Welcome to our online exhibition devoted to the Emamzadeh Yahya at Varamin.

The Emamzadeh Yahya shrine complex is simultaneously the sacred tomb of Emamzadeh Yahya (d. 869–70), a destination for ziyarat (pious visitation), an architectural monument of the Ilkhanid period (1256–1353), the main community center and cemetery of the Kohneh Gel neighborhood, a cultural heritage site, and the source of luster tiles displayed in around fifty museums worldwide. In this exhibition, which is also an exhibition catalog and an academic edited volume, we trace the complex’s many looks, functions, users, and stories over seven hundred years. Through our detailed study of one site, we offer a general exploration of Persian art and Iranian culture from the medieval period to the present.

We invite you to explore the exhibition’s Six Thematic Galleries and read the Introduction by curator Keelan Overton.

Varamin Explore Varamin as a provincial capital of the Ilkhanid period, nineteenth-century village, and present-day city and suburb of Tehran.
Building Trace the architectural evolution of the Emamzadeh Yahya complex over seven hundred years, from the 1200s to today.
Ritual Learn about Iranian Twelver Shiʿism and its venerated figures, sacred sites, personal and collective rituals, and material cultures.
Luster Discover the art of luster, the ceramic technique used to create shimmering tilework for the Emamzadeh Yahya and many other sites.
Museum Consider patterns of collecting, display, interpretation, and preservation in museums and archives worldwide.
People Meet the individuals who have shaped the Emamzadeh Yahya over the centuries, including its pilgrims, restorers, and current community.