Shi‘i religious life in Istanbul has usually been narrated only through ‘azādārī (mourning) ceremonies held during the first ten days of Muharram, a situation that reflects the sources available. Thus, apart from these ceremonies with their somewhat institutionalized character, the religious and sectarian realities of individuals’ daily lives have not yet been studied yet. In this paper, which aims to address this limitation, a previously unused source will be examined in detail and its contents evaluated exhaustively. The source in question is a hajj travelogue written by Raīs al-Zākirīn, a Shi‘i pilgrim from Mashhad and rawḍa-khwān who recites excerpts from works on the martyrs of the Shi‘i Imams such as the Rawḍat al-Shuhadā’ of Husain Wā‘iz alKāshifī (d. 910/1504). Al-Zākirīn’s travelogue is significant as the author stayed in Istanbul for 41 days during the Ramadan of the year (21 Sha‘bān–3 Shawwāl 1319/3 December 1901–13 January 1902) in company with the city’s Shi‘i community, presenting religious services in the masjid of Vālidah Khān and in the houses of merchants to which he was invited. The travelogue includes daily entries and, while not complete, the section pertaining to Istanbul is similar to a Ramadan diary and records all the prayers and services the author attended each day. It is thus very rich in detail about Shi‘i religious life. This paper also aims to elucidate the relationship between the Shi‘i community in Istanbul and Iran with respect to religious life.

While residing in Vālidah Khān during his 40-day stay in Istanbul, Raīs al-Zākirīn spent most of his time reciting the Rawḍa and the Qur’an. He also explored the city, visited the imperial mosques and historical monuments, shopped, and encountered technological developments. His most important religious service was the Rawḍa-khwānī. Beside reciting the Rawḍa and praying thereafter, he organized special prayer nights in different venues including his room inside the khan. He was in constant contact with and available to the Iranian community in Istanbul and managed to build very strong relationships with them. In addition to visiting Iranian institutions such as school and hospital, he was particularly interested in their social and religious life and was very keen to discuss Iran’s political and social situation with his compatriots in Istanbul. During gatherings at the merchants’ house, they not only recited the Rawḍa but also brainstormed about Iran. It seems to have been very important for Raīs al-Zākirīn to learn about and to read Persian newspapers and books published in Istanbul. 

The most striking thing that we learn from Raīs al-Zākirīn’s hajj travelogue is that the religious life of Iranian Shi‘is in Istanbul was developing in ways similar to those in Iran. This phenomenon can be observed both in the ‘azādārī ceremonies held after Mirzā Safā’s attempts and in the religious services conducted in Istanbul by figures like Raīs al-Zākirīn. A particularly potent symbol of this is that he delivered to those in need of it the “curative dust of Haram,” i.e., the Shrine of Imam Rezā in Mashhad, which he brought with him all the way to Istanbul. To better understand the connections between Iran and Istanbul’s Iranian community in terms of religious life, additional contemporary sources like Raīs al-Zākirīn’s hajj travelogue are needed, particularly because state archives are not rich enough to reveal these channels of religious interaction.