The secret of the Iranian Princess with a mustache has been revealed, she turned out to be a man? Queen, princess, doctor: three women revered by feminists in the Muslim world What does the name Anis mean?

Photos of the Iranian princess, wife of Shah Nasser Qajar, continue to excite impressionable and naive Internet users. Hundreds, if not thousands of articles are devoted to her, discussing the tastes and preferences of the Shah, who lived almost two hundred years ago.

Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar

The Shah of Iran, who ruled the country for 47 years, was the most educated man in Iran, knew several languages, loved geography, drawing, poetry, and authored books about his travels. At the age of seventeen he inherited the throne, but was able to take power only with the help of weapons. He was an extraordinary person who managed to carry out small, from the point of view of our time, but significant for his time reforms in the country.

As a literate person, he understood that only an educated and developed Iran could exist in this world on an equal basis with other countries. He was a fan of European culture, but realized that the religious fanaticism that was rampant in the country would not allow his dreams to come true.

Nevertheless, a lot was done during his lifetime. A telegraph appeared in Iran, schools began to open, army reform was carried out, a French school was opened, the prototype of a future university, where they studied medicine, chemistry, and geography.

Nasser Qajar Theater

Nasser Qajar knew French perfectly, was familiar with French culture, in particular with the theater, but he was, first of all, the Shah of Iran, a Muslim. Therefore, his dream of a full-fledged theater could not come true. But he, together with Mirza Ali Akbar Khan Naggashbashi, created a state theater, the troupe of which consisted of men. In the photographs of the actors you can see the famous “Iranian princess Anis al Dolyah.” Yes, this is a princess, but not a real one, but performed by a male actor.

The Iranian theater did not perform productions from the life of the people. His satirical repertoire consisted entirely of plays describing court and social life. All roles here were played by men. This is not an isolated case. Remember kabuki, where only men play. True, they played in masks, and it was hardly possible to see their fused eyebrows and mustaches. By the way, thick, fused eyebrows among residents of Arab and Central Asian countries have always been considered a sign of beauty, both among women and men.

Founder of Iranian theater

The head of the first state theater was a famous person in Iran, Mirza Ali Akbar Khan Naggashbashi, who is considered the founder of the Iranian theater. All roles were played by men; only after 1917 were women allowed to be actresses and participate in performances.

Old photos

Nasser ad-Din was fond of photography from his youth. He had his own laboratory where he printed photographs with his own hands. He took photographs himself, he had a French photographer who took pictures of him. At the end of the sixties of the 19th century, the Sevryugin brothers opened their studio in Tehran, one of them - Anton - became a court photographer.

The Shah filmed everything, Sevryugin helped him with this. He kept photographs of his wives, intimates, theater artists, his trips, ceremonial meetings, and military operations in the palace safe. After the Iranian revolution, all his archives were declassified, and the photographs fell into the hands of journalists. It is now difficult to say who is shown in these photographs. You shouldn't rely on the Internet. Captions for the same photos on different sites differ radically. Their reliability is highly doubtful.

On one German website, there was an interesting comment on an article about Nasser ad-Din, sent by a resident of Iran. He writes that the khan did not like women, therefore, in order to look like men and thereby please the shah, they painted on mustaches. It is difficult to say how true this is, but this partly explains the clearly male faces in women's clothing and the fact that an outside man (photographer) is photographing the khan in a circle

Who is Iranian Princess Anis

Anis al Dolyah is most likely the name of the heroine of a play that was played out with the same characters in various situations (cases from life). Something like modern TV series. Each actor played the same role for many years.

Shah Nasser Qajar had an official wife, Munira Al-Khan, who bore him children, including his heir Mozafereddin Shah. She was from a noble and influential family with considerable power. There is no doubt that the Shah had a harem. But it is now impossible to say for sure who lived in his harem.

Photos of the Shah's concubines

Photos of the Iranian princess al Dolyah and the Shah's concubines posted on the Internet are most likely photographs of theater artists or excerpts from plays. Coming to any theater, we see in its foyer the composition of the troupe in photographs, where we can often see the actors in makeup, that is, excerpts from their roles.

Let's not forget that the Shah was a supporter of everything European, but remained a Muslim dictator who did not tolerate any dissent. Deviation from the norms of the Koran (in this case, photographing women with their faces uncovered) would alienate thousands of his devoted subjects. His enemies, of whom he had plenty, would not fail to take advantage of this. Attempts were made on his life more than once.

The Shah visited many European countries, including Russia. He was delighted with Russian ballet. He couldn’t stage something like that in his country, so he creates a play about it, dressing the Iranian princess Anis (photo below) and other supposedly women in ballet tutus. By the way, the Shah wrote books about his travels, which were published in Europe and Russia. Perhaps he also wrote plays for his theater.

What does the name Anis mean?

It is no coincidence that the Iranian princess has such a strange name; it was under Shah Nasser ad-Din that two religious rebels who dared to admit that the Koran had become obsolete were shot. This is the founder of a new religion called Babism, Baba Seyyid Ali Muhammad Shirazi, as well as his ardent follower and assistant Mirza Muhammad Ali Zunuzi (Anis). There is a legend that during the execution by a detachment of 750 Christians, Baba strangely ended up in his cell, but Anis was not touched by the bullets.

It is the name Anis that the satirical Iranian princess bears. Each time it caused laughter and mockery. By dressing his opponent in women's clothing, which in itself is a disgrace for a Muslim, the Shah took revenge on those who went against the Koran. We do not know the names of the other “inhabitants” of the Shah’s harem, maybe they can also tell a lot. Of course, these are only assumptions; we will never know what really happened.

And many probably believed in the very specific tastes of the Iranian ruler Nasser ad-Din Shah Qajar, because these princesses were assigned to his harem.

But did oriental beauties really look like this?

Of course not The ruler of Iran, Nasser ad-Din Shah Qajara, was very fond of photography from early childhood, and when he came to power, a photo studio appeared in his palace. And Anton Sevryugin, by the way, our compatriot, became the court photographer. All this happened in the 1870s, and although Sevryugin had an honorary title for his contribution to the art of Iran, he did not have the right to photograph the harem, but could only photograph the Shah himself, the courtiers and guests of the head of state.
Only the Shah himself had the right to photograph the wives from the harem; there is information that he often did this, personally developed the photographs in the laboratory and kept them secret from everyone so that no one could see them. It’s even interesting what he photographed there

So where did the photographs of the “Princesses of Iran” come from?

And why are these women so different from the concept of beauty of that time, which we could read about and even see in films?

In fact, these are not Iranian princesses, not the wives of the Shah and... not women at all! These photographs depict the actors of the first state theater created by Shah Nasreddin, who was a great admirer of European culture. This troupe performed satirical plays only for courtiers and nobles. The organizer of this theater was Mirza Ali Akbar Khan Naggashbashi, who is considered one of the founders of modern Iranian theater. The plays of that time were performed only by men, since Iranian women were prohibited from performing on stage until 1917. That’s the whole secret of the “Iranian princesses”: yes, this is the Shah’s harem, but in a theatrical production.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most grandiose buildings located in India; every year the number of visitors to the majestic mausoleum exceeds 5 million people. Tourists are attracted not only by the beauty of the structure, but also by the beautiful history associated with it. The mausoleum was erected by order of the padishah of the Empire, who wanted to tell the whole world about his longing for his deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal. What is known about the Taj Mahal, declared the pearl of Muslim art, and the love that led to its creation?

Shah Jahan: biography of the padishah

“Lord of the World” - this is the meaning of the name that one of the most famous Mughal padishahs received from his father, who loved him more than other children. Shah Jahan, the famous creator of the Taj Mahal, was born in 1592. He led the Mughal Empire at the age of 36, seizing the throne after the death of his father Jahangir and getting rid of his rival brothers. The new padishah quickly established himself as a decisive and ruthless ruler. Thanks to several military campaigns, he managed to increase the territory of his empire. At the beginning of his reign, he was one of the most powerful people of the 17th century.

Shah Jahan was interested not only in military campaigns. For his time, the padishah was well educated, cared about the development of science and architecture, patronized artists, and appreciated beauty in all its manifestations.

Fateful meeting

Legend has it that the ruler of the Mughal Empire met his future wife Mumtaz Mahal by chance; it happened while walking through the bazaar. From the crowd of people, his gaze caught a young maiden holding wooden beads in her hands, whose beauty captivated him. The padishah, who was still heir to the throne at that time, fell in love so much that he decided to take the girl as his wife.

Mumtaz Mahal, an Armenian by nationality, came from the family of vizier Abdul Hassan Asaf Khan, who was part of the circle of Padishah Jahangir’s circle. The girl, who was named Arjumand Banu Begam at birth, was the niece of Jahangir's beloved wife Nur Jahan. Consequently, she could boast not only of an attractive appearance, but also of noble origin, so there were no obstacles to the wedding. On the contrary, such a marriage strengthened the position of the heir as a contender for the throne, but he still married for love.

Marriage

Jahangir happily allowed his beloved son to marry the girl he liked, Mumtaz Mahal; the bride’s nationality was also not perceived as an obstacle, given the noble origin of her father. The betrothal ceremony took place in 1607, when the bride, born in 1593, was no more than 14 years old. For unknown reasons, the wedding was postponed for 5 years.

It was during the wedding that she received her beautiful name Mumtaz Mahal. The biography of the famous wife of the ruler of the Mughal Empire says that it was invented by his father-in-law Jahangir, who was still ruling at that time. The name is translated into Russian as “the pearl of the palace,” which serves as proof of the girl’s extraordinary beauty.

The husband of the “pearl,” as befits the heir to the throne, had a huge harem. However, not a single concubine was able to win his heart, making him forget about the charming Arjumand. During her lifetime, Mumtaz Mahal became the favorite muse of famous poets of that time, who praised not only her beauty, but also her kind heart. The Armenian woman became a reliable support for her husband, accompanying him even on military campaigns.

Misfortune

Unfortunately, it was Arjumand's devotion that cost her her life. She did not consider pregnancy an obstacle to being close to her beloved husband during all his travels. She gave birth to a total of 14 children, which was typical up to that time. The last birth turned out to be difficult; the empress, exhausted by the long campaign, was unable to recover from it.

Mumtaz Mahal passed away in 1631, just short of her fortieth birthday. The tragic event took place in a military camp located near Burhanpur. The Emperor was with his beloved wife, with whom he had lived together for 19 years, in her last moments. Before leaving this world, the empress made two promises from her husband. She made him swear that he would not remarry and also build a grand mausoleum for her, the beauty of which the world could enjoy.

Mourning

Until the end of his life, Shah Jahan could not come to terms with the loss of his beloved wife. For 8 whole days he refused to leave his own chambers, rejected food and forbade anyone to talk to him. Legend has it that grief even pushed him to attempt suicide, which, however, ended in failure. By order of the ruler of the Mughal Empire, mourning in the state continued for two years. During these years, the population did not celebrate holidays; music and dancing were banned.

The famous padishah found some consolation for himself in the fulfillment of Arjumand’s dying will. He really refused to marry again, and finally lost interest in his huge harem. By his order, construction began on the mausoleum, which today is one of the most majestic buildings in the world.

Location of the Taj Mahal

In which city is the Taj Mahal located? The city of Agra, located approximately 250 km from Delhi, was chosen for the construction of the mausoleum. The padishah decided that the tribute to the memory of his beloved wife would be located on the coast of the Jamna River. He was attracted by the picturesqueness of this place. This choice caused certain inconveniences to the builders due to the instability of the soil located next to the water.

A unique technology that had never been used before helped solve the problem. An example of its application in modern construction is the use of piles in the construction of skyscrapers in the UAE.

Construction

Six months after the death of Mumtaz Mahal, the inconsolable husband ordered the construction of the mausoleum to begin. The construction of the Taj Mahal took a total of 12 years, construction work began in 1632. Historians are unanimous that no building in the world required such costs as this one. Fulfilling the will of his deceased wife, according to palace chronicles, cost the padishah approximately 32 million rupees, which is several billion euros these days.

Shah Jahan made sure that the builders did not skimp on materials. The building was faced with the purest marble, which was supplied from the province of Rajasthan. It is interesting that, according to the decree of the ruler of the Mughal Empire, the use of this marble for other purposes was prohibited.

The costs of building the Taj Mahal were so significant that famine broke out in the state. The grain that was supposed to be sent to the provinces ended up at the construction site and was used to feed the workers. The work was completed only in 1643.

Secrets of the Taj Mahal

The majestic Taj Mahal gave immortality to the padishah and his beautiful beloved Mumtaz Mahal. The story of the ruler’s love for his wife is told to all visitors to the mausoleum. Interest in the building cannot be surprising, because it has amazing beauty.

The builders were able to make the Taj Mahal unique thanks to the optical illusions that were used when designing the mausoleum. You can enter the territory of the complex only after passing through the arch of the entrance gate, only then the building opens before the eyes of the guests. To a person who approaches the arch, it may seem that the mausoleum is getting smaller and moving away. is created when moving away from the arch. Thus, every visitor can feel as if he is taking the grand Taj Mahal with him.

A clever technique was also used to create the building’s striking minarets, which appear to be positioned strictly vertically. In reality, these elements are slightly tilted to the sides of the building. This solution helps protect the Taj Mahal from destruction as a result of an earthquake. By the way, the height of the minarets is 42 meters, and the height of the mausoleum as a whole is 74 meters.

To decorate the walls, as already mentioned, a snow-white color shining under the influence of sunlight was used. Decorative elements included malachite, pearls, corals, carnelians, and the elegance of the carving makes an indelible impression.

Mumtaz Mahal burial site

Many people interested in history and architecture know in which city the Taj Mahal is located. However, not everyone knows where exactly the empress’s burial place is located. Her tomb is not located under the main dome of the building erected in her honor. In fact, the burial place of the ruler of the Great Mongol Empire is a secret marble hall, for which an area under the mausoleum was allocated.

It was no coincidence that the Mumtaz Mahal tomb was located in a secret room. This decision was made so that visitors would not disturb the peace of the “pearl of the palace.”

End of story

Having lost his beloved wife, Shah Jahan practically lost interest in power, no longer undertook large-scale military campaigns, and had little interest in the affairs of the state. The empire weakened, was mired in the abyss of an economic crisis, and riots began to break out everywhere. It is not surprising that his son and heir Aurangzeb had loyal supporters who supported him in an attempt to take power from his father and deal with his brother claimants. The old emperor was imprisoned in a fortress, in which he was forced to spend the last years of his life. Shah Jahan left this world in 1666, a lonely and sick old man. The son ordered his father to be buried next to his beloved wife.

The emperor's last wish remained unfulfilled. He dreamed of building another mausoleum opposite the Taj Mahal, exactly repeating its shape, but decorated with black marble. He planned to turn this building into his own tomb; a black and white openwork bridge would connect it to the burial place of his wife. However, the plans were not destined to come true; his son Aurangzeb, who came to power, ordered the construction work to be stopped. Fortunately, the emperor still managed to fulfill the will of his beloved woman and build the Taj Mahal.

14:37 25.04.2017

Princess Zahra Aga Khan arrived in Tajikistan on a three-day working visit on April 24, during which a number of meetings are planned with officials of the republic and heads of the Aga Khan Foundation representative office in Tajikistan.

Today Zahra Aga Khan flew to the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. At the airport in Khorog, the princess was met by the head of GBAO Shodikhon Jamshedov and the leadership of the Aga Khan Foundation in Tajikistan.

Zahra Aga Khan plans to visit the Ikashim, Rushan, and Roshtkala districts of GBAO, where a number of the Foundation’s projects are being implemented, including the construction of a hospital and the Aga Khan University.

Princess Zahra's visit to Tajikistan coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Imamate of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, which is celebrated on July 11.

Princess Zahra is the eldest child of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, the spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Nizari Muslim community. She is actively involved in the activities of the Aga Khan Foundation around the world.

Last week, Prince Karim visited Moscow on a working visit, during which he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Prince Karim Aga Khan IV is the 49th Imam of the Nizari Ismaili Shia Muslim community. He is considered a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and son-in-law Ali. He headed the Imamate in 1957 at the age of 20, and 10 years later he founded the Aga Khan Foundation, whose headquarters are in Paris. For 60 years now, Aga Khan IV has been caring for the well-being of the Ismailis, of whom there are about 20 million people in the world.

The Aga Khan IV visited the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of Tajikistan twice (in 1995 and 1998), where almost all the indigenous inhabitants are Ismailis.

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At all times, the earth has been filled with all kinds of myths, and with the advent of the Internet in our lives, true and not so true stories instantly become known to the general public. You've probably already heard about the "incomparable Anis al-Dolyah", because of whom 13 young people took their own lives, and you've even seen her photo. What can you say about Melania Trump’s grandmother: are they similar to her supposed granddaughter or not?

website did some research and found out what's really behind some popular internet stories.

Myth #16: The Iranian Qajar princess was a symbol of beauty in the early 20th century. 13 young men committed suicide because she did not agree to become their wife

You've probably seen a photo of "Princess Qajar" or "Anis al-Dolyah" with such a caption. This woman doesn't fit into modern beauty standards even in Iran itself, but some people believe that things were very different more than 100 years ago.

There is some truth in this, but it is worth asking another question: did such a princess really exist? Yes and no. The woman in the tutu-like outfit was named Taj al-Dola, and she was the wife of Nasser ad-Din Shah of the Qajar dynasty.

There is an opinion that the photo is not the real wife of the Shah, but a male actor, but this is probably nothing more than speculation, because Taj was a real historical figure.

Princess Qajar is a symbol of beauty in Persia (Iran) 13 young men killed themselves because she rejected them. pic.twitter.com/DYvOd41LT1

— Creatures Of Earth (@culture_pix) November 2, 2017

And here is another “Qajar princess” (on the left), a photo of which you could also see with the same text about the symbol of beauty and 13 unfortunate young people. This lady was the daughter of Taj al-Dola and her name was Ismat al-Dola.

Of course, both mother and daughter were not fatal beauties who broke the hearts of numerous fans. If only because they lived in a Muslim country and hardly had the opportunity to communicate with strangers, much less choose a husband.

As for the woman on the right, her name was also Taj and she was Ismat al-Dol’s sister on her father’s side - he, like many eastern rulers, had more than one wife. Taj al-Saltaneh, also known as Zahra Khanum, went down in history as an artist, writer and the first feminist in Iran who was not afraid to take off her hijab, wear European clothes and divorce her husband.

Myth #15: Nikola Tesla worked as a swimming instructor

And this is what a real giant hornet looks like. The true size of the “tiger bee” is also impressive, but fortunately it is not as huge as its model, which we are incredibly happy about.

Myth #12: The whale that died from eating garbage

The photo, which many have mistaken for a dead whale with a pile of garbage in its stomach, is actually an installation created by Greenpeace Philippines to raise awareness about ocean pollution. But, unfortunately, this happens in reality, and not only whales suffer, and not only in the Pacific region, so we have something to think about.

Myth No. 11: “Ancient Astronaut” on the wall of the New Cathedral in Salamanca (Spain)

Where did the astronaut come from on the wall of the cathedral, built in the 16th century? It's simple: during the restoration in 1992, the artist Jeronimo Garcia decided to depict something unusual and carved a figurine in a spacesuit, and besides it, a faun holding an ice cream cone in his paw.

Myth No. 10: Description of a photograph of a wolf pack

“A wolf pack: the first 3 are the old or sick, they give the pace to the entire pack. If it was the other way round, they would be left behind, losing contact with the pack. In case of an ambush they would be sacrificed. Then come 5 strong ones, the front line. pic.twitter.com/bh1PtM7nV1

— LoneWanderer ♔🇭🇷 (@MMLoneWanderer) June 16, 2018

This photo also “went to the people” with a description taken from someone’s head and not corresponding to reality. Allegedly, the first three wolves in the pack are the oldest and weakest, the five following them are the strongest, in the middle is the rest of the pack, another five strong animals close the group, and behind them all is the leader who controls the situation.

However, the author of the photo, Chadden Hunter, explains that the pack hunts bison in this way, and in front is not the three weakest animals, but the alpha female.

Myth No. 9: A she-wolf protects the male's throat in a fight.

You have probably seen this photo more than once with a touching caption that the she-wolf is “hiding”, pretending to be scared, while at the same time she protects the male’s throat, knowing that she will not be touched in a fight. Alas, this too is nothing more than a beautiful fairy tale.

A fairly popular photo “without Photoshop” turned out to be the result of merging two different photographs. The sky was borrowed from the Dutch photographer Marieke Mandemaker and superimposed on a photo of the Crimean Bridge in Moscow.

Myth No. 7: "Heaven's Gate" photographed by the Hubble telescope

The “unusual photo that amazed scientists” turned out to be the work of graphic designer Adam Ferriss, which, however, was based on a real photo of the Omega Nebula (aka the Cygnus Nebula).

This is what the original photo looks like. By the way, this nebula can be observed in an amateur telescope - its shape resembles a ghostly swan floating across the sky.

Myth No. 6: In China they fake... cabbage

It seems that we have already become accustomed to the idea that in our time absolutely everything can be faked. And in fact, cabbage made from some liquid substance is very similar to the real thing. Is it really being sold to unsuspecting buyers? Not at all.

This “fake” cabbage, as well as other “products”, serves only as a dummy in food service outlets in China, Korea, Japan and some other countries.

Myth #5: There was no hotel room for Arnold Schwarzenegger, so he had to sleep on the street next to his own statue.

Before “Iron Arnie” had time to make a joke on his Instagram, sharing this photo with the meaningful caption “How times have changed,” it was immediately posted on another resource, where they made up a whole story about how the actor and former governor of California was not allowed into the hotel and he had to sleep right on the ground.

Of course, Schwarzenegger didn't spend the night on the street. And the photo was taken not near the hotel, but near the city convention center, opposite the entrance to which there is a statue depicting young Arnold in his best form.