>> From the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
[ Silence ]   >> Good afternoon.

On behalf of the African-Middle Eastern Division which is one
of the co-sponsors of today's lecture and presentation,
I would like to wish you all a welcome.
We are, you know, very pleased to have you here
and a little later Hirodney [assumed spelling] Navarre,
the Iranian Senior Reference Librarian
for the Iranian World will introduce our presenter.
I'm going to say a few words about the Near East Section
of the African-Middle Eastern Division.
It is one of three sections in the division.
The other two sections are the Hebraic Section
and the African Section.
The African Section is responsible for developing the collection from
and about Sub-Sahara in Africa.
The Hebraic Section is responsible for developing the collection
in Hebraica and Judaica worldwide.
And the Near East Section is responsible
for developing the collection from and about the 22 Arab countries:
Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan,
the countries of the Kakases [assumed spelling] in Turkey,
the Turkish Republics of Central Asia, and the Muslims
in Western China, Russia, and the Balkans.
So that defines the Near East in a very broad brush.
The specialist and reference librarians
of the section are the primary individuals responsible
for both developing the collection
and providing reference access to it.
And, of course, these noon-time lectures
and other programs are a part of our, not only outreach,
but of making our collections known.
And we are particularly happy when the presenters are researchers
or other persons who have become familiar
with our collections and has specialties.
The collection itself consists of about 480,000 books
in the local languages of the Middle East, about half in Arabic,
about 70 -- they have 75,000 in Persian and Turkish.
And then the whole bunch is 36 other languages all the way down to Ingush
in which we have 12 volumes.
And if that seems few, two years ago we only had nine.
So, there's growth all across the collections.
I'm now going to ask Todd Harvey,
who is going to represent our co-sponsors,
the American Folklife Center, to say some words about the Center.
[ Noises ]   >> Thanks, Chris.

Good afternoon.
The American Folklife Center is delighted
to co-sponsor this lecture by Dr. Ulrich Marzolph.
Dr. Marzolph is a well-known scholar in the folk-life community
and we're grateful to have him in residence at the Library
of Congress, if only for a few days.
The Folklife Center is the largest ethnographic archives
in the United States and contains significant collections
from the Near East.
Our Iranian World Collections, as of yesterday,
have gained new prominence due to Dr. Marzolph's generosity.
Through him, the Folklife Center has acquired the Elwell-Sutton
Collection of Persian Folktales comprised of sound recordings
and related notes documenting Persian folktales collected
by Laurence Paul Elwell-Sutton
in Iran during the 1950s through the 1970s.
Dr. Marzolph sat for an interview with us yesterday
and this will undoubtedly prove a valuable resource
for future researchers who will be using the collections.
I would invite you all to come
down to the Folklife Center if you get a chance.
We're just down on the ground floor around the corner.
And so, thank you to Dr. Marzolph and to the African
and Middle Eastern Division for allowing us
to co-sponsor this lecture today.   Back to Chris.

>> Okay. Thank you, Todd.
As I mentioned earlier, the reference librarians
and specialists are the primary individuals
who develop the collections that we provide for scholars to use here.
And I would now like to ask Mr. Hirad [assumed spelling] de Navarre
[assumed spelling], the Iranian World Senior Reference Librarian,
to come forward and tell us about today's presenter.
However, I'm going to add something
of a personal note about today's presenter.
As Todd said, he's a very well-known scholar and purely
by accident yesterday I discovered just how thorough the Professor is.
He is a co-author and co-editor on an Arabian Nights Encyclopedia
and 30 years ago, at the request of an editor of a very obscure journal,
I did a bibliographic article about illustrated translations
of the Arabian Nights and it is actually listed in this bibliography
which gives you an idea that, you know,
how thorough this gentleman is.
Now, without further ado, I'd like to ask Hirad to come forward.

>> Thank you, Chris.   Thank you, Todd.

Thank you everyone for coming on a beautiful Sunday like this.
I'm sure you'd rather be outside.
It is a great honor that we have Dr. Marzolph here.
It's not often that we get scholars of such high caliber here.
He's also very humble.
We happen to have 18 of his books in our collections,
books that have been written by himself or co-authored.
A number of them are in German and I'm not going
to try to pronounce them.
But he has also written a number of items in Persian,
the last two of which he just kindly donated to us the other day,
[foreign word], which is a lithographic he was republished
in modern form.
Sorry. [Foreign word] and [foreign word] which is a lithograph
that I was mentioning that's been republished.
And in previous years the Iranian State had given him an award
for his work on Persian lithographic [foreign word] which we have here.
I'm going to take a minute and read his biography.
This is extremely humble.
I think it could be -- we could go on speaking about his work
for a long time, but I will do a brief bio and turn it over to him
so that he can take the rest of the time and give his wonderful lecture.
Dr. Ulrich Marzolph is a Professor of Islamic Studies
at the Georg-August-University in Gottingen, Germany, a Senior Member
of the Editorial Committee of the Encyclopedie des Marchants
or Encyclopedia of Fairytales, a research and a publishing institute
at the Academy of Sciences at Gottingen.
He specializes in narrative culture of the Islamic and Near
and Middle East, with a particular emphasis on Arab
and Persian folk narrative, popular literature, and related fields.
In the field of visual culture and history of printing in Iran,
he has published the "Monograph Studies, Narrative Illustration
in Persian Lithograph Books, 2001," and was translated into Persian
in 2011; the Shanam album, which I just showed you, in 2004,
co-authored with Mohamed Hadi Mohammadi; [foreign word]
which he just gave us as a gift,
co-authored with Peghoff [assumed spelling] Hadish [assumed spelling],
as well as a number of other books that I mentioned and numerous,
numerous essays that he has done over the years.
Without taking any further time I'm going to ask Dr. Marzolph to come
up here and take the podium and enlight us all
with his amazing new research which is this lithographic scroll
that he's been working on recently.   Thank you.

[ Audience Applause ]
>> Thank you for the kind introduction.
Thank you, a big thank you actually, to all of the collaborators
at the Library of Congress who made this talk possible,
the people at the African and Middle Eastern Section: MaryJane Dee,
Chris Murphy, Ella Deena Barrie, and of course to the Folklife Center.
My special thanks for taking care in the future
of Elwell-Sutton's collection, a task that I could never do
with the same degree of reliability.   Human life is short.

The life of the Library of Congress will definitely be longer
[audience laughter].
So, what I'm going to be presenting to you today is unfortunately not
in particularly relation with any holdings of the Library
of Congress unless you intend
to acquire this beautiful piece in the future.
But this is part of my research, my ongoing research
on Persian lithographic printing.
I am presenting a Shiite Pilgrimage Scroll from the Qajar period,
maybe the 19th Century, and we'll start with an introduction
on illustrated Hajj certificates.
Now the Hajj certificates are stylized legal documents testifying
to the fact that a certain individual has participated
in the pilgrimage to Mecca and has executed the required rituals.
Providing that one can afford it physically as well as financially,
it is obligatory for every Muslim to undertake the pilgrimage to Mecca
at least once in his lifetime.
Meanwhile, it is common practice that people
for various reasons are not able to do so,
would delegate their obligation to another individual so as
to perform the pilgrimage in their stead.
Accordingly the certificates either testify to the pilgrimage
of the person physically present or to the fact
that this person participated in the pilgrimage as somebody else's proxy.
In historical terms, the chief importance of Hajj certificates lies
in their documentary value.
Meanwhile, because of their artistic content, they also pertain
to the field of Islamic art,
since many of the certificates contain illustrations
of the sacred Muslim sites in Mecca and Medina,
sometimes also including the Haddam in Jerusalem.
See, these visual representations of the sacred Muslim sites supplied
in the Hajj certificates are early specimen of illustrations
that later served to guide pilgrims at the sacred sites of Islam.
The slides I have to accompany this are taken from various sources.
This is some of the earlier stuff,
fragments of illustrated pilgrimage documents dating


Now talking about pilgrimage guides, illustrations similar
to those first appearing in the Hajj certificates are, for instance,
regularly included in such widely-used books as the [speaking
in foreign language] of [speaking in foreign language].
That's a book from the mid of the 15th Century or a [speaking
in foreign language] of [speaking in foreign language], 16th Century,
and similar images were also produced on single leafs.
The public display of illustrated Hajj certificates
in mosques might furthermore have given rise to depictions
of the sacred precincts in Mecca and Medina on tiles,
a phenomenon that is particularly documented from the Ottoman Period.
Besides the extremely valuable horde of documents dating from the Seljuq
and [foreign word] periods that is today preserved
in the Stumble [assumed spelling] Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art,
a number of manuscript copies
of Hajj certificates have been published and discussed.
Particularly magnificent specimens include, for instance,
the 212 centimeter, two-meter long Pilgrimage Scroll testifying
to the Hajj of a certain [speaking in foreign language] in 1433,
preserved in the British Museum in London.
And what I'm able to show here is just a fragment
of the two-meter scroll.
The same goes for the other large scrolls.
This is the equally brilliant and 665 centimeter long scroll,
like an [speaking in foreign language] of [speaking
in foreign language] from Central Asia dated the 21st
of [foreign word], 1837 -- that's 1433 --
kept in the Museum of Islamic Art in Pathad [assumed spelling].
And we have another spectacular piece.
This is the late 18th Century Pilgrimage Scroll sized 9 meter
and 20 centimeters containing images of Mecca, Medina,
Jerusalem, Najaf, and other sides.
And this scroll has recently been acquired by the Aracom Foundation.
Most studies so far of Hajj certificates
and related phenomena are concerned with specimens
that are either very old or that are particularly attractive
in terms of their execution.
Fairly recent items such as the fascinating 18th Century metal block
for printing a pilgrimage certificate preserved
in the Walters Arts Museum
in Baltimore have not received much attention.
And an item like the late 19th Century Mecca certificate reproduced
in 1900 in Samuel Zwemer's study "Arabia, the Cradle of Islam,"
has also gone largely unnoticed.   Even in comparison to many

of the brilliantly executed historical pieces,
the specimen published by Zwemer is not devoid of interest.
Notably, its traditional iconography of the pilgrimage sites in Mecca
and Medina is by no means less detailed then
that of its historical predecessors.
The chief importance of the printed certificate, however,
lies not in its historical value or its artistic merit.
This particular item
which [inaudible] also has a somewhat more recent sibling.
This is dating from around 1930.
This particular item rather becomes meaningful since it was produced
and distributed in the hundreds, probably even thousands, of copies.
And since my background is not only that of a philologist but rather
that of a folklorist, this is the special focus of my interest.
Being distributed in the hundreds and thousands,
this item gains a social dimension as a document testifying
to the continuation of a traditional practice
with modern technical means.
Modern printed Hajj certificates were not only available
to the privileged few
who historically would have spent considerable funds of the production
of magnificently executed items.
Here, for the first time in history are certificates become comodified
accessories for pilgrims.
In addition to the printed Hajj certificates with the standard set
of four images, there were also printed certificates
for specific single sites such as Medina as here demonstrated
by the published specimen of a mid-19th Century Medina certificate.

Now while recent printed certificates
such as those discussed just now deserve attention, it is striking
to note that most of the pilgrimage documents studies
so far pertain to a Sunni perspective.
Although visual aspects
of Shia Muslim culture have increasingly gained attention
in recent Western scholarship, the visual dimension of pilgrimage
from a Shia perspective still calls for adequate consideration.
Notably the Shia perspective relates to both the pilgrimage to Mecca,
that is the Hajj o'umra, and to the popular pilgrimage
in Persian called ziarat, to major sites of Shiite remembrance
and worship in Iraq and Iran, such as the tombs of the Imams,
the so-called [foreign word] and, of course, the [foreign word]
of their descendents, the Imams are this.
The popular pilgrimages have always been regarded
as meritorious acts of devotion.
In the Safavid period they had acquired growing economical status.
Theoretically they were even placed on the same level as the Hajj.
Pilgrimage certificates, often without illustrations,
attesting visits to the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad,
are known from as early as the 16th Century.
And single leaf prints depicting the tragic events of Kerbela are known
to have been produced at the beginning of the 20 Century
when they were probably distributed or sold to Shia pilgrims, say,
at the shrines of Naja Kerbela.
These images not only constituted items of pious commemoration
but would probably also have served to document the owner's visit
to the sites of Shia pilgrimage in Naja and/or Kerbela.
As a directed case in point,
and I'm still introducing the document I'm going to talk about,
there is a Shia Hajj certificate dated 1904.
This document demonstrates features that are closely similar to those
of the corresponding Sunni items.
As in the Sunni documents the text leaves blank spaces intended to fill
in the name of the pilgrim and his place of origin.
You can see the blank spaces in the middle section, Lines 2, 3 and 4.
Instead of the regular set of four sites of pilgrimage
in the printed Sunni documents, this Shia Hajj certificate
in its top section illustrates a set of five sites
that imply a distinct Shia perspective,
particularly for the last two representations,
and this is a blow-up.
Reading the images as we should from right to left we have, first of all,
the Haram in Mecca; second, a double image depicting a pilgrimage
and a pilgrim and a number of sheep at Mount Arafat above
and two pilgrims to the side of a set
of steps representing the so-called Maasa [assumed spelling],
the trotting space between [foreign word] and [foreign word] below.
These are Sunni sites.
In addition to these two Sunni sites -- well, the sites of the Sunni,
or rather the common Muslim dimension of the pilgrimage
in Mecca -- there is an image, and this is the third one in the middle
of the Prophet Mohammad's mosque at Medina.
That also belongs to the regular set of images depicted
on the Sunni Hajj certificates.
The next illustration then depicts the cemetery in Medina known
as Bahia, here denoted in Persian as [foreign word],
a site that is rarely, if ever, included in the visual program
of the Sunni Hajj certificates.
This cemetery is particular dear to the Shia community
because it not only holds the graves of [foreign word]
and his daughter Fatima but also those of a number
of the early Shiite Imams.
We have the graves of the second Imam, Al Hassan; the fourth Imam,
Ali ibn al-Husayn; the fifth Imam, Mohammad al-Baqir;
and the sixth Imam, Ja'afar el Sadiq.
Of course, today, the cemetery's mausoleums are in ruins due
to the destruction by iconic [foreign word] in 1925-26.
The fifth and final illustration
on the document's far left depicts the so-called oasis [foreign word],
a place that was formerly renowned for its rich date palms.
This site is also imbued with a particular significance
for the Shiite community.
Before the spread of Islam the oasis had belonged to the Jewish community
who gave it to Mohammad as part of the agreement
of peace they had reached.
Mohammad devoted the revenue from the data palms
to the needy travelers and the poor.
Following Mohammad's death there began a dispute
when his daughter Fatima
and the first [foreign language] regarding the question,
who was Fadak's rightful owner?
Whereas Fatima, the prophet's daughter, regarded the oasis as part
of her inheritance AbuBaker remained that the revenue should be spent
in exactly the same way as the Prophet had previously settled it.
Since Fatima could not produce witnesses sustaining her claim
that would satisfy AbuBaker he did not give in.
The Shiite community regards AbuBaker's rejection
of Fatima's claim as an act of injustice that belongs to the series
of Sunni atrocities denying the Prophet's family its rightful
position and inheritance.
Together with the Persian text, part of which describes the pilgrims acts
to raise this journey to the various sacred sites,
this Hajj certificates thus presents a decidedly Shia perspective.

During my residence at the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art
in Shangri-La, Honolulu, Hawaii, in September/October, 2012,
an illustrated 19th Century Shiite Pilgrimage Scroll, printed by way
of this [inaudible] has come to my attention.
The scroll is currently preserved in a private collection
and has been acquired in the Iranian city of Kerman in 1971.
It is sized approximately 20 centimeters by two meters.
The paper's printed in six sections and adhered to a fabric backing.
Since I wanted to give you a little blow-up, larger than the one
on the original poster, I've cut this in two sections.
You have three of the printed sections above and more or less
with a certain overlap three of the sections below.
In a small section at the document's far left we find mention
of the person who commissioned its printing.
This is contemporary wording in Persian [foreign word],
according to the wish or to the order of so and so,
and the patron's name is given as Mohammad [foreign word],
a cloth merchant, as it says, [foreign word] from Kerbela.
Commissioning and thus paying for the production of any item
of religious import was regarded
as deserving religious reward, [foreign word].
So the client would have made it a point to have his name mentioned.
Judging from the style of its illustrations the scroll was made
around the end of the 19th or the beginning of the 20th Century.
The scroll consists essentially of two areas of different nature,
and this is just the first section.
To show you the different areas, both the top
and the bottom areas contain poetry, two lines above and two lines below.
And the scroll's middle area has a total
of 24 images illustrating the various Shiite pilgrimage sites.
Before going in detail to present the images let me say a few words
about the verses.
In the poetry area each verse is written in two lines and bordered
by an ornamental frame that separates it from the following one.
Each section contains seven verses totaling 84 verses altogether.
These verses are fairly crude in terms of meter, and simple as well
as repetitive in wording.
Most of them rhyme with [foreign word], we did so and so.
And most of the third final verses on the bottom sections five
and six rhyme either [foreign word], we brought,
or [foreign word], it came.
In general, the verses, each of which forms an independent unit,
illustrate the pilgrims' progress.
If one who wants to follow this itinerary chronologically,
one would first read all of the verses on the top border
and then continue with the ones on the bottom border.
Most of the verses deal with the pilgrims' sojourn in Mecca, Medina,
and Najaf Kufa in Karbala.
Other sites of Shiite pilgrimage such as the sites in Kazimain,
Samarra, and Mashhad are only mentioned in passing and only
in the final section on the bottom of the scroll.
The verses are pronounced in the first person plural -- we.
So they are obviously spoken by an individual representing a group
of people such as the leader or guide of pilgrims.
In fact, the verses are a rare specimen of the poetry known
as [foreign word], that is, the verses pronounced
by the pilgrimage guide known as [foreign word]
or [foreign word] during the return of the pilgrims to their homes.
Besides guiding the pilgrims and instructing them
about the proper execution of pilgrimage rituals,
the [foreign word] was responsible for travel arrangements
of all kinds including means of travel and accommodation.
The verses recited by the [foreign word] present a rhymed
and somewhat stylized narrative of the pilgrims' visit
to different locations including their experiences on the way
and the presents they brought back to the home community.
It is open to speculation, and we know very little about that,
to which extent verses of this kind were either pronounced
spontaneously, a fact that would probably help to account
for their fairly crude character, or whether they were recited
from booklets known as [foreign word],
a genre obviously denoting simple
and uncritical publications of the [foreign word].
Similar booklets containing the text of [foreign word] dramas
or of venerated persons like Hussein, [foreign word],
Husain's half-brother [foreign word] or Hussein's sons [speaking
in foreign language] are still sold today, and this is part
of a small collections of these books that I hold myself.
As time does not really allow me to discuss the verses in more detail,
and I'm [inaudible] to all you hear,
let me simply draw your attention to the final verses.
Here mentioned is made of a spiritual as well
as a physical presence the speaker brings back from his journey.
For instance, they say, "From the tomb of the 7th Imam, Musa Al-Kazam,
they brought back some soil, cock, to be used for the preparation
of a special ointment to protect the eyes [foreign language]."
By visiting the site where the 12th Imam, Mohammad al-Mahdi,
the Imam [foreign language] is supposed to have gone
into occultation, the pilgrims have earned
for themselves a document testifying
that all their sins had been forgiven.
And the speaker, this is the lines you can see on the screen,
finishes by wishing that God may enable all Shiite Muslims
to visit [foreign language] in Kerbela as well as the Haram
of the 8th Imam, [foreign word] in Mashhad every single year.
In its middle area, flanked by the verse narrative above and below
in a total of 24 images,
the Pilgrimage Scroll presents a visualization of the sites
and buildings that bear particular relevance
for Shiite Muslim pilgrims.
Now remember, the first narrative focuses on Mecca, Medina, Najaf Kufa
and Karbala, and mentions other sites of Shiite pilgrimage
such as Kazimain, Samerma, and Mashhad only in the final summary.
The visual journey shows a different emphasis.
The journey starts in Mecca and the ritual sites in its vicinity
which we have here on the top part on the right side, the Images 1
and 2, followed by Mecca and the local Shiite pilgrimage sites
of Bahia and Traddag [assumed spelling].
And at this point the visits to sites related to the Hotch
in the strict sense are finished.
After concluding their visit to the pilgrimage sites in Saudi, Arabia,
some Sunni Muslims would be likely to continue their journey
by visiting, say for instance, the Haram in Jerusalem
from where Mohammad, according to legend,
set out on his nocturnal journey, the [foreign word].
Shiite travelers, however, would aim to visit sites
of particular relevance for the history of Shi'ism,
especially the shrines of the Shiite Imams, the so-called [foreign word].
The scrolls visually journey, thus continuous to Kufa, Najaf,
and Karbala, all three of them belonging to the sites
that are prominently mentioned in the verses.
After Karbala, the second half of the images then proceeds
to picture sites that receive little or no attention in the verses
such as Kazimain, Samara, Ohm near present-day Tehran, Ray --
Ohm, south of Tehran and Ray near Tehran,
Nishabor on the way to Mashhad.
And the final site the pilgrim visits is Mashhad.
While most sites depicted on the scroll are located in either Saudi,
Arabia or Iraq, Shiite sites of pilgrimage within the borders
of Iran receive particular attention even though some
of them are only mind sites.
The journey both culminates and ends in Mashhad.
Considered together, the starting point
of the visual journey is a Hajj proper, which is then followed
by the pilgrims' return to Iran,
on the way visiting Shiite sites of remembrance in Iraq.
As the verse narrative mentions,
the pilgrims would have started their journey by travelling
from Iran to Saudi, Arabia by boat.
So the obvious choice for their return journey is the land route
during which religious merit would be earned by visiting Shiite sites
of pilgrimage in Iraq and Iran.
If one considers the distance of more than 3,500 kilometers
that pilgrims would have had to travel between Mecca and Mashhad,
and if one adds certain periods of sojourn at the sites of pilgrimage,
it is not unlikely that prior to the accessibility of modern means
of travel such a journey would have lasted at least several months,
probably even up to half a year.
In terms of number of images dedicated to a specific location,
the visual journey clearly emphasizes the visit to Kerbela
with a total of five images.
I'm going into some more detail just in a minute.
And the final destination at the sanctuary of Imam Raza,
including the site east of Neyshabur where his footprints are worshipped,
is represented with a total of six images.
So we have a certain emphasis.   Most of the images, as you can see,

are divided into a top and a bottom half.
The two halves are usually separated
by an ornamental band bearing the caption
that is usually positioned just below the middle of the images.
In the images depicting a mosque or a similar type of sanctuary,
the top half presents the building from a distance
with its centrally placed dome and most often minarets on both sides.
The domes of the larger shrines are so-called onion domes
with a finial at their crest.
They usually rest on a drum, sometimes a slightly elongated one
that would often display a number of windows.
The domes of the smaller shrines are round and do not rest on a drum.
The golden cover of the domes, and sometimes of the minarets,
is visualized by a brick structure, obviously golden tiles,
while the tile covers are depicted as flowers or geometrical ornaments.
The bottom half
of the mausoleum-type shrine shows a cross section of the sanctuary
that allows a glimpse into the building's inside.
Here one would regularly see the silver lattice structure enclosing
the venerated individual's tomb in a room that is adorned
with centrally placed chandeliers, symmetrically arranged lamps,
and sometimes additional candlesticks on the floor.
Frequently the sanctuary's tomb chamber is flanked
by small entry chambers on both sides.
In terms of architectural details, the buildings are presented
in a fairly uniform matter.
However, the artist has taken great care
to introduce a certain variation in the patterns of the brickwork
or of the ornamental tiles.
In a similar manner the inner chambers
of the sanctuaries also display divergences in terms of the amount
of arrangement of lamps and chandeliers.
While the majority of the images depict buildings,
two images present birds-eye's views of larger areas, and this is Mecca,
top section, just on the right side, and the Image Number 7, Kufa,
the masthead of Kufa which is on the top section just in the middle.
Some images include renderings of landscape
or elements of nature such as trees.
With the exception of the commemorative building dedicated
to [foreign word] all of the images depicting shrines are adorned
on the top with either one or two crescents
with a five-pointed star in their center.
Sometimes two crescents mating of the shrines of more
than one individual, while at other times it probably just serves
to emphasize the respective individual's
particular significance.
Now, let me take you on the visual journey that this scroll presents.
Starting with the Haram in Mecca, which is depicted as a square
of equally long sides with a cabah [assumed spelling] in its center.
The square is surrounded by a number
of arcades opening up into its inner side.
Similar arcades are depicted in the four corners with the one
in the upper left corner bearing the image's caption,
[speaking in foreign language].
The image views the holy precinct in the traditional manner
from the entrance on its north side, the [foreign word],
a gate that is also mentioned in the verses as the standard entrance.
Except for the cabah, which is displayed
in a three-dimensional perspective, all other structures are presented
in flat projection emulating a birds-eye view.
Most of the additional structures are oriented towards the cabah
in the image's center.
Two pairs of identically ornamented minarets, one pair above
and the other below, point from the square's four corners towards
the center.   The traditionally depicted details

of the cabah are clearly discernible.
The building rests on an outwardly protruding platform.
We see the black stone on the building's eastern corner here
on the left side which is indicated by a curving white line
against the building's black draping,
the kisslah [assumed spelling].
The cabah's door appears to be open enabling the viewer
to look inside the building.
On the cabah's right side there is the area known
as [foreign word] surrounded by a stone wall.
And on the building's corner opposite to the black stone,
there is the gutter known as [foreign word].
Forcing the words, of which the one on the left side is barely legible,
are written inside the Haram
and surrounding the cabah on its four sides.
They identify some of the smaller structures inside the holy precinct
including the wooden pavilions belonging to the four legal schools
of Sunni Islam, all [inaudible] not in the correct allocation.
Starting from the top and reading clockwise the captions identify the
[ Speaking in Foreign Language ]
. No, sorry I'm getting mixed up here.
[Speaking in foreign language] Pavilions, while the correct order,
starting from the bottom and reading clockwise should be [speaking
in foreign language].
So the artists here got something mixed up.
Two structures in the foreground appear to be pulpits.
And other structures that have often been depicted
in other traditional ministrations, notably the [foreign word]
and the [foreign word] are not explicitly identified.
The second image depicts Mina and Mount Arafat in the top section
and the trotting space between Safa and Marwah in the bottom section.
In the image of Mount Arafat,
the slopes of the mountainous region are indicated by short
and curved hatch lines in the foreground and large tufts
of grass in the background.
A fence-like structure of the bottom of the image is, to me,
at least somewhat enigmatic.
The bottom image here establishes the trotting space between Safa
and Marwah by two rows of arcades on the image's top and bottom.
The respective sites themselves are indicated by two sets of steps.
The site on the left is made of larger bricks and has four steps.
The smaller bricks on the site on the right allow
for six steps equaling roughly the same height.
This is the Prophet's mosque in Medina which is portered
in the standard manner, as I've outlined
in the introduction to the images.   In the image's top section,

the mosque's centrally placed dome is flanked by two minarets,
both of them, as well as the dome, adorned with, obviously, tile work.
Two crescents and stars between the minarets emphasize Mohammad's
superior position in Islam.
The Prophet's tomb chamber in the bottom section is lit
by a chandelier and two symmetrically placed separate lamps
as well as two large candles in candlesticks on the ground.
The small entrance rooms on both sides
of the tomb chamber are also lit by lamps.
The image of the symmetry of [foreign word]
in Medina shows a single sanctuary, probably a mausoleum for one
of the four Shiite Imams buried there.
Neither the caption nor any other particularly characteristics
in the image such as the number of lamps allow
for further specification.   Displaying a decorated dome,

the mausoleum's tomb chamber follows the standard visual layout
in the scroll.
In fact, in this particular case, the imagery appears
to be fairly stereotype since the sanctuary displays the typical
features of a Shiite or rather an Iranian style shrine.
This is particularly evident
in the silver lattice structure enclosing the venerated
individual's tomb.
As the shrines in the cemetery have been destroyed,
it would have to be determined
from textural evidence whether the depiction corresponded
to reality or not.
The scroll's next image depicts the [foreign word]
in the oasis [foreign word] that, as already mentioned according
to the Shiite perspective, was unlawfully denied
to Mohammad's daughter, Fatima.
The image's caption has artistically been integrated
in the decoration at the Orcad's Gate.
The spectator views the area from outside while looking inside over
and above the closed entrance gates.
The Orcad is framed by walls on the left and right sides,
and at the far end
of the prospectively reduced central walkway we see a pavilion adorned
with a small dome.
The agriculture areas on both sides of the walkway are indicated
by a single palm tree each, the fertility of which, interestingly,
is indicated by two bundles of dates dangling beneath their leaves.
A large leaf-bearing tree whose top covers the image's upper center,
would offer some shade to the visitors.
The Fadak now is the last site in the vicinity
of the standard Muslim pilgrimage sites in Mecca and Medina.
Next, the visual journey
of the pilgrimage role continues toward the sacred sites of Iraq.
The first Shiite site
in Iraq visited during the visual journey is the Mosque
of Ali in the city of Najaf.
The image's caption refers to Ali not by name
but by his equally unambiguous honorific title Amir
which stands short for Arabic Amir al-Moneem [assumed spelling],
the commander of the faithful.
The mosque is presented in the standard fashion with a dome
that is centrally placed between two symmetrically arranged minarets.
Both the dome and the minarets are notably not covered with ornaments
to emulate tile work, and we know historically that at the order
of [foreign word] that's first off of the 18th Century,
the previously existing tile work had been removed and replaced
by golden plates that are here emulated by a brick-like design.
The tomb chamber's also illustrated in the standard fashion
with a centrally placed chandelier and a number of single lamps.
Again, the tomb chamber is flanked
by two small entrance rooms [background sound].
The visual journey continues to the Mosque of Kufa.
For various reasons this city holds central importance
for the Shiite community.
First, its inhabitants refused to come to Husain's support
as they had previously let him believe they would,
thus leaving a small group of warriors
at the mercy of Yazid's troops.
Second, Kufa is also regarded as a place of resistance again Sunni
to depression since various incidents connected with events
of Karbala are located here.
Muslim in the [foreign word], a cousin of Ali
and Mabitallive [assumed spelling] sons, Hassan and Hussein,
had served as an army commander and Ali and later his son, Hassan.
When Hussein decided to accept the invitation of the population of Kufa
to service as their Imam, he had sent Muslim to Kufa as his emissary
to explore the situation and assure the population's allegiance.
Muslim was, however, sought out by [foreign word],
the caliph Yazid's governor in Basra and executed in the year 680,
about a month before the Battle of Karbala.
Immediately after [foreign word],
the man who had temporarily given him shelter, was also executed.
Even though Muslim that did not die at the Battle of Karbala,
Shiites also regard him as a martyr.
His fate is experienced as particularly painful
since Muslims too, daughters and sons, Muhammad and Ibrahim,
were also killed by the caliph's men.
And this short excursion into history is necessary
to understand the different mausolea at the Mosque of Kufa.
Here we have an image which is slightly wider
than the two previous ones illustrating the Mosque in Kufa
in a mixture again of birds-eye view and flat projection.
The Mosque's central -- the Mosque's courtyard is shown
as a regular square with sides of equal lengths,
each side of which is occupied by six open chambers.
The image's caption is placed in the middle of the courtyard
that is otherwise filled with a total of six small pavilions
and three centrally placed somewhat enigmatic elements.
The vertical element just north
of the square's center appears to be a column.
An octagonal element below the center looks like a water basin.
And below the water basin there is a boat-like structure.
According to late 19th Century eyewitness accounts the column,
whose height is given at more than five meters,
used to serve as the gnomon of a large sundial
that would indicate the correct times of prayer.
Popular belief had it that men who were able to span the column
with the small fingers and thumbs of their hands, somewhat this wide,
with the small fingers and thumbs of their hands meeting could be sure
of their legitimate birth.
In order to spare men with smaller hands, a possible disgrace,
the authorities allegedly thinned the column's breadth
at a specific height.   Well, this is popular tradition.

Muslim tradition regards the site of the Mosque, in general,
as the dwelling place of Noah who is said
to have constructed his arc here.
Some explanations link to the octagonal element, the water basin
to the boiling cauldron mentioned in the Koran,
stating that it was water flowing
from this particular pit that caused the deluge.
According to Muslim tradition the Mosque was established by Adam,
so both Adam and Noah are venerated here as mentioned
in the accompanying verses.
The square's top side opens to a rectangular entrance area
about a quarter of the size of the square
that is flanked by small open chambers.
To the left and right sides of the entrance area we see the mausoleums
of Muslim Antanni [assumed spelling], the captions being placed
on an ornamental band just below the domes.
Both buildings are fairly unpretentious.
Their small domes depicted from the outside do not contain any
particular adornment, and the view
into the inner chamber shows two relatively small tombs.
While the martyrs that's awarded due recognition,
their tombs are clearly second in importance to those
of the Shiite Imams and those
of Hussein's companions that died in Kerbela.
The central site of Shiite commemoration is the Shrine
of Hussein in Kerbela.
Given its prominence, this image is considerably wider
than the following three images in this section.
In addition to Hussein's Mausoleum,
the image's caption mentions three other sites of Shiite worship --
that is here at the tomb of Habib Ben Mozarher [assumed spelling],
Mary's palm tree, and the tombs of the martyrs of Karbala.
The shrine housing Hussein's tomb is depicted in the standard manner.
Its dome is golden and the two minarets
to the dome's sides are adorned with identical ornaments.
In addition to the standard layout of the buildings,
there is a flag protruding from the dome's upper right side
and the star in the dome's tip.
The tomb's actual shape is somewhat different
from the usual rectangular layout
and that there is a short extension added on one side.
Here the illustrator aims to emulate this feature
by depicting a void space between the shrine's two sections,
thereby indicating that he was well are of the tomb's unusual shape.
The tomb chamber's also depicted in the standard manner
but the usual chambers to both sides
of the tomb are here used for different purposes.
On the image's far right and right beneath the related inscription
there is a small chamber holding the tomb of Habib Ben Muzahir,
one of Hussein's companions killed during the Battle of Kerbela.
Rising above the tomb chamber there is an additional minaret
of slightly smaller size whose adornment differs from that
of the two minarets flanking the central dome.
Between the small tomb chamber of Habib and the large one of Hussein,
again placed right beneath the related inscription,
there is a small room labeled as "Mary's Palm Tree," [foreign word].
Then it shows two short columns
that apparently symbolized two palm trees and, again,
we can refer to Muslim popular tradition
for which this site marks the side where Mary gave birth to Jesus.
The Koran mentions that after having conceived Jesus,
Mary retired to a remote place where she gave birth under a palm tree.

Having been constructed by order of the [foreign language], the First,
in the 14th Century, this site was actually destroyed
by the provincial government in the 1940s, so it is not there anymore.
Beneath the minaret on the left side there is a separate small chamber
that apparently holds a tomb with the remains of some
of the other martyrs who died at Hussein's side.
Now I think actually, as time is running short, I will take you
to the other sites a little bit more rapidly just
by giving a few comments.
Here we have in Najaf the [foreign word].
That is the place where Hussein and his army are said
to have pitched their tents.   Just a simple building with a dome.

This is the mausoleum for [foreign word], Hussein's half-brother
who played a very prominent role in the narratives about the Battle
of Kerbela as he was cruelly mutilated by the enemy
when he attempted to fetch water from the river
for his thirsty companions.
That's a very, very well known element of the battle at Kerbela.
And here it goes into one of the companions, [foreign word], who,
according to Shia tradition, actually is the first person
to enter Paradise where Muhammad will be waiting for him.
This is a very particular reason
because [foreign word] was originally fighting
on the Caliph's sides and then switch sides
to assist Hussein's army so according
to Shia tradition he has deserved a spectacular merit
which is thus honored by him being the first one to enter Paradise.
The children of Muslims, the tomb of the children of Muslims' daughters
and sons, already mentioned, Muhammad and Ibrahim,
are located in the vicinity of Kufa, so here we are already moving on.
And this is actually the scroll's widest image,
representing the Shrine of Kazamain.   Kazamain, literally the two chasms.

This shrine today is situated in a quarter
on the northwestern outskirts of Bagdad.
It holds the tombs of the 7th Imam, Musa Al-Kazim,
and the ninth Imam, Muhammad Al-Taqi.

The next image, unfortunately, is heavily damaged as you can see.
But in terms of logical sequence this must be the shrine
for the so-called Askarian, the two Askari's.
That is the Shiite 10th Imam, Ali un Naqi,
and the 11th Imam, Hassan al-Askari.
If it was not the Askarian, were actually --
this would actually be the only two
out of the 12 Shiite Imams whose shrines would otherwise not be
illustrated on the scroll.
So we can be fairly certain for this interpretation, and particularly
since it is followed by this shrine, which is somewhat unusual
since it does not deplay [phonetic] an actual tomb.
This is the shrine of [foreign word], water basin in Samara that,
in particular, Shiite believe is connected to the [speaking
in foreign language] of the 12th Shiite Imam
who was commonly designated as the [foreign word]
or Imam [foreign word] as you can see in the caption.
What you see here is a dome and a view into the cellar where,
on the left side, you can see the basin
where allegedly the 12th Shiite Imam was last seen [background talking].
We travel on from the Iraqi sites to the Shiite sites of pilgrimage
in Iran, to the Shiite sites in Iran.
And this is the Shrine of [foreign word],
literally the original Excellency constituting the shrine
of Imam Reza's sister Fatima in Qom, without ever having married.
This [inaudible] woman died in Qom in the year 816, aged 28.
Being a martyr shrine is particularly dear to Shiite Muslims
for whom it is second in importance only to the sanctuary of Imam Raza
in Mushat [assumed spelling].
And according, again, to popular tradition, based on a statement
by her brother, a visit to [foreign word] earns pilgrims a place
in paradise.
From Qom, the pilgrim would travel to the shrine of [foreign word],
today, a southern suburb of Tehran.
[Foreign word] is not an Imam but a descendent of Ali
and [foreign word] eldest son, Al Hassan.
According to Shia tradition he lived a secluded and pious life in Ray.
And this shrine, whose origins date from the 9th Century,
has been repeatedly expanded.
We have golden plates on the domes dating from the Kaja period
when the minarets flanking it today had actually not
yet been constructed.
So today's appearance of this shrine is different


Very unusual for a pilgrimage journey is the visit to the shrine
of [foreign word] situated on a mountain in the vicinity of Ray.
The shrine is here depicted
as a modest building surmounted with a small dome.
Drawn in hatch lines intersperse with bushels of grass, bushes,
flowers, and a single large tree
on the shrine's right side indicate the hilly countryside.
Now according to legend [foreign word] was a daughter
of the last Sicilian King, Yasdigive [assumed spelling], the Third,
who was defeated by the Arabs.
Captured and taken to Medina, [foreign word] was married
to Hussein and bore him the son, Ali Husayn Zayn al-Abidin,
who later became the 4th Shiite Imam.
And again, popular tradition lets us know that after the battle
of Karbala, [foreign word] fled back to Iran,
pursued by her dead husband's enemies.
They were close to her when she reached Ray,
and in desperation she tried to call on God.
But instead of saying [foreign word],
her weary tongue uttered [foreign word], oh, mountain.
And following this, the mountain opened miraculously
and she found shelter in its rocks.   This is the story.

Of course, we know from historical evidence
that the shrine was built in due course.
It appears to have been originally [background sound] a Zoroastrian
place of worship.
Further approaching Mashhad, we pass a side east of Nishabor
where even today is shown the [foreign word],
the place with the footprint of Imam Reza.
And we come to the sanctuary of Imam Reza in Mashhad
with a mosque constructed in 1418 by Goharshad, wife of [foreign word].
The caption here says [foreign word], which is a misspelling,
a slight misspelling of it.
The shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad is the pilgrims' final destination.
Here we have again both the dome
and the flanking minarets covered in gold.
The depiction of the tomb chamber follows [inaudible] lay out,
and the remaining three frames depict two sides each,
all of them in one way or another related to the life of Imam Reza.
This is the only instance where details relating
to a venerated person are awarded separate attention,
the feature that emphasizes the high standing
of Imam Reza amongst the Shiite Iranian community.

Two items: a large chandelier [foreign word] on top
and on the bottom there is an object
which is here designated as [foreign word].
This is apparently the large round plate that according
to the Shiite reading the [speaking in foreign language]
and to Imam Reza while offering him poisoned grapes on the plate.
So this is again part of Shiite tradition.
Here, again, the image, separate in two halves.
The top half, it says [foreign word],
where the sanctuary's kettle drums are kept.
These drums will be beaten at certain intervals
or at specific periods such as the rising or setting of the sun.
And the frame's bottom half is labeled [foreign word],
the Excellency's Hospital, which again, is a misspelling.
Here it should clearly read [foreign word] which designates one
of the fountains in the inside of the sanctuary,
the place where water is offered to the thirsty pilgrims.
The scroll's final frame depicts details of the shrine of Imam Reza;
and is also divided into top and bottom half.
Here we have the sanctuary's charitable institutions
for the needy, naming a kitchen supplying food
and a hospital offering free medical treatment.
The hospital in the bottom section illustrates an open courtyard
and the kitchen in the top section depicts a number of pots
and other vessels for cooking.
Now, to come to sort of a conclusion.

Documents such as the lithograph Pilgrimage Scroll were probably
published and distributed in the hundreds.
But no similar item from the Kaja period has so far been published.
In terms of visual traditions, the Kaja roll fits in neatly
between similar Shiite documents, both earlier and later.
And what you see here is about a hundred years earlier.
As a historical document, there is the scroll
with Shiite sanctuaries acquired by Danish traveler,
Carsten Niebuhr, in Kerbela, in 1765.
This scroll, which today is preserved
in the Danish National Museum,
is the earliest known specimen of its kind.
Originally prepared as a scroll of 192 centimeters in length,
the paper item was glued onto cardboard and has been cut
into three pieces of varying lengths.
As in the lithographed item discussed in detail,
the Niebuhr Scroll takes the viewer
on a visual journey from Mecca to Mashhad.
It ends, however, in an edit set of figures relating
to either Mohammad or Ali.
Here we have, from right to left, the buraq, that is the fabulous seat
that served Mohammad
on his nocturnal journey there in [inaudible].
Next we have a camel bearing a [foreign word].
Supposedly the [foreign word] that would contain the new kiswah
that is the large tissue covering the Kaaba that was exchanged
for a new one every year.
Third, a lion that, as Nebo himself had already mentioned stands
for Ali himself.
Above the lion we have the seal of the Prophet Mohammad.
To the left, Ali's horse, Dottom [assumed spelling].
Above the horse's famous two-bladed sword, Zulfiqar, and again,
to the left, his famous slave, [foreign word].

Here also misspelled.   Well, it's difficult to see anyhow.

The verses framing the images on the Nebo scroll
on all four sides correspond closely to those on the lithograph scroll.
And most of the shrines are depicted in a similarly stereotype manner.
While Nebo's scroll obviously is a precursor
of the lithograph Pilgrimage Scroll,
its successors are Iranian posters dating
from various periods of the 20th Century.
These posters depict more or less the same sides
as the Pilgrimage Scroll and is strikingly modern
in colorful style that's documenting to the lasting tradition
of both the Shiite pilgrimage to the [foreign word] as well as the need
for documenting the pilgrims' pious journey.
In a mid-20th Century specimen of the poster genre,
the images essentially have to be read from the upper right
to the lower left side,
thus probably betraying the poster's origin
from the original format of the scroll.
In addition to depicting more or less the standard range
of pilgrimage sites, this poster puts an additional stress
on Imam Reza as the one Shiite Imam buried in Iranian soil.
You can see in the middle on the right
and on the left sides respectively two scenes connected
to Imam Reza's life and death.
On the right side we see Kalifa Mamoon offering poisoned grapes
to Imam Reza, and on the left side the compassionate Imam Reza asked a
hunter to spare a gazelle and her young ones,
an anecdote that is also narrated
for the Prophet Muhammad himself [background sounds].
Imam Reza's national importance is furthermore stressed
by two Iranian flags flanking the golden dome of his sanctuary.
The poster's iconography is closely related to the historical pieces
as is its combination of imagery
and [foreign word] verses on the borders.
As a successor to the historical pieces, the modern poster also links
to similar items that -- probably dating from the middle
of the 20th Century onwards --
would focus solely on details of the Mashhad Sanctuary
and the history of Imam Reza.   For instance, you can see here

in the lower third just below the middle on the left and right sides,
again the two anecdotes I was mentioning, the --
well, one of the anecdotes, the compassionate Imam on the right side
and one of his miracles --
well, actually, where this belief is being devoured by lions
on the left side [background sounds].
So besides its value as a [inaudible] document,
the prime importance of the Qajar Pilgrimage Scroll lies
in adding the Shiite dimension to the study of Hajj certificates,
the dimension that in research has so far been neglected.
The Shia dimension is above all evident in the physical aspects
of the pilgrimage as it is presented in both the verse
and the visual narrative.
Quite naturally Shias would visit sites that are
of particular relevance for appearance of the Shia creed.
Visually, this emphasis is already evident for the sites visited
in Saudi, Arabia such as the cemetery of Bahia and the Oasis
of Fedeck [assumed spelling],
none of which play a major role for Sunni pilgrims.
Shia preferences then become dominant for the site's visitors
in Iraq, most of which are linked to the traumatic experience
of the Battle at Karbala.
When finally returning to Iran, the Shia aspects has widened
through the inclusion of sites dedicated
to venerated relatives of the various Imams.
Moreover, by travelling via Qom to Mashhad the intensity
of veneration increases until it culminates
in the pilgrim's final destination
at the Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad.
By representing this site with a large amount of detail
than any other site, the scroll's image underlines the supreme
holiness of the Mashhad Shrine, the holiest one
within the Iranian territory.
In contrast to the Sunni Hajj certificates
which Mecca is the ultimate goal, and the Hajj is the fulfillment
of the supreme religious duty of all Muslims
in the Shia pilgrimage certificate,
the Hajj proper acquires the character of a mere starting point,
almost a prelude to the pilgrim's subsequent journey.
This journey is much more than a simple return to the pilgrim's place
of origin since the scroll's visual course eventually succeeds
in displacing Mecca.
The Shia's pilgrim's true goal is his visit
to the holy sites in Iraq and Iran.
His final and, in fact, his ultimate destination, instead of Mecca,
is the sanctuary of Imam Raza in Mashhad.
By relying on the Hajj paradigm
and by combining its traditional visual code
with the specifically Iranian [inaudible]
of [foreign word] traditions, the scroll succeeds
in Iranisizing the pilgrimage
and embedding the sacred Iranian territory in a Shiite worldview
and in sacralizing the holy Shia sites.
Further findings will hopefully enable us in the future
to explore the content
of the illustrated Shiite Pilgrimage Scroll in more detail.
Whether this and similar pilgrimage certificates acted as records
of pilgrimage by proxy or whether they were acquired and kept
by the Persians themselves as personal mementoes
or tokens replacing the urge to carry home one's experience
of the place, obviously they served an important function.
From today's analytical perspective they attest to the transformation
of geographical places into visually constructed sacred spaces
and of terrestrial geography into religious topography,
hereby authenticating the related set
of religious practices and beliefs.
These mechanism are ruled by a specific interpretation
of history that, on the one hand, historicized the Shi'ism while
on the other presenting the historical events
from a decidedly Shia-Iranian perspective.
In this manner the lithographed Shia Pilgrimage Scroll also testifies
to the growing self-awareness of the Shia community in the Kaja period,
an awareness that, again, only in the 20th Century,
would begin to receive its due scholarly recognition.
And I thank you for your attention.   [ Audience Applause ]

>> And Doctor Marzolph, thank you very much for a wonderful lecture.
I really cannot thank you enough for an amazing presentation.
Feel free to ask any questions.
I just want to mention that if you do ask questions,
you're being recorded, and your questions essentially are giving us
consent for us to film you and to subsequently webcast you.
If there are any questions I'll give you five minutes
because you're already running overtime.
Thank you.   Do you have a question?

>> The site of -- that's very important now
for the Zaynab in Syria.
At this time in the [foreign word] was it not as important as the site?
Is that [inaudible]?   >> I could not tell you.

It's not taken into consideration here, obviously.
It would probably not also be on the regular route...
>> Routes, yeah, because it...
>> ...so, yeah, you would have to go a different way.
>> Great.   >> Mm-hmm.

>> [Inaudible] thank you very, very much Professor Marzolph
because actually it's quite a remarkable journey,
but [inaudible]...   >> Mm-hmm.

>> [Inaudible].
So my question is when the government in Tehran,
the one that you [inaudible] that originally had.
Was that a unique needs or were there other ways that remained
like for other people to [inaudible] or is that made
for a special person who had [inaudible]?
>> Well, thank you for this question because this relates exactly
to the importance of lithographic printing as a means
of producing printed items in the Qajar period and the rarity
and precious character of these items.
We know that lithographed items like -- if we talk about books --
were produced probably on the average in three,
four, five hundred copies.
The maximum, they say, sometimes a thousand.
But let's say to the average of say 400/500.
Now this was produced from the middle of the 19th Century
to the beginning of the 20th Century of, let's say, 400 books produced.
We often only have a single one left.
These items, of course, were meant to be used.
Books were meant to be read.
Posters were, you know, hung to the wall.
They would pass through different hands.
And one should probably mention also a -- well, I wouldn't only say --
it's we call it a disrespect, but a different way
of handling printed material.
Manuscript material was always looked at with great attention,
taken care of, because people knew that manuscripts are unique.
Printed items, people probably had the idea
that they did not possess any particularly worth
since there were hundreds of them, and nobody would have thought
that even after a Century of these hundreds of copies
that were originally there, only one or a few would be left.
Now, I mean, if I looked to my personal experience
with printed books, lithographed books, I know of several items
like [foreign word] that are today probably preserved
in public libraries, say in 10 to 15 copies.
But really most of them are unique.
Some of them are only in private collections,
and many of the specimen are even not complete but only fragmentary.
So now, if you apply these somewhat lengthy considerations
on the lithograph book to a lithograph scroll as here,
you can see the difficulties.
It would not really make sense to print a single copy, hmm?
So we should presume that this one person who acted as a patron
for the printing actually had a couple of hundreds printed
and probably distributed in terms of religious merit to the pilgrims,
whether in Najif Kerbela of maybe even in Mashhad, hmm?
He has his name on there and that name,
let's face it, makes him immortal.
I mean we have no idea who this [foreign word] he was,
but his name is here and that way he stays alive.
So he has the merit linked
to the scroll whose printing he actually financed.
Now I should say I've done a lot of research on this piece.
The moment I came across --
the private owner did not even consider it as something special
because he had bought it when he was a young man in Iran
and he had put it on the wall and he just liked if for the images, hmm?
Now being a specialist in the field, I had never seen this.
I immediately knew that this was something special,
and since then whenever I meet colleagues in the field,
I have asked each and everybody who's either specialist
in lithographic printing, in Islamic art, in Hajj certificates,
or whichever other field relates to this particular document.
Nobody, whether in Iran or outside of Iran, has even seen this, hmm?
So, even though it is a very modest document in terms of, say, quality,
if that be a criteria, it is extremely unusual
and thus extremely precious, both in terms of being preserved
as a single specimen and telling us something
about the Shia attitude in the 19th Century.
>> More questions?   Nothing?

>> [Inaudible] the sheets [inaudible].
>> I'm sorry.   >> The sheets...

>> [Background talking] On larger sheets of paper.
>> The sheets of the paper: 24 centimeters in height
and approximately two meters wide.
So if you divide the two meters by six, it's sections glued together.
You have an average of 30, 32 to 35 or so, hmm?
Just as -- probably just as large as a large double page of a book
because that was the size of the slabs
of stone they would use to print.   Okay [background sounds]?

>> Thank you very much for coming everyone.
I cannot thank you enough for taking time out, and Dr. Marzolph,
thank you very much for travelling from Germany.
Both the [inaudible] Center
and African [inaudible] greatly benefitting
from your expertise and knowledge.   Thank you very much again.

>> Well, thank you.
It was a pleasure [audience applause].
>> This has been a presentation of the Library of Congress.