Siyah-Poushan: the Black Covering Ritual of Shia with Muharram Banners

Since early modern Iran (16th century), the covering with black Muharram banners (Siyah-Poushan) was a visual call for practitioners; a sign for Shias to adopt a solemn attitude at the start of the Muharram annual mourning ritual. Muharram calligraphic banners, like a mnemonic device, evoke emotions and a spiritual environment in Shia Society to honor the martyrdom of Husain-ibn-Ali (680 CE). This paper uses an interdisciplinary approach combining ritual study, art history, material culture studies, and religious history to display Muharram banners as a multi faceted religious object and a symbol of Shia belief that objectively shaped a ritual. Therefore, those are not only sign of sadness and mourning for unjust killing, as reflected in the martyrdom of Husain-ibn-Ali, but also a materialistic conscience that provide a powerful visual signal that creates community through ritual praxis and identity formation.