Astan Quds Razavi
 |
|
|
Native name
|
آستان قدس رضوی |
|---|---|
| Public () | |
| Traded as | AQR |
| Founded | April 11, 1795 |
| Founder | Mohammad Khan Qajar |
| Headquarters | Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi, Iran |
|
Key people
|
Ebrahim Raisi (Trustee, Chairman of the supervisory board) Morteza Bakhtiari (President and CEO) |
| Website | Official website |
Astan Quds Razavi (Persian: آستان قدس رضوی, translit. Āstān-e Qods-e Razavi) is a Bonyad, or autonomous charitable foundation, in Mashhad, Iran. It is the administrative organization which manages the Imam Reza shrine and various institutions which belong to the organization.
The administrative apparatus of Astan Quds Razavi is considered the longest-lasting organization since the martyrdom of Imam Reza about 1200 years ago. The main resource of the institution is endowments, estimated to have annual revenue of $210 billion. The Astan Quds Razavi is a major player in the economy of the city of Mashhad.
Since the revolution the Astan-e-Qods the bonyad has grown from a "modest concern" into a conglomerate employing 19,000 people and running "auto plants, agricultural businesses, and many other enterprises"
The land occupied by the shrine has grown fourfold since 1979 according to the head of the foundation's international relations department. The foundation owns most of the real estate in Mashhad and rents out shop space to bazaaris and hoteliers.
According to journalist Christopher de Bellaigue, "when asked to identify the most important man in the city, Mashhadis do not name the mayor but rather" the head of Astan-e-Qods.
Ayatollah Abbas Vaez-Tabasi, had been the head of Astan-e-Qods from the revolution until his death in 2016. Ebrahim Raisi is the new head since March 2016.
...
Wikipedia