The Al-Abbas Shrine () is the mausoleum of

Abbas ibn Ali Al-Abbas ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (, 15 May 647 10 October 680 CE), also known by the kunya Abu al-Fadl (), was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Rashid caliph in Sunni Islam and the first Imam in Shia Islam. His mother was Fatima bint ...

and a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

, located near the Imam Husayn Mosque in Karbala,

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

. Abbas was son of Ali ibn Abi Talib and the half-brother of Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn. He was Husayn's flag-bearer in the Battle of Karbala and chief of his caravans. The shrine is revered by the Shia Muslims who visit it every year, especially in the month of

Muharram Al-Muharram () is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is banned. It precedes the month of Safar. The tenth of Muharram is known as Ashura, an important day of commemoration in ...

. Environmental effects over the years have caused the

Euphrates The Euphrates ( ; see #Etymology, below) is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of West Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia (). Originati ...

river to change course. Nearly 1,400 years after the Battle of Karbala, the river flows across the grave of Abbas and encircles it. It is said that the Euphrates has come to ‘Abbās now. In recent years the shrine has undergone a series of enhancements and additions, such as the re-gilding of the dome, and more recently covering the former courtyard with a roof to accommodate pilgrims better. Each year the shrine is visited by millions of pilgrims coming from all over the world.

History and design

Emperors and kings of various dynasties have offered valuable gifts and gems to the shrine of Al-Abbas ibn Ali. In 1622, Abbas Shah Safavi ordered the decoration of the grave's dome. He built a window around the grave and organized the precinct.History of the Shrines in Karbala
/ref> During the Ottoman era, the shrine was reconstructed by the Ottoman Sultans

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...

Murad III Murad III (; ; 4 July 1546 – 16 January 1595) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1574 until his death in 1595. His rule saw battles with the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburgs and exhausting wars with the Safavid Iran, Safavids. The long-inde ...

, and Murad IV. The majority of the modern design was done by Persian and Central Asian architects. The central teardrop shaped dome is an ornately decorated structure, with an internal and external dome. The internal dome visible from the inside is ornately decorate with fine mirror work. Two tall minarets stand on the domes sides, and were gilded in gold in the renovation works of 2007. The tomb is covered with pure gold and surrounded by a trellis of silver, along with Iranian carpets rolled out on the floors.

Renovation

Beginning in 2012, the Al Abbas mosque has undergone extensive renovations intended to improve the ability of the shrine to accommodate the millions of pilgrims who visit each year. The renovations include rebuilding the wall surrounding the shrine and turning it into a multi-story building housing museums, offices, and additional prayer halls. The dome and minaret have also been re-gilded, and the shrine's courtyard has been covered with a roof. In 2014, construction began on a basement intended to further accommodate pilgrims. The basement is to be located under the perimeter of the main courtyard and involves systematically closing off parts of the courtyard and then excavating the current court yard. The project is also set to deal with foundational issues of the shrine and reinforce the structure whose foundation has water gaps in it; as part of the Euphrates runs around the grave of Abbas. Once this work is completed, pilgrims will have access for the first time ever to the sardab of Abbas and it will be the closest point to the actual grave. In March 2016, a new Zarih for the grave of Abbas was completed. It is the first Zarih to be fully built in Iraq by Iraqi hands, and was duly inaugurated on the 13th of Rajab the birth of Imam Ali, which coincides with April 21, 2016.

Timeline

Titles and gallery

It is customary among

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

, especially

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

Shiite Muslims, to whisper, either in person when approaching the shrine or when viewing a picture of the shrine on media: , "Alsũlãạmu ʿAlaẙ̰ḵ̊ y̰ā Aabā Al̊faḍ̊li Al̊ʿabãạs"; This is an

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

phrase which meaning: "Peace be upon you, O Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas." This action called "giving greetings to the Imams."

was a young man with a good reputation among the people. He was given many good nicknames, including: : → : , his Kunya, literally means "The Father of Goodness"; : → : , literally means "The Lion of the Forest, a Lion from Whom Lions Flee"; : → : , literally means "The Moon of the Tribe Banu Hashem", because his charming appearance attracted attention, and his face was radiant like the full moon. This title was given to

because of his beauty and handsome face; : → : , literally means "Someone Who Gives Water to the Thirsty." At the age of 33, on the day of Ashura, 10

61 AH, while fetching water for his thirsty brother Hussein,

lost his hands in the war, causing the waterskin to fall from his hands, and was then killed. The principle of providing water to the thirsty in Islamic religious teachings, especially

Shia Islam Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

, is very popular and reminds everyone of

. : → : , literally means "Entrance of Desires". It is well known among Muslims that whatever you ask of

in your heart, he will surely grant it. That is because of the reputation he has with

God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...

. : → : , literally means "The Way to See Hussein". Since childhood,

had served his older brother Hussein intensely and cared for him very much, to the point that he lost his life in the process. Overall,

is known among

, especially Shiites, for his chivalry, loyalty, and devotion to

References

External links