Hawzah News Agency- Hojatoleslam Ahmad Oliyayi, in an article marking this day, notes that while the shrine remains an enduring spiritual center, the city surrounding it is undergoing visible transformations. Qom, he argues, is redefining itself at the intersection of tradition and modernity.
The dome of Hazrat Masoumeh’s shrine still rises with dignity, and the sound of its call to prayer continues to resonate across the city. Yet alongside these timeless elements, new images and sounds have emerged. The quiet alleys once filled with the voices of seminarians are now accompanied by the lighted windows of cafés and the hum of coffee machines.
In recent years, the urban fabric of Qom has taken on new colors. Modern homes and residential spaces—decorated with contemporary architecture and lighting—are welcoming visitors who, in the past, often came solely for pilgrimage. This shift, experts suggest, reflects broader processes described in urban sociology, such as changes in the use of space and the gradual movement from a religious-based economy toward a consumer-oriented one.
Even the houses of seminarians, which once stood close to the shrine and symbolized the integration of worship and daily life, have relocated to more distant neighborhoods. As a result, the pilgrimage route itself has become a journey within the city.
Observers emphasize that these changes do not erase Qom’s identity but rather present a new face of the same historic city. Qom remains both a center of pilgrimage and a crossroads of passage. Tradition continues to flow in its veins, even as it experiences the rhythms of modern life.
At the heart of all this stands the shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh—calm, steadfast, and central. It is no longer the entire city, but it remains its heart, beating with the faith of its people and enduring as a witness to both the past and the future.
Analysts believe that these developments raise fundamental questions about the future of religious metropolises in the context of globalization and modernity—questions that deserve further study within the framework of urban studies and collective identity in contemporary Iran.
Your Comment