A Glance at the Cultural Activities of the Astan Quds Razavi

The main mission of Astan Quds Razavi is spreading the Razavi culture and meeting the cultural needs of pilgrims of the holy shrine. Thus, a close insight reveals that the goal of economical and constructive activities of Astan Quds Razavi besides the economical growth is providing a safe support for expanding cultural and propagative activities.

Under the flag of the kind Imam (A.S.)
The celestial shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.) is a safe place for his lovers cradling their spirits with the scent of his presence.
But hosting such a heavenly pearl is not a simple task and this crucial undertaking rests with an institution called Astan Quds Razavi.
Astan Quds Razavi is the official title of a complex that administers the holy shrine, endowments, and its belongings. It does it best to meet the needs of pilgrims especially the cultural-propagative needs relying on the endowments and dedications of people.

Cultural-propagative functions of Astan Quds Razavi
The main mission of Astan Quds Razavi is spreading the Razavi culture and meeting the cultural needs of pilgrims of the holy shrine. Thus, a close insight reveals that the goal of economical and constructive activities of Astan Quds Razavi besides the economical growth is providing a safe support for expanding cultural and propagative activities.
Doing extensive cultural activities in the huge complex of Astan Quds Razavi that includes different cultural institutions and divisions needs much corporation, policy making, integration, and supervision. This critical duty is with the Supreme Cultural Council.

Supreme Cultural Council of Astan Quds Razavi
Supreme Cultural Council of Astan Quds Razavi is held regularly led by the Grand Custodian of Astan Quds Razavi with presence of distinguished features, seminary and university experts, and a number of top managers and related authorities in Astan Quds Razavi.
The experts settled at the secretariat of this council as professional groups and commissions perform software activities and due considerations regarding programs of institutions, plans and recommendations, drafting agendas and preparing analytic reports and following sanctions of the supreme council.

Goals and duties of the Supreme Cultural Council
This council has undertaken different responsibilities including big policy making in cultural activities of Astan Quds Razavi, clarification of policies and preferences with an emphasis on instructions of the Supreme Leader, cultural mission of Astan Quds Razavi, the 20-year outlook of Astan Quds, new cultural requirements and relations in the country and the Islamic world, ratification and amendment of the constitution of Astan Quds, responsibilities and programs of cultural institutions of Astan Quds, periodical assessment of cultural institutions and approval of general and specialized indices in evaluating the function of cultural institutions, examination and approval of fundamental systems in institutional changes of cultural institutions including systems of management, quality, function evaluation, human force assessment, human programing, organizational structure improvement, etc., examination of main proposals of institutions and secretariats, analysis of cultural and social phenomena, making decision about duties of cultural sections and institutes regarding new subjects, making convergence among cultural institutes, avoiding parallel activities and using shared capacities of cultural institutes in producing cultural products and doing widespread and inter-institutional programs.

Assistance of Islamic Propagation and Relations
Assistance of Islamic Propagation and Relations as the cultural head of Astan Quds Razavi implements cultural goals of Astan Quds.

Different sections of the assistance
Assistance of Islamic Propagation and Relations consists of several offices and subsidiaries such as the Office of Islamic Propagation and Special Occasions, the Office of Computer Audio –visual Affairs, the Office of Training Qur’anic sciences and Hadith, the Office of Coordination Affairs and Enriching Pilgrims’ Leisure Times, the Office of answering Religious Questions and Pilgrims Guide, the Office of Islamic Relations and Non-Iranian Pilgrims’ Affairs, as well as a research and programing group that implements cultural and propagative activities of Astan Quds Razavi for pilgrims of the holy shrine.

A brief overview on the function of Assistance of Islamic Propagation and Relations
Offices of Assistance of Islamic Propagation and Relations offer different cultural and Qur’anic services during the year especially on special occasions. This assistance renders services such as holding contests, conferences, Qur’anic assemblies on different occasions directed by the Office of Qur’an, distributing cultural packages on different occasions including books, booklets, publications, and magazines, planning for producing film and training videos, giving information through closed circuit systems in the sacred premises, hotels, resident centers, trains, plains, buses, etc., multiplication of CDs of occasions and programs, production of multimedia items, production of special clips, and live broadcasting on internet and systematic information giving.

Cooperation with Friday Prayer abridge and religious groups
This assistance also has the responsibilities of holding the splendid Friday Prayers, organizing and supervising panegyrists and poets of the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.), planning and overseeing the supplying and distribution of the Qur’an manuscripts and prayer books used by the pilgrims, organizing the religious groups and implementing the approvals of the Supreme Cultural Council in this regard, providing yearly practical programs for special occasions such as orations, dusting, I’tekaf, birthday celebrations, mourning ceremonies, revolution occasions, and the like.

Careful fulfillment of endowment letters
Careful fulfillment of endowment letters related to Islamic propagation and special occasions, preparation of executive programs and supervision over prayer ceremonies in the sacred premises and the affiliated institutions, organizing the affairs of Rouzeh Khanan (reciters of mourning events) and reciters of pilgrimage prayers in the holy shrine including selection, training, and overseeing their performance and drafting executive programs in these regards, planning for holding magnificent congregation prayers in the sacred premises and the affiliated institutions of Astan Quds Razavi, and organizing the affairs of congregation prayer leaders, Mukabbirs, and prayer guides are the main activities if this assistance.

Implementing the approvals of the Supreme Cultural Council
Observing over the printing and binding of Holy Qur’ans and prayer books used in the holy shrine, implementing the approvals of the Supreme Cultural Council for enriching the leisure time of pilgrims, holding daily, weekly, and occasional contests for children and the public, holding different specialized fairs, holding training and specialized exhibitions, holding conversation rooms in the holy shrine, performing propagative programs in the mosques affiliated to Astan Quds Razavi, holding programs for non-Iranian pilgrims, holding programs for Persian speaking pilgrims residing abroad, holding insight (religious) sessions, delivery of the blessed food to religious groups are other activities of this assistance.

Answering to religious questions system
Another activity of this assistance is launching a system for answering the religious questions with the aim of answering the questions concerning beliefs, kalam, and religious doubts on general and professional domains and this office is responsible with answering ethical, training, and belief needs of pilgrims in personal and collective ways. The main issues discussed in this system are general religion knowledge, Qur’an and hadith sciences, philosophy and kalam, religions and gnostic, religions and sects, history and conduct of the prophets and the Infallible Imams (A.S.), knowledge on figures and scientific sources that are answered through attendance, telephone call, and SMS procedures.

Cultural institutions of Astan Quds Razavi
Astan Quds Razavi pursues its activities by 12 cultural institutions including the Razavi Islamic Sciences University, Imam Reza University, in-service training center for the Astan Quds Razavi staff, the Islamic Research Foundation, the Organization of Libraries, Museums, and Center of Deeds, the Razavi Cultural Foundation, the Artistic Innovation and Audio-visual Media Institution, the Institution of Consultation Services, the Youth and Social Researches, Beh Nashr Company (Astan Quds Razavi publication), Astan Quds Razavi Physical Exercise Institution, holy shrine of Hussein ibn-i-Musa al-Kazem (A.S.), and martyr Mudarres mausoleum.

The Razavi Islamic Sciences University
The purpose with establishing this university was training faqihs, Islamologists, researchers and professors in different disciplines of Islamic sciences, training lawyers, arbiter, and legal experts, training religious scholars and preachers with the aim of spreading the Islamic culture and knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) inside and outside the country, as well as training efficient human force for scientific and educational-research centers of the country.

Imam Reza (A.S.) University
Imam Reza (A.S.) University started its function in 1378 by a license from the Supreme Council of Cultural Council, the Ministry of Sciences, Researches and Technology, Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Training with the widespread support of Astan Quds Razavi.
Providing modern educational facilities consistent with national and international standards and using salient professors, this university with 6000 students in all educational grades has managed to rank among the most reputable non-governmental universities in Iran.

In-service training center for the staff
Through in-service training of the staff of Astan Quds Razavi during short time, long term and explanatory courses, this center helps to raise the scientific power and providing the professional personnel of the organization.

Islamic Research Foundation
The main functions of this foundation according to the constitution are conducting scientific researches in line with spreading the Islamic culture through forming research groups, attracting and organizing interested researchers, encouraging and expanding research activities in the seminary and university, efforts for strengthening the scientific and educational power of cultural institutions and higher education centers, expanding the Islamic arts, planning training courses for training researchers, holding different scientific conferences, publication of scientific and Islamic works, publication of periodical publications in different languages, supporting researchers, establishing scientific relations with other research centers inside and outside the country.

Organization of Libraries, Museums, and Center of Deeds
Having 38 libraries with a total of 2.5 million printed books, 78000 handwritten manuscripts, and 25000 stone printed books on an area of 60000 sq.m. studying space, Astan Quds Razavi and its affiliated cultural centers have formed the largest library network in the country. Its museums are also the richest museums across the country.

Razavi Cultural Foundation
The Razavi Cultural Foundation was established in 1365 with purpose of managing and developing the educational units.
It supervises 14 educational units of Imam Reza (A.S.) covering pre-elementary to pre-university levels and a research house.
These units have been provided with the highest educational standards in using school modern technologies within the three recent years.

Quds Cultural Institution
The Quds Cultural Institution was founded in 1366 with the purpose of doing cultural activities, promoting the religious, political, social, and cultural understanding among Muslims and issuing periodical publications. The first publication issued by this institution is Quds daily.
This daily consists of 16 pages containing political, cultural, economical, sport, literary, artistic, ladies, events, and translational themes in the shape of news, reports, interviews, articles, analysis, critics, and interpretation of the happenings along with 4 pages titled today’s Khurasan that cover all the events occurring across the three big Khurasans.
Quds daily has supervision offices in the provinces and has 300 agencies and correspondents in 300 cities.

Artistic Innovation and Audio-visual Media Institution
This institution helps in spreading the Islamic art and culture. In this line, besides creating salient artistic works and practicing innovation and creativity in the Islamic and Iranian art, it is planning presentation of exquisite artistic works in the visual arts domain and producing artistic and cultural products.

Institution of Consultation Services, the Youth, and Social Researches
The Institution of Consultation Services, the Youth, and Social Researches established in 1376 by Astan Quds Razavi according to the constitution aims to examine and try to solve the problems of the youth, attempt for opposing the cultural attack of the west, promote the religious and social knowledge of the youth, and conduct research activities and polling.
Remarkably, the addressees of this institution are teenagers and the youth of 14 to 29 years old as well as the youth aiders (parents, instructors, teachers and cultural managers) and about 100000 people are benefited yearly by the services rendered by the institution.

Beh Nashr (Astan Quds Razavi Publication)
The written culture and essential book effectiveness is one of the main concerns of Astan Quds Razavi.
Beh Nashr Institution as the head publication of the organization was founded in 1365 and so far it has published over 1700 titles of book on religion, literature, history, geography, sports, language, psychology, and children and teenagers.

Astan Quds Razavi Physical Exercise Institution
Astan Quds Razavi Physical Exercise Institution consists of four separate cultural complexes with a sum area of more than 25 hectares.
Also it has 15 active sport groups including traditional wrestling, judo, karate, Kung fu, wushu, taekwondo, gymnastic, basketball, volleyball, swimming, shooting, tennis, and football.
These complexes are located on a total area of 270,000 sq.m. scattered on the 75 hectare sport complexes of mashhad Shahrak Shahid Rajaei, Imam Reza (A.S.) 15,000 membered stadium, men and ladies water complexes, Iran gymnasium club, wrestling and fighting sports halls, grass, tennis, and seashore volleyball grounds that have yielded dozens of national and international honors by the athletes of this institution.

Holy shrine of Hussein-ibn-i-Musa al-Kazem (A.S.) and martyr Mudarres mausoleum
Construction of multi-purposed halls, museum, family residential booths, library, etc. on dozens sq.m. worshipping and pilgrimage space in Tabas and Kashmar cities are among the main activities of Astan Quds Razavi in the southern Khurasan.

Astan Quds Razavi in the virtual space
Comprehensive portal of Astan Quds Razavi
In the virtual domain Astan Quds Razavi renders cultural services to its audience through the comprehensive portal of Astan Quds Razavi in different languages.
The comprehensive portal of Astan Quds Razavi is divided into six general information, cultural, service, medical, treatment, economical, social, and educational topics. The information and cultural services are dealt with here.

Information Section
This website related the Islamic Relations Office of Astan Quds Razavi consists of six websites called Astan news, Razavi picture, Razavi film, Razavi radio, Razavi mobile, and Haram magazine that all offer different services to the audience.

Cultural Section
This website related to the Assistance of Islamic Propagation and relations of Astan Quds Razavi has six separated websites including cultural propagation of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.), Islamic relations and non-Iranian pilgrims’ affairs, Razavi life style, Rezvan-i-Ilm (scientific conduct of Imam Reza (A.S.), archive of holy shrine’s products, secretariat of the Supreme Cultural Council, beyond the borders (the Islamic world), under the shade of sun, and Razavi children sites.

Service section
This section consists of seven websites including Imam Reza (A.S.) internet TV, Imam Reza (A.S.) representative pilgrimage, virtual pilgrimage, holy shrine’s programs, Assistance of Management and Logistics, question and answer, and contests.

Social-educational section
This section consists of four separate sites including the youth information website, in-service training center for the staff, the Razavi Cultural Foundation, and Astan Quds Razavi Physical Exercise Institution.
Any of these websites are also divided into more sections and sub-groups.