The ancient city of Rey, upon which the present 200-year-old capital of Iran now casts its shadow, was in past eras one of the oldest and most extensive cities of Iran and indeed the world. Throughout history it has been described with titles such as “Mother of the Cities of Iran.” It is repeatedly mentioned in numerous ancient texts and records, including the Behistun Inscription of Darius, sacred books such as the Avesta, and the writings of the Romans and Greeks.
Situated at the geographical heart of the Iranian plateau and at the midpoint of the land of Iran, Rey lay on the Silk Road and the main arteries of the ancient world. This strategic position transformed it into one of the most important political, economic, and cultural centres of Iran and West Asia. Over its long life the city repeatedly endured invasions by various empires, and its status from antiquity through the Islamic era experienced both peaks and declines.
The migration to Rey of noble Imāmzādehs from the exalted lineage of the Ahl al-Bayt (upon them be peace) — such as Ḥamzah, ʿAbd al-ʿAẓīm al-Ḥasanī, Ṭāhir, and ʿAbd Allāh — and their burial there marked a turning point in the city’s history, elevating it to one of the sacred cities and major pilgrimage centres of Shiʿite Islam. In particular, the noble shrine of His Holiness ʿAbd al-ʿAẓīm (upon him be peace) has ensured the survival and continuity of Rey despite the devastating historical calamities it has suffered throughout history.
Moreover, the emergence and residence in Rey of an extraordinary number of outstanding scholars — including Muḥammad ibn Zakariyyā al-Rāzī, Abū al-Futūḥ al-Rāzī, Shaykh al-Kulaynī, Shaykh al-Ṣadūq, Imām Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Quṭb al-Dīn al-Rāzī, and many other luminaries who shone in diverse fields such as astronomy, medicine, Qurʾānic exegesis, jurisprudence, hadith, theology, philosophy, and literature — turned the city into one of the foremost scientific and intellectual centres of Iran throughout the Islamic period.
In recent centuries as well, Rey has been the scene of several major political and social developments in Iran. The spiritual status of the city and the tradition of bast (sanctuary-seeking) by prominent political and religious figures at the sacred threshold of His Holiness ʿAbd al-ʿAẓīm have been the origin of a number of these transformations. Despite the deep wounds inflicted upon the body of this city over the past hundred years, the few surviving architectural remains from ancient Rey still bear witness to its magnificent past and ancient grandeur.
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Today, the “Rey Studies Centre of the Holy Shrine of ʿAbd al-ʿAẓīm al-Ḥasanī (upon him be peace)” endeavours to portray for contemporary generations the historical, religious, and cultural heritage of the city of Rey, with the personality and station of His Holiness ʿAbd al-ʿAẓīm and his sacred shrine complex as its central axis. Through this effort, certain religious teachings and sciences may be disseminated, and a link may be forged with our cultural and civilisational past. Commemorating the great scholarly and cultural figures, as well as recalling the events and incidents of this city’s history, can serve as a source of energy and strength for future generations — just as, for the people of today, it remains a beacon for progress and a passage for drawing lessons and admonitions.
