Rasa News Agency reports - Hujjat al-Islam Ibrahim Lajevardi, the administrator of the manufacturing workshop responsible for the building of the dharih or mausoleum for the Holy al-Askariayn Shrine in Samarra, Iraq has said in an interview with Rasa News Agency: “the building of the holy mausoleum began in 2011 and was completed in February 2014.”
The al-Askariayn Shrine is a Shi’ite Muslim holy site, built in 944 CE and located in the Iraqi city of Samarra 125 kilometres north of Baghdad. It is one of the most important Shi’ah mosques in the world as it contains the burial sites of the 10th and 11th Imams, Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari. Also buried within the mosque are: Hakimah Khatoun, sister of Imam Ali al-Hadi; and Narjis Khatoun, the mother of the twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi.
In one of the bitterest days for Shi’ites, the dome of the holy shrine was destroyed in a bombing by Takfiri terrorists on February 22, 2006 and its two remaining minarets were destroyed in another bombing on June 13, 2007. Its dome was considered to be one of the largest in the world, and it was covered with 72,000 gold pieces in 1905, during the Qajar period. It was approximately 20 metres in diameter and 68 metres high.
A dharih is a cage-like structure decorated intricately with silver and gold which surrounds the grave of an imam, son or daughter of an imam, or other important holy person. Hujjat al-Islam Lajevari explained that the new mausoleum was built with very robust teak wood, but its design is very similar to the previous one. It was decorated with 14 vases (representing the 14 members of the Ahlul-Bayt) and 12 inscriptions (representing the 12 Imams) which included verses of the Holy Quran, traditions of the Ahlul-Bayt (A), along with poems praising them. The calligraphy was done by a master in the field. In this project, 4,500 kilograms of silver, 70 kilograms of gold, and 11,000 pounds of teak were used. A temporary mausoleum currently covers the blessed graves of the Imams (A).
Hujjat al-Islam Lajevari pointed out that the holy mausoleum was transferred to Iraq three months ago, after its construction was complete. Unfortunately, it has not been installed due to the volatile security situation in Samarra as a result of the presence of Takfiri terrorist groups there. Until the Iraqi government is able to provide sufficient security in Samarra, it will not be possible to transfer the mausoleum to the city, which is in the Sunni heartland of Iraq infamously known as the “Sunni Triangle.”
Along with the mausoleum, four large entry and exit doors to the holy shrine’s courtyards and eight interior doors were also built and are ready for instalment. Hujjat al-Islam Lajevardi also announced that a one thousand-metre carpet is currently being woven in the Iranian city of Kashan, and that it will be hopefully be installed in the holy shrine at the same time as the mausoleum.
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