Latest / The Safavid Empire: Persia's Return to Greatness — Fexingo History
The Silk Road of Faith: Safavid Pilgrimage Roads
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Safavid Empire's remarkable investment in pilgrimage infrastructure along the roads to Mashhad, Najaf, and Karbala. They discuss how Shah Abbas I transformed these routes into safe, prosperous arteries of faith and commerce, building caravanserais, protecting pilgrims, and promoting Twelver Shi'ism. The episode covers the role of the mutawalli, the impact of the hajj, and the broader economic and political dividends of these sacred highways. Drawing on accounts by Jean Chardin and Iskandar Beg Munshi, the hosts reveal how pilgrimage roads became…
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