Bozlar Historic Cemetery, Hafshejan

🕰️When was it built?

The cemetery dates from the Safavid era onward and was added to Iran's National Heritage List on 30 July 2002 as number 5999. Hafshejan was an important centre for making stone lions, but some of the old lions of this cemetery have been stolen, so today's collection does not include all the works of the past.

🏛️What was it built for?

In local tradition, a stone lion, or bard-e shir, stood for courage and a person's standing, and was placed on the graves of some well-known figures. Stonecarvers in this tradition worked designs such as swords, guns and horses, or religious texts, onto the body; each design could relate to the life and standing of the person buried there.

👀What you will see

• Look at the surviving stone lions on the graves; instead of a plain slab, the shape of an animal was chosen to mark the grave.
• On the lions' bodies, look closely at the carving and incised designs without touching them; each figure's details differ.
• The old gravestones beside the lions are part of the collection too; don't limit your visit to the large figures.

💡Something interesting

The stone known around Hafshejan as bozlar is one of the materials used by local stonecarvers. To make a lion, they first drew the shape of the figure on the stone and then cut out the limbs and designs with chisel and hammer; the result was both a memorial and a work of art.

🎒Good to know before you go

• Don't stand on the gravestones or figures, and don't move them for photos.