Organization of Libraries, Museums and Documents Center Astan Quds Razavi

History and Founding

The Organization of Libraries, Museums and Documents Center is one of the principal cultural and scholarly arms of Astan Quds Razavi, the bonyad (Islamic charitable endowment foundation) that administers the Imam Reza shrine complex in Mashhad, Iran. The roots of the Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi extend to at least 974 AD, when the oldest Quran in its collection was endowed to the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza. The library was open to the public by 1457 AD and its current building was completed in 1995. The Organization itself, which consolidates the library, museum, and document archive functions, was formally established after the Islamic Revolution of 1979 under the custodianship of the Astan Quds Razavi.

Collections and Holdings

The Central Library holds over 1.1 million printed volumes and approximately 3 million digital information sources, including manuscripts, lithographic prints, movable-type prints, historical documents, image sources, maps, and treatises. Among its most significant holdings are thousands of exquisite Quranic manuscripts — considered the largest collection of its kind in the world — along with rare manuscripts and old printed books. The library also holds a rich collection of historical deeds, some dating to the 15th century, and rare periodicals published in Iran since 1846.

The Documents Center (archive) holds 69,000 pages of Safavid-era administrative documents spanning 1589–1735 AD, which have been inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World register. These records relate to a vast geographical area covering Iran's Khorasan province and Afghanistan and document administrative, social, economic, agricultural, endowment, and religious affairs of the era.

The organization also administers 12 specialized museums in the vicinity of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza, including the Astan Quds Razavi Central Museum (established 1936–1937), which houses collections of Islamic-period coins, arms and armor, astronomical instruments, Quranic manuscripts in Kufi script, and calligraphic works by master calligraphers of the Safavid era.

Notable Materials Related to Media and Journalism

The library's collection of old and rare periodicals published in Iran since 1846 constitutes a significant resource for media historians researching early Iranian press and journalism history.

Access and Usage

The Central Library occupies a 28,800-square-meter building in the Bast (Sanctuary) area near the Imam Reza shrine. It serves a population of approximately 3 million. Parts of the digital collection are accessible online via the organization's web portal. Researchers wishing to access physical collections and manuscripts must visit in person.