The Imam Husayn Shrine () is the mausoleum of Husayn ibn Ali, located in Karbala, in the Karbala Governorate of Iraq. Husayn was the second son of Ali and Fatima, grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the third Shia Imam, and is regarded as a martyr by all Muslims. The site is the place where he was brutally killed and beheaded during the Battle of Karbala. The shrine is a profoundly holy site in Shia Islam. Each year, millions of people around the world observe Ashura during Muharram and later undertake the Arba'in pilgrimage to his shrine, the largest annual public gathering on earth.
In addition to Husayn himself, his teenage son Ali al-Akbar is buried at his feet, while his infant son Ali al-Asghar is buried upon his chest. It is believed that most of his companions killed in the battle are also buried within the shrine complex, a short distance from Husayn's grave. To the northeast stands the Al-Abbas Shrine, Husayn's younger brother and his flag-bearer. The space between these two shrines is known as Bayn al-Haramayn. Up to 35 million pilgrims visit Karbala on the anniversary of Husayn's martyrdom.
Religious significance The shrine's significance and holiness is profound. Several hadiths from the Shia Imams and Muhammad are about Husayn. In events such as Mubahala and the hadith of the Ahl al-Kisa, Muhammad referred to thse family as the Ahl al-bayt. In the Quran, in many cases, such as the verse of purification, the ahl al-bayt has been praised. Muhammad reported the events of Karbala on several occasions; For example, he gave a small bottle of soil to Umm Salama and told her that the soil inside the bottle would turn into blood after Husayn was killed. There are narrations that Gabriel informed Muhammad at the time of Husayn's birth that his ummah would kill Husayn.
Muhammad: ""Hasan and Husayn are the masters of the youth of Paradise. Whoever loves them loves me and whoever hates them hates me. Husayn is from me, and I am from Husayn. Allah loves whoever loves Husayn. Indeed, Husayn is the Lamp of Guidance and the Ark of Salvation."
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 , 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.al Musawi, 2006, p. 51. 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 , '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 , 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.Karbala Journal; Who Hit the Mosques? Not Us, Baghdad Says, The New York Times, 13 August 1994. 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,Iraq Militias Fighting For Supremacy Time. 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.