| Al-'Askarī Shrine | |
|---|---|
مَرْقَد ٱلْإِمَامَيْن عَلِيّ ٱلْهَادِي وَٱلْحَسَن ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ | |
 The mosque and shrine in 2021 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Shia (Twelver) |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Shrine |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Samarra,Saladin Governorate |
| Country | Iraq |
  Location of the mosque and shrine inIraq | |
 Interactive map of Al-'Askarī Shrine | |
| Coordinates | 34°11′56″N43°52′25″E / 34.1989°N 43.8735°E /34.1989; 43.8735 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Shi’i mosque |
| Style | Islamic architecture |
| Completed |
|
| Destroyed |
|
| Specifications | |
| Dome | One |
| Dome height (outer) | 68 m (223 ft) |
| Dome dia. (outer) | 20 m (66 ft) |
| Minaret | Two |
| Minaret height | 36 m (118 ft) |
| Spire | One:(destroyed) |
| Shrines | Three:
|
| Materials | Gold pieces; ceramic tiles |
| Official name | Samarra Archaeological City |
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iii, iv |
| Reference | 276 |
| Inscription | 2007 (31stSession) |
| Endangered | 2007- |
| Area | 15,058 ha (37,210 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 31,414 ha (77,630 acres) |
TheAl-Askari Shrine (Arabic:مَرْقَد ٱلْإِمَامَيْن عَلِيّ ٱلْهَادِي وَٱلْحَسَن ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ,romanized: Marqad al-ʾImāmayn ʿAlī al-Hādī wal-Ḥasan al-ʿAskarī,lit. 'Resting Place of the Two Imams Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari'), also known as the'Askariyya Shrine and theAl-Askari Mosque, is aTwelverShi'itemosque andmausoleum, located in the city ofSamarra, in theSaladin Governorate ofIraq.
Built in 944CE,[1] it is one of the most important Shiashrines in the world. The dome was destroyed ina bombing bySunni extremists in February 2006 and its two remainingminarets were destroyed inanother bombing in June 2007, causing widespread anger among Shias and instigation of theIraqi Civil War between the country's Shia and Sunni factions.[2] The remainingclock tower was also destroyed in July 2007.[3] The dome and minarets were repaired and the mosque reopened in April 2009.[4]
The 10th and 11thShī'īte Imams,'Alī al-Hādī ("an-Naqī") and his sonḤasan al-'Askarī, known asal-'Askariyyayn ("the two'Askarīs"), are buried in the shrine.[5] Housed in the mosque are also the tombs ofḤakīma Khātūn, sister of'Alī al-Hādī; andNarjis Khātūn, the mother ofMuḥammad al-Mahdī.[6] Adjacent to the mosque is another domed commemorative building, theSerdab ("cistern"), built over the cistern where the Twelfth Imam, Muḥammad al-Mahdī, first entered theMinor Occultation or "hidden from the view"—whence the other title of the Mahdi, the Hidden Imam.[citation needed]
The mosque is located within the 15,058-hectare (37,210-acre) Samarra Archaeological CityUNESCOWorld Heritage Site, listed in 2007.[7]
TheImams 'Alī al-Hādī ("an-Naqī") and Haṣan al-'Askarī lived under house arrest in the part of Samarra that had beenCaliphal-Mu'tasim's military camp ('Askar al-Mu‘tasim, hence an inmate of the camp was called an'Askarī). As a result, they are known as the'Askariyyayn. They died and were buried in their house on Abī Ahmad Street near the mosque built by Mu'tasim.[6] A later tradition attributes their deaths to poison.[citation needed]
Nasir ad-Din Shah Qajar undertook the latest remodelling of the shrine in 1868, with the goldendome added in 1905. Covered in 72,000 gold pieces and surrounded by walls of light blue tiles, the dome was a dominant feature of the Samarra skyline. It was approximately 20 metres (66 ft) in diameter by 68 metres (223 ft) high.[citation needed]
On 22 February 2006, at 6:55 am local time (03:55UTC) explosions occurred at the shrine, effectively destroying its golden dome and severely damaging the shrine. Several men belonging to Iraqi insurgent groups affiliated with Al-Qaida, one wearing a military uniform, had earlier entered the mosque, tied up the guards there and set explosives, resulting in the blast. Two bombs were set off[8][9] by five[10] to seven[11] men dressed as personnel of the IraqiSpecial Forces[12] who entered the shrine during the morning.[13]
Time magazine reported at the time of the 2006 bombing that:
al-Askari [is] one of Shi'iteIslam's holiest sites, exceeded in veneration only by the shrines ofNajaf andKarbala. Even Samarra'sSunnis hold al-Askari in high esteem. The expression 'to swear by the shrine' is routinely used by both communities".[14]
At around 8 am on 13 June 2007, operatives belonging toal-Qaeda in Iraq destroyed the two remaining 36-metre-high (118 ft) goldenminarets flanking the dome's ruins. No fatalities were reported. Iraqi police reported hearing "two nearly simultaneous explosions coming from inside the mosque compound at around 8 am".[15] A report from state-runIraqiya Television stated that "local officials said that two mortar rounds were fired at the two minarets".[15]
In late 2007, the Iraqi government conducted a contract with a Turkish company to rebuild the shrine. The Iraqi government later cancelled the contract due to delays by the Turkish company.[4] As of April 2009[update], the golden dome and the minarets were restored and the shrine reopened to visitors.[4]
Among the famous people buried in this place are:[16]
In 2006, sectarian violence engulfed Iraq after terrorists destroyed the Mosque of the Golden Dome, built on a site sacred to Shiites for 1,100 years. Today, Sunnis and Shiites are working together to restore the shrine and the war-torn city.
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