The Holy Shrine of Shahzadeh Husain

The holy shrine of Hazrat Imamzadeh Hussain, popularly known as Shahzadeh Hussain, is situated at the southwest of Qazvin city and is one of the famous and magnificent places of pilgrimage in Iran.
Imamzadeh Hussain was the son of Imam Reza (AS), the 8th Imam from the pure Household of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). In his book, "Tarikh-e-Gozideh", Hamdollah Mostaufi has recorded that Imam Reza (AS) had four sons by the names: Muhammad, Jawad, Ja'afar and Hussain. Of these, Hussain has been buried in the famous Iranian city of Qazvin. The holy shrine of Shahzadeh Hussain was well-known and famous since the late 4th century A.H. and the early 5th century A.H. and became a popular pilgrim center among the people of Qazvin since the middle of 6th century A.H. It is equally popular among both, the Shi'as as well as the Sunnis who throng this holy site each year, to pay respects to this favorite Muslim saint and to receive Allah's Grace and Miracles.
According to a wooden tablet present in the holy shrine, Imamzadeh Hussain left for his heavenly abode in the year 201 A.H. The construction of the shrine dates back to the early 4th century A.H. The present shrine, however, was constructed during the reign of the Safavid, Shah Tahmaseb.
The building complex of the shrine is a grand masterpiece of Islamic architecture and its tile-works and mirror-works are a source of great attraction to both, domestic as well as foreign tourists and pilgrims. The complex comprises a large courtyard, an octagonal hall, and a small domed-room that houses the main grave of the shrine.
The entrance gate is very tall, above which there is a blue tile tablet on which 12 couplets of poetry are written in white, in the Nasta'liq script. On entering the gate, one would find himself in a large rectangular courtyard, at the middle of which is situated, an octagonal drinking water fountain. The walls of the courtyard have arch-like designs, behind which there are small rooms that were used in earlier times for prayers and supplications on Thursday nights and on other important days and festivals.
Directly opposite the main entrance gate, is situated the main building of the shrine, that opens up into an octagonal hall. There are two minarets on the two sides of the building. The main shrine of Shahzadeh Hussain is placed in the middle of a small domed-room, surrounded by the octagonal hall, with four different entrances. The hall as well as the domed-room are adorned with mirror works and blue tile-works that daze and impress every visitor.
Although not very much has been recorded regarding the life of Imamzadeh Hussain, some miraculous healing have been ascribed to this pious son of an Infallible Imam (AS). According to tradition, it is narrated that when Sa'd al-Sultaneh was renovating the shrine and its courtyard, at the order of Mirza Ali Asghar Khan Atabeig, he had put a noble Sayyid in charge of collecting the remains of those buried there. One night, the Sayyid dreamt of Imamzadeh Hussain who informed the Sayyid that he (i.e. Imamzadeh) would himself undertake the task of collecting the remains and that the Sayyid would not need to personally take on the assigned task. Two versions of this dream, however, have been reported. According to one version, the Imamzadeh's age in the Sayyid's dream was 12-13 years, whereas according to Hamdollah Mostaufi and Aqa Razi Qazvini, the Imamzadeh had appeared in the dream as a less than 2-year-old infant.
Sources:
1. "Glimpses of the History of Qazvin"; Hussain Modarresi Tabataba'i.
2. "Tourist Guide of Iran" - The Qazvin Province; Hassan Zendehdel and colleagues.