Reclaiming the Past: Fath ʽAli Shah Qajar, the Ilkhanid Legacy, and Dynastic Legitimacy in Sultaniyya

Abstract

Sultaniyya emerged as a significant site during the reign of Fath ʽAli Shah Qajar, reclaiming a prominence it had not known since the 14th century. Its favorable climate, proximity to Azerbaijan – then an active front in the war with Russia – and the enduring remnants of Ilkhanid splendor attracted the Shah to the site each summer. The dynamic interplay between ruin and resilience lent Sultaniyya a symbolic allure, making it an ideal setting for royal presence and symbolic reclamation. This paper examines how Fath ʽAli Shah’s engagement with Sultaniyya was shaped by the site’s historical and spatial legacy, and how he reconfigured the site to serve political and cultural purposes. Focusing on his selective appropriation of Ilkhanid heritage through architectural interventions and spatial reconfigurations, this article evaluates how these initiatives transformed the local landscape. Ultimately, the study argues that this reciprocal relationship served broader Qajar ambitions of dynastic legitimacy, historical continuity, and the performative construction of territorial identity.