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Al-Askari Shrine

10th-century Shia mosque and mausoleum in Iraq

Field	Value
name	Al-'Askarī Shrine
native_name	مَرْقَد ٱلْإِمَامَيْن عَلِيّ ٱلْهَادِي وَٱلْحَسَن ٱلْعَسْكَرِيّ
native_name_lang	ar
image	اثناء احياء احدى الشعائر الدينية في المدينة.jpg
image_upright	1.4
caption	The mosque and shrine in 2021
religious_affiliation	Shia (Twelver)
festival
organisational_status	Shrine
functional_status	Active
location	Samarra, Saladin Governorate
country	Iraq
map_type	Iraq
map_size	250
map_relief	1
map_caption	Location of the mosque and shrine in Iraq
mapframe	yes
coordinates
architecture_type	Shi’i mosque
architecture_style	Islamic architecture
year_completed
date_destroyed
dome_quantity	One
dome_height_outer	68 m
dome_dia_outer	20 m
minaret_quantity	Two
minaret_height	36 m
spire_quantity	One: (destroyed)
shrine_quantity	Three:
materials	Gold pieces; ceramic tiles
elevation_m
module	{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
child	yes
Official_name	Samarra Archaeological City
ID	276
Year	2007
Danger	2007-
Area	15058 ha
Buffer_zone	31414 ha
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iii, iv

Note

the Iraqi mosque

The Al-Askari Shrine (), also known as the Askariyya Shrine and the Al-Askari Mosque, is a Twelver Shi'ite mosque and mausoleum, located in the city of Samarra, in the Saladin Governorate of Iraq.

Built in 944 CE, it is one of the most important Shia shrines in the world. The dome was destroyed in a bombing by Sunni extremists in February 2006 and its two remaining minarets were destroyed in another bombing in June 2007, causing widespread anger among Shias and instigation of the Iraqi Civil War between the country's Shia and Sunni factions. The remaining clock tower was also destroyed in July 2007. The dome and minarets were repaired and the mosque reopened in April 2009.

The 10th and 11th Shī'īte Imams, 'Alī al-Hādī ("an-Naqī") and his son Ḥasan al-'Askarī, known as al-'Askariyyayn ("the two Askarīs"), are buried in the shrine. Housed in the mosque are also the tombs of Ḥakīma Khātūn, sister of 'Alī al-Hādī; and Narjis Khātūn, the mother of Muḥammad al-Mahdī. Adjacent to the mosque is another domed commemorative building, the Serdab ("cistern"), built over the cistern where the Twelfth Imam, Muḥammad al-Mahdī, first entered the Minor Occultation or "hidden from the view"—whence the other title of the Mahdi, the Hidden Imam.

The mosque is located within the 15,058 ha Samarra Archaeological City UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in 2007.

History

The Imams 'Alī al-Hādī ("an-Naqī") and Haṣan al-'Askarī lived under house arrest in the part of Samarra that had been Caliph al-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. A later tradition attributes their deaths to poison.

Nasir ad-Din Shah Qajar undertook the latest remodelling of the shrine in 1868, with the golden dome 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 m in diameter by 68 m high.

Bombings

2006 attack

Main article: 2006 al-Askari mosque bombing

On 22 February 2006, at 6:55 am local time (03:55 UTC) 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 by five to seven men dressed as personnel of the Iraqi Special Forces who entered the shrine during the morning.

Time magazine reported at the time of the 2006 bombing that:

2007 attack

Main article: 2007 al-Askari mosque bombing

At around 8 am on 13 June 2007, operatives belonging to al-Qaeda in Iraq destroyed the two remaining 36 m golden minarets 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". A report from state-run Iraqiya Television stated that "local officials said that two mortar rounds were fired at the two minarets".

Reopening

Al-Askari Shrine in the middle of the town.

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. , the golden dome and the minarets were restored and the shrine reopened to visitors.

Notable burials

Among the famous people buried in this place are:{{cite web |url=https://fa.wikishia.net/view/%D9%81%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%AA_%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%81%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86_%D8%AF%D8%B1_%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%85_%D8%B9%D8%B3%DA%A9%D8%B1%DB%8C%DB%8C%D9%86(%D8%B9) |script-title=fa:فهرست مدفونان در حرم عسکریین (ع) |trans-title=List of those buried in the Al-Askari Shrine (AS) |work= |lang=fa |date= |access-date=18 April 2025 }}

Imam Ali al-Hadi – the 10th Shia Imam
Imam Hasan al-Askari – the 11th Shia Imam
Hakima Khatun – daughter of the 9th Shia Imam
Narjis – wife of the 11th Shia Imam
Husayn ibn Ali al-Hadi

Gallery

Samarra.png|The shrine in 1916 Al-Askari Mosque 2006.jpg|The shrine in 2006 after the first bombing Al-Askari Mosque 2013.jpg|Repairs to the mosque, October 2013 الساعة الذهبية في مرقد الامامين العسكريين.jpg|Al-Askari Shrine clock tower ضريح الامامين العسكريين.jpg|General view of the shrine مرقد الامامين العسكريين ليلاً.jpg|The shrine at night

References

Knight, Sam. (22 February 2006). "Al-Askariya shrine: 'Not just a major cathedral'". The Times.
"Iraq Timeline: Since the 2003 War".
(22 February 2006). "Iraqi blast damages Shia shrine". BBC News.
"History of the Shrine of Imam Ali al-Naqi & Imam Hasan Al-Askari, Peace Be Upon Them". Al-Islam.org.
link. (4 March 2006 (ArchNet Digital Library))
(2007-06-28). "Unesco names World Heritage sites". BBC News.
"Explosion destroys Shiite shrine golden dome". Ireland On-Line.
"Bombers strike Shia mausoleum in Iraq". IBN Live.
Knickmeyer, Ellen. (23 February 2006). "Bombing Shatters Mosque in Iraq". The Washington Post.
"Blast destroys golden dome of Iraq's shrine". Hindustan Times.
Knight, Sam. (22 February 2006). "Bombing of Shia shrine sparks wave of retaliation". The Times.
(22 February 2006). "Iraqi shrine bombing spurs wave of sectarian reprisals".
(26 February 2006). "An Eye For an Eye". [[Time (magazine).
Bowley, Graham. (13 June 2007). "Minarets on Shiite Shrine in Iraq Destroyed in Attack". [[The New York Times]].
(2009-08-20). "Iraqis rebuild al-Askari mosque". Al Jazeera.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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944-establishments 10th-century-mosques mausoleums-in-iraq mosque-buildings-with-domes-in-iraq mosque-buildings-with-minarets-in-iraq mosques-in-samarra religious-buildings-and-structures-completed-in-the-940s shia-mosques-in-iraq tourist-attractions-in-iraq shia-shrines shrines-in-iraq iraq-war-sites world-heritage-sites-in-iraq

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