Holy Shrine of al-Abbas (a): Difference between revisions

'''Shrine of al-'Abbas (a)''' (Arabic: {{ia|العَتَبَة العَباسيَّة المُقَدَّسَة}}) is the burial place of [[al-'Abbas b. 'Ali (a)]] in [[Karbala]] which is located 378 meters north east of the [[Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a)]] and the place between the two shrines is called [[Bayn al-Haramayn]]. The Shrine of al-'Abbas (a) has a shared history with the Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) and is one of the most important places for [[Shi'a]] to visit.

al-'Abbas (a) was martyred on [[Muharram 10]], [[61]]/680 when confronting with the army of [['Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad]].

The Holy Shrine of al-'Abbas (a) is located on the east of the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a), the same place he (a) was martyred. This building includes one court, mausoleum and a dome covered with tiles and two minarets with heads plated with gold. Always, the people who have cared about rebuilding and expanding the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) have rebuilt and renewed the holy shrine of 'Abbas (a) as well.

=== First Building ===

In [[66]]/686, al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi, with the help of some Arabs and Iranians who were Shia of [[Imam Ali (a)]] made an uprising to take revenge for Imam al-Husayn (a) and during his rule and government (by him or other Shia), the first building for the shrine was built and gradually, this building and the whole city was developed, but in [[170]]/786-7, [[Harun al-Rashid]] ordered to destroy it.

=== Second Building ===

[[al-Ma'mun]] who took the power in [[198]]/813, began a friendly relation with Shia; thus, Shia used this opportunity and the second building of the shrine was built at the time of al-Ma'mun. In [[232]]/847, [[al-Mutawakkil]] became the [[caliph]]. He ordered to destroy not only the Shrines of Imam al-Husayn (a) and al-'Abbas (a) but the whole city of Karbala. After destruction of the city, he ordered to plough the whole area and let it filled with water.

=== Third Building ===

The [['Abbasid]] caliph, [[al-Muntasir]], distributed great property among 'Alavids and ordered to reconstruct the city of Karbala and the shrine of al-'Abbas (a). Thus, Karbala was developed in his time and pilgrims flew to the city from different places.

=== Fourth Building ===

In [[367]]/977-8, [['Adud al-Dawla Daylami]] entered [[Baghdad]] and then went to visit Karbala and [[Najaf]] and ordered to build a great shrine for al-'Abbas (a). The mentioned building began in [[367]]/977-8 and finished in [[372]]/982-3.

After the establishment of [[Jalayirid]] government in [[Iran]], when Shaykh Hasan Ilkani came to power in [[740]]/1339-40, Sultan Uways (Shaykh Hasan's son) began repairing the shrine which finished in [[786]]/1384 and many gifts were sent to the shrine through Iran.

[[Shah Isma'il Safavi]] victoriously entered Baghdad on [[Jumada II 25]], [[914]]/ [[October 31]], 1508 and was well received by Shias. The next day, he went toward Karbala and sat in the Holy Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a) for one whole day. He then went to the shrine of 'Abbas (a) and ordered to make extensive repairs on the shrine. He also gifted twelve cylinders of pure gold he had brought with himself from Iran to the shrine of al-'Abbas (a). He ordered to cover the floor of the whole shrine with valuable silk carpets woven in [[Isfahan]] and employed a special team of servants for the maintenance and lighting the cresset of the shrine whose descendants are known today in Karbala as Al Qandil. Isma'il Safavi also ordered the tiling of the dome as well which was still remaining until [[1302]]/1884-5.

In [[1153]]/1740-1, [[Nader Shah]] sent many gifts to the shrine of al-'Abbas (a) and ordered extensive repairs in that holy shrine.

On [[Dhu l-Hijja 18]], [[1216]]/[[April 21]], 1802 when people had gone from Karbala to Najaf to celebrate [[Eid al-Ghadir]], [[Sa'ud b. 'Abd al-'Aziz]] attacked Karbala with an army and ordered the pillage of the whole city, destruction of the Shrine of 'Abbas (a) and loot all the gifts of Safavid Shahs and Nader Shah and chandeliers of gold and silver, etc.

After the attack of [[Wahhabi]]s to Karbala, people of Iran with the help of the government at the time of [[Fath Ali Shah Qajar]] made great donation to the city and repaired all the destructions Wahhabis had made. The shrine of al-'Abbas (a) was also repaired and the silver Darih Fath Ali Shah had gifted was installed in [[1227]]/1812.

Repairs of the shrine were not stopped during the rule of [[Qajar]] and [[Nasir al-Din Shah]] ordered the renewal of tilework of the dome. In 1304/1886-7, the tilework of the courtyard finished and the tilework of the dome was finished in 1305/1887-8. Also, 'Abd al-Husayn Tihrani, known as Shaykh al-'Iraqayn made extensive repairs in the shrine using [[Mirza Taqi Khan Amir Kabir]]'s bequeatheable one-third of his property.

The area of the courtyard of Abu l-Fadl's (a) shrine is 9300 square meters and the area of the whole shrine including rawaqs, the place under the dome and the portico is 4370 square meters. The great courtyard has four porticos. At the top of the north portico there is an epigraph which includes the date 1304/1886. The courtyard has four sides and at each side, there are small rooms which are totally 75.

Over the shrine of Abu l-Fadl (a), there is a dome with the diameter of 12 meters different with other domes. It is a semi-circle dome with a sharp tip and a taller bottom from which windows with arches and sharp tips open outside. Inside the dome in the bottom part is dark purple on which verses of the glorious Qur'an are written in white.

In 1375/1955, the dome was gold-plated. In that year, Shaykh Muhammad Khatib sent a telegram to the prime minister of Iraq, Muhammad Fadil Jamali and asked to plate the dome with gold. Consequently, gold-plating the dome was done and based on documents available in Awqaf management of Karbala, 6418 bricks of gold have been used on the dome. In the interior of the dome, some verses of the Qur'an are inscribed with mirror-works. The height of the dome is 39 meters from the ground.

== The Place of 'Abbas's (a) Hand ==