Documentary and Archival Studies Research

Documentary and Archival Studies Research

Astan Quds Razavi Document Center holds more than 13 million precious pages of documents that date back to hundreds of years, the study of which can be great contribution to the introduction of the history and culture of Islam and Iran. Accordingly, from the onset of this center, endeavors were made to explore, introduce, and publish these documents for the use of the research community. The outcome of these efforts are several books and articles on documents done by The Document Office.

The four volumes consisted a set of studies conducted by experts of document and press management. The studies were the documents on Astan Quds’ administrative organizations. This unique collection that includes the documents on the history of Iran’s administrative system in Safavid and Afsharid eras is the only survived set of documents in the regard. The series of documents on Qajar, Pahlavi, and the Islamic Revolution periods add to the exclusive value of this collection. It is viewed that this collection will shed light on the historical, economic, and socio-cultural conditions of Iran, especially Khorasan and Mashhad, over the periods in question. Examining these documents will give us valuable data on the administrative organization, the income and payment system, the hierarchy of employees, and different kinds of jobs. Determining the specific features of the documents, their category, and knowing the men and personalities of Astan Quds and Khorasan will add to the documents’ informational values.

The new series of the journal is a biquarterly journal on written and archival documents that intend to publish the studies on the documents archived in Astan Quds and other archive centers. The journal focuses more on the history of the Great Khorasan, Astan Quds, and Iran. It also aims expanding archival studies based on the experts’ experiences and the drawings of studies on oral history.

[Purposes and vision]

- Introducing and publishing original scientific methodological articles that are conducted using the documents and methods applied to the fields of Astan Quds, the Great Khorasan, and Iran studies, and relying and emphasizing the documents available in Astan Quds and other document centers and archives;

- Publishing theoretical studies on archives and archival issues;

- Publishing scientific articles on oral history that use the interviews on history of Mashhad, Astan Quds, and Khorasan;

- Publishing of scientific articles on the historical events of Iran in various fields using documents.

[Target community]

- Administrative and research centers of Astan Quds Razavi;

- Researchers active in the field of history of Khorasan, Mashhad, Astan Quds, and Iran;

- Iranian and foreign document centers and archivists.