pilgrims need to be provided in cultural packages such as books as urged by the Leader. As a result, printed products changed from brochures into books and distributed among pilgrims.

 Research-based books

Research activities of Islamic Research Foundation cover a wide spectrum of areas such as Quranic Studies, Islamic Jurisprudence, Islamic Knowledge, Imam Reza’s life and conduct, etc. Ever since its establishment, the center has published some ۱۵m copies of books in ۴,۰۰۰ subjects such as the Holy Quran and Hadith, Geography, History, Ethics, etc.

 A publisher popular with youth and students

One of the fundamental measures taken by Imam Reza shrine in the past couple of years has been production and distribution of epistemic contents in a bid to meet the educational needs of the audience. To this end, a group of university professors and scholars have precisely examined and identified the younger generation’s questions and doubts, and come up with relevant answers. Subsequently, the Institute for Youth Affairs of Imam Reza shrine will process and produce diversified educational materials such as books, video clips, multimedia productions, etc. Besides all its publishing activities, Imam Reza shrine also collaborates with centers such as Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, Imam Reza Intenational University, and Razavi Higher School of Jurisprudence to publish materials for university and seminary students.

 Masterpieces on Pleasant Combination of Art and Book

The architecture of Imam Reza shrine manifests itself in Islamic art. The grandeur of Iranian-Islamic architecture mesmerizes pilgrims upon stepping into the shrine grounds. Courtyards, porticos, and minarets of this Islamic masterpiece with its spiritual structures open gates of Islamic art to pilgrims. However, Imam Reza shrine has embarked on creating various outstanding books to better familiarize art-loving pilgrims with this invaluable treasure.

 Publication of over ۲,۰۰۰ children’s books

One of the main categories of publications in Imam Reza shrine are those for children and young adults. It is for years Behnashr Institute publishes books for this age group, although other sections such as the Deputy Office for Islamic Ideology Dissemination, Islamic Research Foundation, Institute for Youth, etc. have so far released works for children and young adults as well.

 Together with Technology, in tandem with Books

Expansion of social media and daily grind may have deprived us of reading our favorite books. However, since reading books can have a profound impact on our life and enhance our understanding of the surrounding world, it behooves us to befriend books as much as we can. If we are pressed for time and cannot browse through printed books, we should opt for electronic and audio ones. Therefore, many publishers have taken this initiative to provide us with electronic version of books or e-books.

 Printing facilities at the service of disseminating Imam Reza’s teachings

Publication of books and cultural products, qualitative and quantitative growth in book production, boosting productivity in book production centers, participation in exhibitions and cultural programs, and delegating some services to the private sector are among the objectives of Imam Reza shrine Publishing Institute. Guaranteeing the quality of printed works based on publishing standards results from using moden technology and addressing customers’ needs. Paying attention to these factors, especially with regards to religious books, provides an edge in the current printing industry. It also opens the regional markets to the Holy Quran printing and distribution.

 Imam Reza shrine bookstores and libraries

Imam Reza shrine bookstores and libraries provide services to booklovers across the country. They operate – either directly or via a representative – under the supervision of organization of libraries and Behnashr according to local demands and potentials in order to promote book reading. Imam Reza shrine bookstores are open and active in Tehran, South Khorasan, Gilan, etc. Besides ۱۰۰ libraries and bookstores in Mashhad and other parts of Iran, there is a library in India – Raja Mahmoudabad – which opened in ۱۹۸۹. It keeps ۱۶۵۰ manuscripts and some ۳۷,۵۰۰ printed books in Persian, Arabic, Urdu and English.

 Exhibiting Imam Reza shrine publications

Participation in intenational exhibitions in different countries has been on Imam Reza shrine’s agenda since many years ago. In fact, Imam Reza shrine is the main pillar of domestic exhibitions, especially at Tehran Book Fair. In addition to domestic exhibitions, Imam Reza shrine has taken part in foreign events such as in Beirut, Najaf, Muscat, etc. The main areas of the shrine’s presence in exhibitions are concened with children and young adults, story and novel, poetry, and so on.

 Outstanding works, beyond borders

Imam Reza shrine is the highest promotional, cultural and scientific body for promotion of life and conduct of Prophet Muhammad’s Infallible Household, particularly Imam Reza (AS). It has so far published several books in different languages such as French, English, Tajik, Arabic, Russian, to name but a few. Of course, most of the books translated in Imam Reza shrine have been in Arabic. These books have won several awards in well-known domestic and intenational cultural events.

 Promotion, complementary link of reading

One of the activities of Imam Reza shrine to promote books and reading is running cultural events in different venues such as bookstores and libraries. Some of the main such programs include book session, reading texts, Shams literary event, book therapy, etc. Also, setting up a ‘Book Portico’ in the Qods Courtyard of the shrine, and reading stations in a number of porticos are among other steps to promote the culture of book and book reading.

 Book-based endowments in the heart of Tehran

‘Haj Hossein Agha Malek’ son of ‘Haj Mohammad Kazem Malek al-Tojjar’, a famous merchant living in Qajar Era, founded Malek National Library and Museum in early ۱۹۰۰s. This place was endowed to Imam Reza shrine in ۱۹۳۷ and it is currently one of the popular cultural centers run privately as an endowment but under the supervision of Imam Reza shrine.

 Volunteers for Book Reading

It is for years that Imam Reza shrine has embarked on founding Razavi volunteers and public services centers. They are active in different cultural, social and economic sectors. Books and Book Reading Volunteers Center is one of the ۱۹ scientific centers in the shrine established in ۲۰۱۸. Book volunteers are providing services across the country in both the headquarters and provincial sectors.

A glance at ۱۰۰ - years history of books in Imam Reza Shrine