• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BATTLE OF CHALDIRAN (CHALDIRAN BATTLEFIELD)

December 8, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Chala Ashaqi, Iran (1514 AD)

The Battle of Chaldiran marked the beginning of forty years of war between the Ottomans and Safavids.  A victory for the Ottomans, Chaldiran was one of the last truly major military engagents exclusively fought by two great Muslim powers before the arrival of the Europeans in the 16th century.  Fought near the present-day frontier between Turkey and Iran, Chaldiran was one of the last in a long line of battles in this region which had seen so many wars between east and west.  Although the Safavids lost, the site of the battle eventually became an honored part of the history of Iran, who erected a monument on the battlefield just a few years ago.

History

Since the rise of the first Persian Empire in ancient times, Persia and its successors have fought a seemingly never-ending series of wars with various western empires, mostly on its northwestern frontier: The Persians versus the Greeks, the Sassanids versus the Romans and later Byzantines and Persia versus the various Islamic Caliphates and Sultanates.  In war after war, the result was almost always the same status quo.

Finally in 1514 it was the turn of the Ottomans.  The Ottomans, who in the previous century had finally captured Constantinople and were pressing into Central Europe, finally turned their attention eastward.  This was in part a response to Shia uprisings in the Ottoman Empire.  Under the guise of holy war, the Ottoman Sultan Selim I accused the Persian Shah Ismael I, a Shia Muslim, of heresy.   Ismael countered with accusations of violations of religious law.  After this minimal diplomacy, the two sides prepared for war.

Assembling a massive army, armed with the latest, most advanced gunpowder weapons available, marched into Persia intent on finally reuniting it with the Islamic west.  The Safavids assembled a much smaller force, due in part to the fact that many Persian soldiers were already engaged in another war in Central Asia.  The two armies met in what is now the extreme northwestern corner of Iran.

The Safavids, led by their magnificent cavalry, fought fiercely against the Ottomans, using traditional cavalry tactics that might have worked a century earlier.  Unfortunately, the substantial Ottoman artillery, for which the Persians were not prepared, proved the decisive factor in the battle.  The Safavids were driven back with heavy losses, and the Ottomans took the field.  This ultimately led to the loss of its western territories, although the Safavids managed to fight off the Ottomans in the long run.

Visiting

The Battle of Chaldiran is well remembered by both Turkey and Iran, and though a loss for the Iranians, the battlefield has become a site of national historic interest.  The field itself, surrounded by scenic mountains, remains roughly as it did centuries ago.  The main difference, and the primary site of interest, is the Chaldiran Mosque, built in 2003 to commemorate the battle and the fallen.

The Chaldiran Battlefield is located in northwestern Iran close to the borders of Turkey and Armenia, just outside the town of Maku, approximately 130 miles northwest of Tabriz.  The battle field is an open site.  The mosque is technically an open site, though off limits to non-Muslims.  There is no cost of admission.  Web: www.www.tourisiran.ir (official tourism website of Iran).

Filed Under: Battlefield Tagged With: Iran/Iraq

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2025 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.