On the eve of the International Conference “Construction, Development, and Reconstruction of the Holy Shrines through History” (hosted by the University of Isfahan), the Social Security Association, in collaboration with Ahl al-Bayt University and the University of Isfahan, held a pre-conference and academic session titled: “The Role of the Holy Shrines in Establishing Social Security” in March 2025. Session Chair Dr. Basem al-ʿUqabi (Administrative Vice President, Ahl al-Bayt University & President, Social Security Association) Keynote Speaker Dr. Mohsen Qazvini (Founder of Ahl al-Bayt University)

Speakers and Topics: Dr. Abbas Sarafrāzī Topic: The Role of Iranians in the Reconstruction of the Holy Shrines Dr. Alireżā Ruhī Topic: The Status and Role of the Safavids in the Reconstruction and Development of the Holy Shrines Dr. Asghar Montazer-al-Qā’em Topic: The Urban Fabric of Najaf before Shaykh Ṭūsī

Fifth Pre-Conference of the International Congress “Construction, Development, and Reconstruction of the Holy Shrines through History” (Organized by the University of Isfahan in Collaboration with the Hajj and Pilgrimage Research Institute) The Cultural Role of Shaykh Ṭūsī in the Reconstruction of the Holy Shrines Presenter: Dr. Asghar Montazer-al-Qā’em (Faculty Member, Department of History, University of Isfahan) The Iranian Cultural Approach to Rebuilding the Holy Shrines Based on the Inscriptions of the Ḥaram of ʿAlī (ʿAlayhi al-Salām) Presenter: Dr. Mohammad-Hossein Nejāti (Faculty Member, University al-Musṭafa)

Speakers and Lecture Titles: Dr. Mehdi Mojtahedi (Faculty Member, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad) Lecture Title: Badr al‐Dīn Luʾluʾ and the Expansion of Shīʿī Shrines in the Seventh Century AH Dr. Taher Babāʾī (Faculty Member, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad) Lecture Title: The Role of the Ottoman Government in the Reconstruction and Development of Shīʿī Sites in Karbala Abd al‐Hādi Jāberī (PhD Student in History and Civilization of Islamic Nations, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad) Lecture Title: A Study of Saʿd Māhir’s Research on the Shrine of Imam ʿAlī (ʿAlayhi al-Salām) Dr. Asghar Montazer-al-Qā’em (Professor of History, University of Isfahan) Lecture Title: The Cultural Conditions of Najaf up to the Fifth Century AH