Imam Husayn Shrine

History

Husayn bought a piece of land after his arrival at Karbala' from Bani Asad. He and his Ahl al-Bayt are buried in that portion, known as Arabic: الحائر, romanized: al-Ḥā'ir, where the shrines are presently located. The history of destruction and reconstruction of the shrines of Karbala' is long. Both the shrines were greatly extended by successive Muslim rulers, but suffered repeated destruction from attacking armies. Several rulers extended, decorated and kept the shrines and its precincts in good condition. Among them is Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, who in 1250 AH ordered the construction of two shrines, one over Husayn's grave and the other over the grave of his half-brother, Abbas ibn Ali.

From the time of Husayn ibn Ali's death in 680, pilgrimages to commemorate the massacre have often been repressed. Despite many attempts by successive rulers, such as Al-Rashīd and Al-Mutawakkil, to put a restriction on the development of the area, it has nonetheless evolved into a city. The historian Ibn Kuluwayh mentioned that those who buried Husayn ibn 'Alī constructed a special, durable identifying marker for the gravesite.

Larger, more significant construction on the gravesite began during the rule of al-Saffah (r. 750–754 CE), the first caliph of the long-lasting Abbasid caliphate (an Islamic dynasty). However, heavy restrictions were put in place to prevent people from visiting the grave during the rule of Hārūn al-Rashīd, the fifth Abbasid caliph (r. 786–809 CE). During the rule of al-Mā'mūn, the seventh Abbasid caliph (r. 813–833 CE), gravesite construction resumed until the year 850 CE, when al-Mutawakkil ordered the destruction of the grave and the filling of the resulting pit with water. His son who succeeded him as caliph, al-Muntasir, allowed people to visit the gravesite, and since then, building the precinct to the grave increased and developed step by step.

On the other hand, the historian Ibn al-Athir, stated that in 371 AH (981/982 CE), 'Adhud ad-Dawlah became the first to expansively lay the foundations for large-scale construction and to generously decorate the place. He also built houses and markets around the precinct, and surrounded Karbalā with a high boundary wall, turning it into a strong castle. In 407 AH (1016/1017 CE), the precinct caught fire due to the dropping of two large candles on the wooden decorations. The state minister at the time, Hasan ibn Fadl, rebuilt the damaged sections.

Previous structures

According to historical tradition, the first structure built over the grave of Husayn was commissioned by al-Mukhtar following his uprising or by members of the Banu Asad tribe. Constructed of brick and plaster, the shrine stood near a mosque and marked the burial site of Husayn after the Battle of Karbala.

During the Abbasid period, Harun al-Rashid ordered the shrine demolished. The homes of nearby Shia residents were destroyed, the grave was plowed over, and the lote tree planted by the Banu Asad to mark the burial site was cut down. Under the caliph al-Ma'mun, whose conciliatory policies toward the Shia allowed the shrine to be rebuilt, pilgrims once again visited Karbala. However, in 232 AH (847 CE), al-Mutawakkil ordered the shrine and the surrounding buildings destroyed once more. The site was plowed and cultivated in an attempt to erase all traces of the grave.

Following al-Mutawakkil's assassination in 247 AH (861 CE), his son al-Muntasir reversed his father's policy by granting greater freedom to the Shia. He authorized the reconstruction of the shrine and the construction of a prominent minaret beside it. Around 280 AH (893–894 CE), al-Da'i al-Saghir, the Alid ruler of Tabaristan, further restored and expanded the shrine, marking another important stage in its early architectural development.

Current structure

The most significant reconstruction of the shrine was completed in 371 AH (981–982 CE) under the patronage of the Buyid ruler Adud al-Dawla, who ordered the restoration and construction of the major Shia shrines throughout Iraq. Work on the shrine began in 367 AH (977–978 CE) and was completed four years later. The new structure was built with a dome over the tomb of Husayn and formed the architectural core of the present-day shrine. In 407 AH (1016–1017 CE), a fire caused by a fallen candle destroyed much of the interior decoration. However, because the main structure and its supporting columns contained no wood, the building itself survived. The principal sanctuary constructed by the Buyids has remained the foundation of the shrine ever since, enduring even the Mongol invasions.

Repairs

From the Buyid period onward, the Imam Husayn Shrine underwent numerous restorations and architectural enhancements. After the fall of the Ilkhanate, the Jalayirid rulers restored the shrine and, by 786 AH (1384 CE), completed the construction of the celebrated Golden Iwan. During the Safavid era, the shrine was further expanded and enriched with new decorative elements, including a wooden sarcophagus and a steel zarih. Restoration work continued under the Ottoman Empire until 1129 AH (1717 CE). Later, in 1135 AH (1723 CE), Nader Shah sponsored extensive repairs and donated valuable decorations to the shrine.

The Qajar rulers also made significant contributions. In 1205 AH (1790–1791 CE), Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar ordered the reconstruction and gilding of the shrine's dome, a project completed in 1211 AH (1796–1797 CE). In 1216 AH (1801–1802 CE), the Wahhabi army led by Saud ibn Abd al-Aziz attacked Karbala, causing widespread destruction, looting the shrine, and carrying away its gold and silver lamps, precious furnishings, and other treasures.

Following the attack, Fath-Ali Shah Qajar financed the restoration of the shrine and commissioned a new zarih, installed in 1218 AH (1803–1804 CE). His queen also sponsored the gilding of the shrine's iwan and minarets. Further renovations were carried out during the reigns of Mohammad Shah and Naser al-Din Shah, including repeated regilding of the dome. Throughout the Safavid and Qajar periods, inscriptions throughout the shrine commemorated the patronage of Iranian rulers and officials. Most of these inscriptions were deliberately removed during the rule of Saddam Hussein in an effort to erase evidence of Iran's historical contributions to the Iraqi holy shrines. One of the last major modern restorations took place in 1389 AH (1969 CE), when the Golden Iwan was renovated and its wooden columns were replaced with marble ones through the patronage of the Iranian merchant and industrialist Haj Qanbar Rahimi.

1991 events

The 1991 events was a military engagement during the 1991 uprisings in Iraq which followed the Gulf War. The battle started after demoralized troops throughout Iraq began to rebel against Saddam Hussein. From 5 to 19 March 1991, the city of Karbala became a chaotic battlefield as the result of bitter fighting between the insurgents and the Iraqi Republican Guard. After the failure of the uprising, citizens were killed in large numbers. Parts of the city were nearly leveled. In the years leading up to the Gulf War, the city of Karbala boasted that it had a population of over 150,000 inhabitants. Tourists from Africa all the way to Pakistan flocked to the city in order to go on pilgrimages to the Imam Husayn Shrine. In the months of the Gulf War, the city was carefully spared by the Coalition during its bombing campaign due to the significance of its mosques. The city suffered little damage throughout the war in general.

The revolt began when youths began to ride through the streets with weapons, attacking government buildings and loyalist soldiers. This action encouraged the people to come out of their homes with light arms and knives, known as "white weapons," and join in the attack. Many of the holy shrines immediately became the main headquarters of the insurgents, the two main headquarters being the Imam Husayn and Al-Abbas Shrines. On the loudspeakers which were located inside the Shia Shrines, insurgents called for prisoners to be brought to the Abbas Shrine for execution. By morning, the city was under complete rebel control. The shrines were heavily damaged by artillery shells and rockets which were fired from helicopters. In the vicinity of the shrines of Husayn ibn Ali and Abbas ibn Ali, most of the buildings which surrounded the shrines were completely reduced to rubble. The shrines themselves were scarred by bullet marks and tank fire.

2003 and 2007 events

The 2003 events took place during the 2003 invasion of Iraq as U.S. troops fought to take control of Karbala from Iraqi forces. The city had been bypassed during the advance on Baghdad, leaving American units to clear it in two days of street fighting against Iraqi Saddam Fedayeen Irregular forces. The 2007 events began on the night of 27 August 2007 and involved fighting between the Mahdi Army, who provided security for the pilgrims, and police (who were largely members of the Badr Organization) in Karbala.

Description

The boundary wall of the shrine surrounds wooden gates covered with glass decorations. The gates open into a courtyard separated into smaller rooms or precincts with many "iwans" along the walls. The grave of Husayn is enclosed within a metal-mesh like structure, found directly beneath the golden dome. On 5 March 2013, the process of replacing the zarih (metal mesh like structure) over the tomb of Husayn was completed and the new zarih inaugurated.

The Al Abbas Shrine is located nearby. Plans to replace the shrine's historic dome with a modern steel framed one were met with controversy, especially by historic preservationists, as it would severely distort the shrine's historic integrity and character. The first dome is 27 metres (89 ft) high and completely covered with gold. At the bottom, it is surrounded with twelve windows, each of which is about 1.25 metres (4 ft 1 in) away from the other, from the inside, and 1.30 metres (4 ft 3 in) from the outside. The shrine has an area of 59 metres (194 ft) by 75 metres (246 ft) with ten gates, and about 65 decorated rooms used for studying.

Burials

The grave of Husayn ibn Ali is found in the middle of the precinct, it is called the Rawḍah ("garden") and it has several doors. The most famous one is called Al-Qiblah or Bāb al-Zah'ab. On the right hand side of the entrance is the tomb of Habīb ibn Madhahir al-Asadī (حبیب ابن مظاهر الاسدی), a friend and companion of Husayn since their childhood and a casualty of the Battle of Karbala.

Within the shrine of Husayn can also be found a grave of all the 72 martyrs of Karbalā'. They were buried in a mass grave which was then covered with soil to the ground level. This mass grave is at the foot of Husayn's grave. Beside Husayn's grave, there are also the graves of his two sons: 'Alī al-Akbar and the six-month old, 'Alī al-Asghar. Along with the graves of the martyrs of Karbala, is also the grave of the very first custodian of Imam Husayn shrine, Ibrahim al-Mujab, grandson of seventh Shia Imam Musa al-Kazim.

Timeline

The following events are in chronological order, stating instances that widely involved the shrine, impressing its construction, renovation and series of extremist activities that reduced its structure and killed pilgrims from time to time.

Zarih

The new zarih of Imam Husayn, containing approximately 118 kilograms of gold, along with silver and teak wood, was constructed in the holy city of Qom, Iran. After being transported through cities along the route, it was transferred to Iraq through the Mehran border crossing and installed at the shrine. It was unveiled on 15 Esfand 1391 (5 March 2013), corresponding to 22 Rabi al-Thani 1434 AH.

The new hexagonal zarih follows the same geometric design as the previous one, but it is slightly taller. It covers an area of approximately 34 square meters and has 20 windows. Its construction involved 118 kilograms of gold, 4 tons of silver, 2 tons of copper, 1,300 kilograms of brass, and 5 tons of Burmese teak wood. The total weight of the zarih is around 12 tons. Previous zarihs of the shrine were also created by Iranian craftsmen. Throughout the Safavid and Qajar periods, many holy sites in Iraq were built, renovated, and expanded under the patronage of various Iranian rulers.

Turbat

Karbala's soil, known as Turbat, refers to the earth or dust collected from the area surrounding the grave of Husayn. It is traditionally shaped into prayer tablets (mohr) or prayer beads (tasbih) and is commonly known as Turbat Karbala or the soil of Imam Husayn.

The word turbah literally means “soil” or “earth.” In a broader sense, it can refer to the soil from around the graves of revered religious figures, such as the Shia Imams, the Prophet Muhammad, and other holy sites. However, in its most common usage, turbah specifically refers to the soil of Husayn's shrine in Karbala. References to “the soil of the grave” (tin al-qabr) in narrations are generally understood as referring to the soil of Karbala. It is also sometimes described as “sacred soil.”

Some Shia believers hold the belief that Turbat Karbala turns red like blood every year at noon on Ashura, around the time when Husayn was killed. Images and videos claiming to show this phenomenon have also circulated among believers.