TEHRAN –  Personal items that once belonged to Ayatollah Seyyed Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of Iran’s Islamic Republic, have been put on show in Qom.

The exhibition titled “One Hundred Years of Sun Presence” showcases a collection of rarely-seen items that once belonged to Imam Khomeini and his son Seyyed Ahmad Khomeini, IRNA reported.

“This is the first time some of these items have been exposed to the public and people can see and touch them up close,” according to the Institute for the Compilation and Publication of Imam Khomeini’s Works.

The exhibition, which will be running through June 2, is held on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Imam Khomeini to the holy city of Qom, the report said.

Imam Khomeini was a Muslim cleric and Marja, and the political leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution of Iran which overthrew Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. Following the Revolution, Imam Khomeini became the Supreme Leader of Iran — the paramount figure in the political system of the new Islamic Republic — until his demise.

In 1921, Imam Khomeini commenced his studies in Arak. The following year, Ayatollah Haeri-Yazdi transferred the Islamic seminary to the holy city of Qom and invited his students to follow. Imam Khomeini accepted the invitation, moved, and took up residence at the Dar al-Shafa school in Qom before being exiled to the holy city of Najaf in Iraq. After graduation, he taught Islamic jurisprudence (Sharia), Islamic philosophy, and mysticism (Irfan) for many years and wrote numerous books on these subjects.

Imam Khomeini died of cancer on Saturday, June 3, 1989, at the age of 89. Many Iranians mourned his death and packed the streets. More than 10 million people from across the country attended Imam Khomeini’s funeral to form one of the largest ever funerals in the world.

AFM