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The Al-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 the Al-Askari Mosque, is a Twelver Shi'ite mosque and mausoleum, located in the city of Samarra, in the Saladin Governorate of Iraq.

Key Information

Built in 944 CE,[1] 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.[2] The remaining clock 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 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.[5] 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.[6] 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.[citation needed]

The mosque is located within the 15,058-hectare (37,210-acre) Samarra Archaeological City UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in 2007.[7]

History

[edit]

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.[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 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 metres (66 ft) in diameter by 68 metres (223 ft) high.[citation needed]

Bombings

[edit]

2006 attack

[edit]
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[8][9] by five[10] to seven[11] men dressed as personnel of the Iraqi Special 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'ite Islam's holiest sites, exceeded in veneration only by the shrines of Najaf and Karbala. Even Samarra's Sunnis hold al-Askari in high esteem. The expression 'to swear by the shrine' is routinely used by both communities".[14]

2007 attack

[edit]
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-metre-high (118 ft) 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".[15] A report from state-run Iraqiya Television stated that "local officials said that two mortar rounds were fired at the two minarets".[15]

Reopening

[edit]
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.[4] As of April 2009, the golden dome and the minarets were restored and the shrine reopened to visitors.[4]

Notable burials

[edit]

Among the famous people buried in this place are:[16]

[edit]
  • The shrine in 1916
    The shrine in 1916
  • The shrine in 2006 after the first bombing
    The shrine in 2006 after the first bombing
  • Repairs to the mosque, October 2013
    Repairs to the mosque, October 2013
  • Al-Askari Shrine clock tower
    Al-Askari Shrine clock tower
  • General view of the shrine
    General view of the shrine
  • The shrine at night
    The shrine at night

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Al-Askari Shrine

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from Grokipedia
The Al-Askari Shrine, situated in the city of , , serves as a central for Twelver Shia Muslims, enshrining the tombs of the tenth , , and the eleventh , . Constructed originally in the ninth century during the Abbasid era, the structure features distinctive golden domes and minarets that symbolize its religious prominence as one of four key Shia shrines in . The site holds profound theological importance, linked to beliefs in the lineage of Shia and the anticipated return of the twelfth , drawing pilgrims despite its location in a predominantly Sunni area. However, the shrine has endured multiple deliberate attacks, including the 2006 bombing that demolished its golden dome and the 2007 explosions that toppled its minarets, acts attributed to Sunni extremist groups and which precipitated intensified sectarian clashes across . These incidents, occurring amid post-invasion instability, underscored vulnerabilities in 's fragile communal balances, with subsequent reconstruction efforts reflecting intermittent Sunni-Shia cooperation amid ongoing security challenges.

Religious and Historical Significance

Role in Shia Islam

The Al-Askari Shrine functions as the primary mausoleum for Ali al-Hadi, the tenth Imam in Twelver Shia doctrine, who died in 868 CE, and his son Hasan al-Askari, the eleventh Imam, who died in 874 CE. Both Imams are buried in Samarra, Iraq, where they lived under Abbasid house arrest, marking a pivotal period in Shia history as the direct Imamate transitioned toward the occultation of the twelfth Imam. The shrine also encompasses tombs of Hakimah Khatun, aunt of the twelfth Imam, and Narjis Khatun, his mother, reinforcing its centrality to the lineage of Twelver Imamate. In Twelver Shia theology, the shrine holds profound significance due to its association with the anticipated return of , the twelfth Imam and son of , who is believed to have entered minor occultation from the site's Sardab (cellar) in 878 CE following his father's death. This event underscores the shrine's role in eschatological narratives, where visitation is recommended in Shia hadiths as a means of spiritual merit and intercession. The golden dome and gilded minarets, distinctive features, symbolize the sanctity and divine authority attributed to the Imams in Shia tradition, with the dome being the largest among shrines dedicated to Shia Imams at 1,200 square meters. As a key ziarat site, the shrine draws Twelver Shia pilgrims from , , and international locations for rituals including , supplication, and commemoration of the Imams' martyrdom anniversaries. Events such as the annual observance of Hasan al-Askari's martyrdom on 8 attract millions; for instance, approximately four million pilgrims visited in 2025. These gatherings emphasize the shrine's enduring empirical status as a focal point for Shia devotional practices, despite challenges in the .

Burials and Tombs

The Al-Askari Shrine houses the primary tombs of , the tenth Shia Imam, who died on March 3, 868 CE (254 AH) from poisoning ordered by Caliph , and his son , the eleventh Shia Imam, who died on January 1, 874 CE (260 AH) under similar circumstances during the caliphate of . Both were interred in their residence on Abi Ahmad Street in (ancient Surra man Ra'a), an Abbasid military city established in 836 CE, where they had been confined under . The cenotaphs of the two Imams, known collectively as al-Askariyyayn, are positioned centrally beneath the shrine's golden dome in a dedicated chamber, with ornate enclosures and lattice screens surrounding the effigies that mark the approximate sites below ground level. Adjacent areas within the complex contain additional cenotaphs for Hakimah Khatun, sister of and aunt to , and Khatun (also called Sayqal or Rayhana), wife of and purported mother of the twelfth , Muhammad . These four tombs form the core of the shrine's sanctity in Shia tradition, though Sunni historical accounts from the Abbasid era, such as those by , confirm the Imams' deaths in without specifying details, relying instead on Shia biographical compilations like those of al-Kulayni for locational precision. Historical association of the site with these figures dates to the , as evidenced by early Shia pilgrim reports and Abbasid-era references to the Imams' confinement and demise in , with the first documented mausoleum expansions occurring by 944 CE under the , indicating continuous veneration without archaeological contradiction despite limited excavations due to the site's religious sensitivity. Textual records from Shia scholars, cross-referenced with neutral chroniclers like , affirm the burials' location through chains of transmission (isnad) tracing to contemporaries, though empirical verification remains tradition-based rather than forensic, as the intact cenotaph tradition has persisted across caliphates without reported relocation.

Construction and Architecture

Original Construction

The Al-Askari Shrine's initial occurred in 944–945 CE (333 AH), when Hamdanid ruler Nasir al-Dawla commissioned the development of a centered on the tombs of the tenth Shia , (d. 868 CE), and the eleventh, (d. 874 CE). This effort established the site's foundational structure in , a city that had served as the Abbasid Caliphate's capital from 836 to 892 CE, thereby incorporating regional Abbasid architectural precedents such as expansive layouts suited to monumental religious complexes. The primary building material was baked brick, a staple of Mesopotamian Islamic for its durability in the local climate and alignment with Abbasid techniques observed in nearby structures like the . Subsequent early patronage came from the , which seized control of and surrounding areas in 945 CE and actively supported Shia holy sites as part of their Twelver Shia orientation. The Buyids oversaw initial expansions to the , including the erection or reinforcement of a basic dome over the tombs, reflecting a shift toward more formalized shrine influenced by Persianate elements introduced by their Daylamite origins. These phases emphasized functional enclosure and protection of the graves rather than ornate embellishment, with the core design prioritizing a rectangular chamber aligned with orientation amid Samarra's grid-like urban remnants from the Abbasid period.

Subsequent Expansions and Features

In the 17th century, Safavid ruler Shah Abbas I rebuilt the shrine's central dome in 1623, incorporating yellow tiling and inscriptions in Persian and that reflected Shia devotional themes. This expansion enhanced the mausoleum's visibility and symbolic prominence within the landscape, drawing on Persian architectural traditions to emphasize the site's sanctity. During the Qajar period, significant enlargements occurred under Nasir al-Din Shah, who renovated the complex in 1868–1869, adding halls, basements, and extending courtyards to accommodate growing traffic. The golden dome, completed in 1905 during Muzaffar al-Din Shah's reign, was covered with 72,000 gold-plated bronze tiles, rising 68 meters high on a cylindrical pierced by windows. Minarets, reaching 36 meters with spiral motifs influenced by regional styles, were redecorated in the early , while Ottoman-era oversight in contributed to periodic maintenance of surrounding structures without major stylistic impositions. Key artistic and engineering elements include large entrances framed by pointed arches, niches in hallways for smooth vaulting transitions from square bases to circular domes, and intricate tilework on portals and interiors featuring Shia motifs such as imam names and geometric patterns. A grand with ten slender white columns and arcades further integrated functional pilgrimage spaces with decorative opulence, as evidenced by 18th- and early 20th-century records and pre-2006 photographs.

Attacks and Destruction

2006 Bombing

On February 22, 2006, at approximately 7:00 a.m. , a bombing severely damaged the Al-Askari Shrine in , , destroying its iconic golden dome and portions of the surrounding walls, leading to partial structural collapse. The attack caused no immediate human casualties, as the shrine's guards were subdued prior to the detonation. Iraqi officials reported that militants infiltrated the shrine, tied up the sleeping guards, and planted explosives internally, indicating a bypass of existing measures through direct access rather than external blasts. This method was corroborated by initial investigations attributing the precision placement to insiders or disguised attackers. In the immediate aftermath, cordoned off the site to secure the area and prevent further damage or looting, while Shia religious leaders, including Grand Ayatollah , condemned the attack and urged restraint to avoid escalation. The United Nations Secretary-General expressed shock at the desecration of the holy site, calling for protection of amid Iraq's instability. International governments, including the , denounced the bombing as an assault on Iraq's .

2007 Bombing

On June 13, 2007, explosives detonated at the base of the two remaining minarets of the Al-Askari Shrine in , , causing their complete collapse. reported that the blasts involved demolition-style charges, distinguishing the attack from potential rocket or mortar fire, though some initial accounts speculated on projectile involvement. The incident occurred amid enhanced measures implemented after the 2006 dome bombing, including barriers and guards, yet the perpetrators managed to position the devices undetected, according to contemporaneous Iraqi assessments. The destruction scattered debris across the shrine's , risking further structural instability to the already damaged housing the tombs of the tenth and eleventh Shia Imams. No fatalities or injuries were reported in the immediate blast, as the site was under restricted access with limited personnel present. The attack represented a targeted escalation against the shrine's architectural features, stripping away the minarets that had symbolized its resilience following prior damage. condemned the bombing as a deliberate on , highlighting the shrine's vulnerability despite ongoing protective efforts.

Reconstruction and Current Status

Immediate Post-Attack Efforts

Following the February 22, 2006 bombing that destroyed the shrine's golden dome, rapidly deployed to secure the site, cordoning off the area to restrict access and facilitate initial damage assessments. These measures aimed to prevent additional structural failure from the compromised dome and walls, with engineering evaluations prioritizing stabilization of remaining elements. Temporary coverings were applied to protect exposed interiors from weather and debris, funded primarily by the Iraqi government and the Shiite Endowment Office responsible for Shia holy sites. UNESCO responded with urgent heritage preservation protocols, preparing a pre-restoration program focused on site safety and documentation to guide immediate protective actions. This included expert assessments to evaluate risks of further collapse and recommend shoring techniques for vulnerable sections. In the wake of the June 13, 2007 bombing that demolished the shrine's minarets, again secured the perimeter, deploying military and engineering teams to shore up damaged facades and avert cascading structural failure. Initial efforts emphasized temporary reinforcements and debris clearance, supported by funding from the Iraqi government and Shia endowments to maintain site integrity pending comprehensive restoration. reiterated calls for preservation, conducting follow-up assessments to align local stabilization with international standards for protection.

Long-Term Restoration

Following the initial stabilization efforts, long-term restoration of the Al-Askari Shrine commenced under the oversight of Iraq's Shiite Endowment , with significant financial and technical support from , including expertise from Iranian engineers dispatched to . The golden dome, destroyed in the 2006 bombing, was fully rebuilt using 72,000 pieces of gold plating to replicate its original appearance, with reconstruction completed and the shrine partially reopened to pilgrims in April 2009. The twin minarets, toppled in the 2007 attack, were also reconstructed by mid-2009, though additional gilding and finishing work extended into subsequent years. Restoration incorporated traditional materials such as ceramic tiles and to match the shrine's historical , while engineering assessments addressed structural vulnerabilities through seismic reinforcements informed by finite element analysis and field damage evaluations. Funding drew from Iraqi government allocations, supplemented by international aid via and UNDP programs totaling millions in project costs, alongside Iranian contributions estimated in the hundreds of millions for broader shrine developments in . By 2011, the accommodated approximately 2 million pilgrims annually, marking partial reopenings amid persistent regional , with near-complete restoration of core structures achieved by the mid-2010s despite intermittent security threats. Ongoing has sustained accessibility for worship, though full interior restorations lagged behind exterior work due to funding priorities and engineering complexities.

Security and Accessibility

Following the 2007 bombing, security at the Al-Askari Shrine has been bolstered by multiple layers of protection, including military checkpoints at entry points to , surveillance systems, and patrols conducted by in coordination with (PMF) units, which include Shiite militias tasked with shrine defense and securing pilgrim routes. These measures, implemented progressively since 2008 amid ongoing sectarian risks, aim to prevent unauthorized access and detect explosives, with joint operations extending to surrounding areas to maintain perimeter control. Pilgrim access remains tightly controlled, requiring passage through checkpoints where identification and sometimes permits are verified, particularly for foreigners who may need guided tours or group approvals to enter . Visits peak during Shia holy periods, such as the anniversary of Imam Hasan al-Askari's martyrdom in September 2025, when over four million pilgrims attended under enhanced security protocols ensuring safe movement and crowd management. Similar large-scale influxes, including more than three million foreign pilgrims during Arbaeen in 2023, demonstrate operational accessibility despite restrictions, with authorities prioritizing ritual observance while limiting solo entries for younger males to mitigate risks. Regional instability has posed ongoing challenges, notably ISIS threats between 2014 and 2017, including a 2014 rocket attack on the shrine vicinity that killed guards but caused no structural damage akin to prior bombings. No successful explosive attacks on the shrine itself have occurred since 2007, creditable to fortified defenses, though sporadic militia clashes and insurgent incursions in Samarra persist, necessitating sustained vigilance.

Impact and Controversies

Triggering Sectarian Violence

The February 22, 2006, bombing of the Al-Askari Shrine marked a pivotal escalation in Iraq's sectarian conflict, directly catalyzing widespread retaliatory violence between Shia and Sunni communities. In the immediate aftermath, sectarian clashes resulted in over 1,000 fatalities within days, as documented in analyses of post-attack violence patterns, with Shia militias launching assaults on Sunni mosques and neighborhoods in Baghdad and other cities. This surge aligned with U.S. Government Accountability Office reports attributing a rise in sectarian killings to the shrine's destruction, which mobilized irregular forces and intensified urban warfare. The attack's timing and target—a prominent Shia holy site—exemplified a of deliberate provocations aimed at exploiting religious fault lines to undermine national cohesion, as evidenced by subsequent spikes in militia-driven operations and cycles. Empirical from international monitoring indicate that civilian deaths from sectarian motives quadrupled in the weeks following, per aggregated incident reports, shifting Iraq toward de facto conditions. The June 13, 2007, bombing of the shrine's minarets prolonged this volatility, reigniting fears of renewed mass reprisals despite curfews that contained immediate outbreaks. It exacerbated entrenched patterns of tit-for-tat killings, contributing to the displacement of millions amid Iraq's near-collapse into sustained inter-communal strife, with UN agencies recording over 2 million internal displacements by late 2007 primarily driven by such . These events underscored how targeted strikes on symbolic religious infrastructure could reliably trigger disproportionate escalations, perpetuating instability through cascading retaliations rather than isolated incidents.

Attribution of Perpetrators

The 2006 bombing of the Al-Askari Shrine in elicited no public claim of responsibility from any group. Iraqi and U.S. officials promptly attributed the attack to Sunni extremists affiliated with (AQI), citing operational patterns consistent with AQI's prior assaults on Shia religious sites and communities. Forensic analysis of the explosives used—remote-detonated bombs placed inside the shrine—matched materials and methods employed by AQI in contemporaneous attacks, further supporting this assessment. Under Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's leadership, AQI pursued a deliberate of targeting Shia symbols to incite sectarian conflict, as evidenced by intercepted communications and Zarqawi's documented directives urging intensified attacks on Shiite targets to fracture Iraqi along religious lines. U.S. linked the bombing to this , viewing it as an escalation in AQI's campaign, which included over a dozen similar operations against Shia mosques and pilgrims in the preceding months. Subsequent detainee interrogations implicated AQI operatives in planning the assault, including an Iraqi national tied to Zarqawi's network as a key coordinator. Alternative attributions emerged from some Shia political figures and militias, who accused Baathist remnants or even U.S. forces of orchestrating the bombing to justify prolonged occupation or provoke civil war, though these claims lacked forensic, intercept, or eyewitness corroboration. Such theories contrasted with the empirical alignment of the attack's execution and timing with AQI's jihadist objectives, which prioritized undermining Shia-majority governance through terror rather than the political maneuvers alleged by critics. The bombing of the shrine's minarets followed a parallel pattern, again unclaimed but attributed by officials to AQI successors based on explosive signatures and insurgent tactics targeting Shia infrastructure.

Broader Geopolitical Context

The bombings of the Al-Askari Shrine unfolded against the backdrop of Iraq's acute post-invasion fragility, where the U.S.-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime dismantled centralized authority without adequate transitional mechanisms, engendering widespread and governance collapse. De-Baathification decrees and the dissolution of the Iraqi army, enacted in May , displaced hundreds of thousands of predominantly Sunni officials and soldiers, fueling resentment and enabling groups like (AQI) to recruit from disaffected networks. These attacks exemplified jihadist efforts to exploit the resulting security void, deliberately targeting Shia symbols to incite retaliatory cycles that eroded U.S.-backed initiatives for inclusive power-sharing and delayed the formation of a cohesive national government until mid-2006. The shrine's destruction intensified sectarian fissures, undermining coalition stabilization by amplifying AQI's strategy of provoking Shia militias—such as the —into widespread reprisals that claimed thousands of lives and displaced over 1.5 million Iraqis by late 2006. This violence not only strained U.S. troop deployments, prompting a tactical pivot toward , but also created opportunities for external actors; , leveraging longstanding ties to Iraqi and parties like the , funneled arms, training, and funding to militias, consolidating Tehran's sway amid Baghdad's weakened sovereignty. Such interference perpetuated a patronage system that prioritized confessional loyalty over institutional reform, as evidenced by Iran's support for Shia-dominated that sidelined Sunni integration efforts. In the longer term, the bombings entrenched Iraq's muhasasa ta'ifiya system of sectarian power allocation, where ministries and provinces were divvied by ethno-religious quotas, fostering corruption and inefficiency that persist in governance challenges as of 2023. AQI's tactics, rooted in Salafi-jihadist ideology rather than purely endogenous Iraqi tribal or class divides, mirrored earlier provocations like the August 2003 bombing that assassinated Baqir al-Hakim and over 80 followers, both designed to forestall Sunni-Shia cooperation against foreign presence and instead ignite irredentist conflict. This pattern underscores how exogenous extremist networks, not inherent societal cleavages, catalyzed the shift from to , with repercussions including the 2014 ISIS resurgence amid unresolved Sunni marginalization.

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