Al Abbas Mosque

The Al-Abbas Shrine (Arabic: ) is the mausoleum of Abbas ibn Ali, situated near the Imam Husayn Shrine, located in Karbala, in the Karbala Governorate of Iraq. Abbas was a son of Ali, the half-brother of both Hasan and Husayn, Husayn's flag-bearer in the Battle of Karbala, and chief of his caravans. Along with the Imam Husayn Shrine, it 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 world's largest annual public gathering. Also known as Abu al-Fadl, Abbas was martyred while attempting to fetch water from the Euphrates river for the thirsty children. Over the centuries, the Euphrates changed course and it now flows around the Abbas Shrine. It is said that the Euphrates has come to Abbas now.

Abbas ibn Ali was killed near the Alqamah Canal while attempting, on the instructions of his brother Husayn, to bring water from the Euphrates to the camp at Karbala. Because he fell some distance from both the battlefield and the encampment, and as the fighting had intensified, his body remained where he was killed and was later buried at that very location. Members of the Banu Asad tribe were the first to mark his grave with a prominent tomb so that its location would not be lost. The earliest known visitor to his grave was Ubayd Allah ibn al-Hurr al-Ju'fi, a prominent Shia figure from Kufa. He was followed by the renowned Companion of the Prophet, Jabir ibn Abd Allah al-Ansari, who visited the grave on 20 Safar 62 AH, an event traditionally regarded as one of the earliest pilgrimages to Karbala.

The Shrine of Abbas is located approximately 378 meters northeast of the Shrine of Imam Husayn, with the two sanctuaries connected by the large plaza known as Bayn al-Haramayn. At the center of the shrine lies the tomb of Abbas, enclosed by an ornate wooden sarcophagus and a silver zarih installed in 1385 AH (1965–1966 CE). Commissioned through the efforts of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakim and crafted by master artisans from Isfahan, the zarih incorporates approximately 400,000 mithqals of pure silver and 8,000 mithqals of gold, requiring three years to complete.

The sanctuary is surrounded by four symmetrical riwaqs (arcaded halls), whose walls and ceilings are richly decorated with mirror mosaics created by Iranian craftsmen. Above the tomb rises a large gilded dome, whose gold plating was completed in 1375 AH (1955–1956 CE). Two minarets flank the southern iwan, while the southern entrance features a large enameled golden door made in Isfahan, accompanied by two smaller doors leading into the southern riwaq. The shrine is enclosed within a square courtyard lined with chambers where numerous Shia scholars, rulers, and notable figures are buried. Much of the existing tilework dates from the Qajar period and later restorations.The shrine's first known structure was erected by Mukhtar al-Thaqafi after his uprising. As Karbala gradually developed, Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid ordered its demolition in 170 AH (786–787 CE). It was rebuilt during the reign of al-Ma'mun, only to be destroyed again by al-Mutawakkil in 232 AH (847 CE), who ordered both the shrines of Husayn and Abbas, along with much of Karbala, to be razed and the surrounding land flooded. After al-Mutawakkil's death, al-Muntasir adopted a more favorable policy, restoring the shrine and encouraging pilgrimage. The present architectural foundation of the shrine was established under the Buyid ruler Adud al-Dawla, who ordered the construction of a grand mausoleum in 367 AH (977–978 CE), completed in 372 AH (982–983 CE). This structure remains the core of today's shrine.Substantial renovations continued under the Jalayirids, whose wor

Monument data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).