Tekyeh of Moaven-al-Molk – Kermanshah, Kermanshah province, Iran
Photo by IsoGFX via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0
In Iranian culture, these two words (Tekyeh & Hussainiya) are sometimes used for a special place wherein mourning ceremonies and religious Ta’zieh (a Muslim passion play celebrated by the Shiʽa in Muharram) are held and sometimes they are used separately i.e. Hussainiya is a place for mourning, Rawda khwani (the Shia Iranian Muslim ritual of the Mourning of Muharram) and Sineh Zani (a common form of mourning ritual in which mourners beat on their chest) and Tekyeh is a place for performing Ta’zieh. There is no proof for existence of Hussainiya in Iran before Safavid dynasty or even during that period.
Tekyeh of Moaven-al-Molk – Kermanshah, Kermanshah province, Iran
Photo by IsoGFX via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0
The exact date of formation of Tekyeh in Iran is unknown, but it is believed that it was built in Safavid dynasty for Ta’zieh. The architectural structure of Tekyeh consists of a building with/without roof, a platform in internal space with two stairs in both sides or a gentle slope for horses to pass over there, a passage all around the platform for horse riding, a place for audience to watch the ceremony, and a locker room. They have several entrances, some are for the audiences and some others for the actors of Ta’zieh and their horses.
Ta’zieh and Tekyeh were highly flourished in Qajar dynasty. Tekyeh of Hasan Khan Moaven-al-Molk in Kermanshah province and Tekyeh of Dolat in Tehran province (destroyed in 1946) are the most well-known ones.
Tekyeh of Amir Chakhmaq – Yazd, Yazd province, Iran
Photo by Babak.masarat via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0
It can be certainly said that in all cities and villages of Iran that the Shia live in, there are always Hussainiya. Hussaniya of Haj Ghaffar (in Maragheh city) and Hussainiya of Mirza Mohsen Mojtahed (in Ardabil city) are the oldest ones in Iran which are considered as tourism attraction.