Imam Ali Shrine
Shrine of Imam Ali | |
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Baha' al-din al-'Amili | |
Style | Safavid Persian style |
Groundbreaking | 1621 CE |
Completed | 1630 CE |
Specifications | |
Dome(s) | 1 |
Dome height (inner) | 42 metres (138 ft) |
Minaret(s) | 2 |
Minaret height | 38 metres (125 ft) |
Shrine(s) | 1 |
Website | |
https://www.imamali.net |
Part of a series on |
Ali |
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The Sanctuary of Imām 'Alī (
The shrine monument has been built and rebuilt numerous times throughout history
History
The Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid built the first structure over the tomb of Imām 'Alī in 786, which included a green dome.
The Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil flooded the site in 850, but in the 10th century Abu'l-Hayja, the Hamdanid ruler of Mosul and Aleppo, rebuilt the shrine in 923, which included a large dome.
In 979–980, the Shi'ite Buyid emir 'Adud al-Dawla expanded the shrine, which included a cenotaph over the burial site and a new dome. This included hanging textiles and carpets. He also protected Najaf with a wall and citadel, while providing water from the Euphrates via a qanat.
The
.The
In 1742,
The first European visitors included
Independent Iraq
During the uprising of March 1991, following the
In the three years after the
- April 10, 2003: former Saddam Hussein era custodian Abu al Qasim al-Khoei, were killed by a mob near the mosque. Al-Khoei had returned from exile in Britain to encourage cooperation with the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq.
- August 29, 2003: a Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. The blast is thought to be the work of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.[citation needed]
- May 24, 2004: unidentified mortar fire hit the shrine, damaging gates which lead to the tomb of Imam Ali.
- August 5, 2004: Muqtada al-Sadr and the Mahdi Army seized the mosque and used it as a military base for launching attacks against the Iraqi police, the provincial government and coalition forces. The fighting was eventually ended by a peace agreement. Neighbouring buildings suffered considerable damage, but the mosque itself suffered only superficial damage from stray bullets and shrapnel.
- August 10, 2006: a suicide bomber blew himself up near the shrine, killing 40 people and injuring more than 50 others.
Architecture and decoration
Numerous structures have existed over the tomb of Imam Ali since its discovery during the rule of
Around the shrine on its North, East, and Southern sides is a large courtyard surrounded by pointed arch arcades, while the shrine is linked on the West to the Al-Ra's Mosque. The courtyard arcades are two floors in height and contain various small chambers historically used as dormitory rooms for seminary students, today most are used as administrative offices. The Al-Ras mosque (literally "The Head Mosque") is oriented in the direction of the head of Ali Ibn Abi Talib's grave. The original Al-Ras mosque is said to have dated from the Ilhanate period in 14th century however it was demolished in 2005 by the shrine's administration and rebuilt in a modern style using contemporary construction materials and methods. Local architectural historians and preservationists have argued the destruction of the original Al-Ras mosque destroyed an important part of the shrine's architectural heritage and the introduction of modern construction methods and materials has damaged the architectural integrity of the shrine.[11] The original Ilkhanate era mihrab of the Al-Ras mosque underwent restoration in 2023 after having been kept in storage for 18 years and will be put on display in the shrine's museum.[14]
Entrance to the shrine is through three main monumental portals on the eastern, northern and southern sides, called the Main or Clock Portal, al-Tusi Portal and the Qibla Portal respectively. There are two additional monumental portals, the Portal of Muslim Ibn 'Aqil, north of the Clock Gate, and the al-'Amara, or al-Faraj Portal, at the southwestern corner. The most notable of these entry portals is the Clock Portal (Iwan-i-Sa'at) and is topped by a tall clock tower ornamented with mosaic tiles. The clock mechanism and its bells were produced in Manchester, England and brought to the shrine in 1887, this is visible on iron engravings on the bells.
Religious status and precincts
As the burial site of
The site is visited annually by at least 8 million pilgrims on average, which is estimated to increase to 20 million in years to come.[24] Many Shī'ites believe that 'Alī did not want his grave to be desecrated by his enemies and consequently asked his friends and family to bury him secretly. This secret gravesite is supposed to have been revealed later during the Abbasid Caliphate by as-Sādiq.[25] Most Shī'ites accept that 'Alī is buried in Imām 'Alī Mosque, in what is now the city of Najaf, which grew around the shrine.[26]
As-Sādiq said that Imām 'Alī Mosque is the third of five
"God chose that land [Najaf] as the abode of the Prophets. I swear to God that no one more honourable than the
Gallery
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An aerial view of the mosque
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Ḍarīẖ covering the qabr (grave) of Imam Ali
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The Golden Iwan
See also
References
- ^ "Ali", Wikipedia, 2021-04-25, retrieved 2021-04-28
- ^ a b al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. Shiabooks.ca Press. pp. 66–67.
- ^ Al-Islam.org
- ^ "عمارات المرقد العلوي المطهر". العتبة العلوية المقدسة. Retrieved 2023-11-16.
- ISBN 9780330418799.
- JSTOR 4310891.
- ^ Kirmani, Abbas (1954). Diwan al-Sayyid Nasrallah al-Haeri (in Arabic). Najaf, Iraq: Matba'at al-Ghari al-Haditha. p. 19.
- ^ "Tarikh Tathhib al-Marqad al-Alawi al-Muttahar" [The History of the Gilding of the Holy Alid Shrine]. Imam Ali Holy Shrine (in Arabic). Retrieved 2020-02-29.
- ^ ISBN 9789231000287.
- ^ "Al Islam | History of the shrine of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib". Al-Islam.org. Archived from the original on 2022-07-26.
- ^ a b Abid, Sadiq (July 2015). "Imam Ali Shrine, Institution and Cultural Monument: The implications of cultural significance and its impact on local conservation management". WIT Transactions on the Built Environment. 153: 87–97 – via WIT Press.
- ^ Bahrami, AliReza (June 26, 2016). "ارادت "طلایی" نادرشاه به حضرت علی". ISNA. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ "The Shrine of Imam Ali – Between Two Different Areas". Persian Architecture Archives. March 8, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ "محراب ایرانی حرم امام علی (ع) مرمت شد". Atabat.org. April 20, 2023.
- ^ a b Never Again! Archived 2007-08-05 at the Wayback Machine ShiaNews.com
- ^ a b Iran Diary, Part 2: Knocking on heaven's door Asia Times Online
- ^ Muslim Shia's Saint Imam Ali Holy Shrine - 16 Images Archived 2010-09-05 at the Wayback Machine Cultural Heritage Photo Agency
- ^ The tragic martyrdom of Ayatollah Al Hakim calls for a stance Archived 2010-09-18 at the Wayback Machine Modarresi News, September 4, 2003
- ^ Zaman Online, August 13, 2004 Archived October 28, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Why 2003 is not 1991 The Guardian, April 1, 2003
- ^ a b Iraqi forces in Najaf take cover in important Shia shrine The Boston Globe, April 2, 2003
- ^ Religious rivalries and political overtones in Iraq Archived 2009-06-11 at the Wayback Machine CNN.com, April 23, 2003]
- ^ "Miscellaneous Relevant Links" Archived 2011-10-06 at the Wayback Machine Muslims, Islam, and Iraq]
- ^ "Red tape curbs profits from Iraq religious tourism". Reuters. 2009-02-16. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
- ^ Majlesi, V.97, p. 246–251
- ISBN 2-7451-2532-X.
- Asia Times Online. Archived from the originalon June 3, 2002. Retrieved 2006-11-12.
According to a famous hadith (saying)...'our sixth Imam, Imam Sadeg, says that we have five definitive holy places that we respect very much. The first is Mecca... second is Medina... third belongs to our first Imam of the Shia, Ali, which is in Najaf. The fourth belongs to our third Imam, Hussein, in Kerbala. The last one belongs to the daughter of our seventh imam and sister of our eighth Imam, who is called Fatemah and will be buried in Qom.'
- ^ al-Qummi, Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh (2008). "10". Kāmil al-Ziyārāt. trans. Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni. Shiabooks.ca Press. p. 67.
External links
- History of the Shrine of Ali
- GlobalSecurity.org website: past and current history of the mosque