The most important of the many religious sites in Qom is the Shrine of Hazrat-e Masumeh (AS), a mausoleum dedicated to Fatimah Masumeh, sister of Imam Reza (AS). She was travelling to meet her brother in Mashhad when she became ill and passed away in Qom. The shrine which was erected in her memory soon became a popular site of pilgrimage and remains so to this day. The current buildings mainly date from the Safavid Period (1501-1732).
The most important of the many religious sites in Qom is the Shrine of Hazrat-e Masumeh (AS), a mausoleum dedicated to Fatimah Masumeh, sister of Imam Reza (AS). She was travelling to meet her brother in Mashhad when she became ill and passed away in Qom. The shrine which was erected in her memory soon became a popular site of pilgrimage and remains so to this day. The current buildings mainly date from the Safavid Period (1501-1732). Shah Abbas I (r. 1587-1629) wished to discourage his subjects from making pilgrimages to sites outside of his kingdom such as Najaf and Karbala, which were then in the hands of his enemies the Ottoman Turks.
He thus began a large scale reconstruction of the Hazrat-e Masumeh and emphasized its importance as a place of worship. Shah Abbas and his three successors who continued the reconstructions are buried at the shrine. King Fat’ali Shah (r. 1797-1834) had the shrine lavishly restored, covering the main dome in gold and adding many fine embellishments including highly detailed tile work.