The Architectural Heritage of Varamin: From the Sasanian to Early Pahlavi Periods

Hossein Nakhaei and Keelan Overton

Strategically located in north-central Iran, Varamin has always been an important crossroads of trade, empire, and cultural patronage. In this ArcGIS StoryMap, which somewhat follows in the footsteps of pioneering cartographer-archaeologists Georges Pézard and Jules Georges Bondoux (d. 1919) and archaeologist Faʾeq Tohidi, we present a tour of seventeen architectural sites located within what is now Varamin and Pishva counties (figs. 1–2). The sites span a vast timeframe—from the Sasanian (224–651) to the early Pahlavi periods (1925–79)—and include fortified citadels, mosques, emamzadehs, an icehouse (yakhchal), and a factory. Thirteen of the structures are still standing, with varying degrees of alteration over time. Two sites have been replaced by new constructions, while two others have been completely demolished (fig. 3). This is by no means a comprehensive list (note the density of sites in Pézard’s map), and we have generally focused on sites that reflect the broad spectrum of Varamin’s history. Many are relevant to the Emamzadeh Yahya in both the past and the present and were visited by some of the same travelers during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Figure 1. Map of Varamin drawn by Lieutenant Georges Pézard in 1909. After Pézard and Bondoux, “Mission de Téhéran,” 1911, facing p. 62.
Figure 2. Map of Varamin by Faʾeq Tohidi. After Azari, “Varamin,” 1368 Sh/1989–90, 251.
Figure 3. Screenshot from this StoryMap indicating the historical sites in the Varamin region considered here. Color code: Red: still exists with minor or major renovations / Brown: replaced with a new structure / Grey: completely demolished.

The sites are presented in their estimated chronological order, bearing in mind that many of their dates are unknown. Each entry includes a map indicating the site’s location, a series of visuals (photographs and videos), and a short text detailing its history and current circumstance, when known. Over half of these sites are located near what is today the central meydan (square) of Varamin.

As a complement to this StoryMap, we also recommend the filmed tour of Varamin.


Enter the StoryMap

To enter this feature directly and experience it on a wider screen, please visit ArcGIS StoryMap.

Bibliography

This list mostly credits the sources of images used in the StoryMap, which draws on archival collections and published reproductions. Recent photographs and videos are by Hossein Nakhaei (2012, 2013, 2014, 2020) and Hamid Abhari (2024).

Archives

  • National Cartographic Center of Iran, Tehran
  • The Center for Documentation and Research of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran
  • Albums Dieulafoy, Bibliothèque de l’Institut National d’Histoire de l’Art, Paris, NUM 4 PHOT 018 [INHA]
  • Collections Roger-Viollet, Bibliothèque historique de la Ville de Paris (BHVP)
  • Fonds Albert Gabriel INHA, Médiathèque du patrimoine et de la photographie, Ministère de la Culture (France)
  • Fonds Henry Viollet, Bibliothèque universitaire des langues et civilisations, Paris [BULAC]
  • The Baroness Marie-Thérèse Ullens de Schooten collection at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA [Harvard]
  • Donald Wilber Archive, Visual Resources Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Published sources

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Hossein Nakhaei PhD student, History of Art & Architecture, University of Pittsburgh

Keelan Overton Independent scholar and Director of the exhibition

Citation: Hossein Nakhaei and Keelan Overton, “The Architectural Heritage of Varamin: From the Sasanian to Early Pahlavi Periods.” Interactive feature in The Emamzadeh Yahya at Varamin: An Online Exhibition of an Iranian Shrine, directed and edited by Keelan Overton. 33 Arches Productions, January 15, 2025. Host: Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online.