<論考>産業化するシリア・シーア派参詣 : イスラーム旅行会社が創り出す秩序

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the role of the "Islamic travel agencies" in Syria which caters for Shi'ite visits to religious sites (ziyāra). Nowadays, Syrian Shi'ite religious sites are considered as some of the most famous Islamic religious tourism sites in the world, especially for Shi'ite people. More than two million people undertake visits to these shrines every year, most of them hailing from regions outside Syria. The development of Syrian Shi'ite religious visits is attributed to an increase in the activities of Islamic travel agencies. Many travel agencies have been involved in religious tours and increased their participation in this field. Nowadays, most religious visitors use the services of travel agencies and visit Syria through religious tours. Many stakeholders in Syrian Shi'ite religious visits, such as tour operators, religious places, Shi'ite religious scholars, and the Syrian and foreign administrations, have strong ties with these travel agencies. This paper describes the activities and system of these "Islamic travel agencies, " and explores their role and impact on Syrian Shi'ite religious visits.