Unlike any other city, Karbala has its named engraved in the memory of generations, and in the expanse of the Muslim world.
Believers remember that name with sorrow and distress, for they remember the history of the master of all martyrs, Imam Husain (a.s.) and his sacrifice for Islam.The wave of visit ors never stopped coming t o Karbala, from the time the Umayyad and Abbaside caliphsprevented the construction of the shrines to the t ime thebelievers were able to build t he precinct , despite the hardships and difficulties imposed on them.
And today , since Karbala is wit nessing new calamities, and the mausoleums of Imam Husain (a.s.) and his companions are subjected to destruction and neglect,and visit ors are prevented from reaching that place, it is
suitable to familiarise ourselves with Karbala.
Believers remember that name with sorrow and distress, for they remember the history of the master of all martyrs, Imam Husain (a.s.) and his sacrifice for Islam.The wave of visit ors never stopped coming t o Karbala, from the time the Umayyad and Abbaside caliphsprevented the construction of the shrines to the t ime thebelievers were able to build t he precinct , despite the hardships and difficulties imposed on them.
And today , since Karbala is wit nessing new calamities, and the mausoleums of Imam Husain (a.s.) and his companions are subjected to destruction and neglect,and visit ors are prevented from reaching that place, it is
suitable to familiarise ourselves with Karbala.
Two main roads lead the visitor to Karbala. One isfrom the Iraqi capital Baghdad, through 'Al-Mosail', and the other is from the holy city of Najaf. However, either one excites the visitor with its greenish scenery along the sides.
Upon reaching Karbala, the holy place would drawthe visitor's att ention to its glorious minarets and domes
shining due to the light of its lord At the city's entrance, the visitor finds a row of houses decorat ed with wooden columns, and while proceeding further towards the holy mausoleum, he sees architechture similar, to some extent, to modern ones.
Upon reaching t he holy shrine, one finds himself in front of a boundary wall that surrounds wooden gates covered with glass decorations, and when one enters one ofthose gates, he enters a precinct surrounded by small rooms called "Ewans".
The holy grave is located in the middle of the precinct, surrounded by square shaped structures called "Rawaaq".
The grave itself is located in the middle of the grave site with golden windows around it, with beautiful illumination. It really is something great to see.
"Karbala" Origin & Meaning
There are many op in ions among dif ferent investigators, as to the origin of the word "Karbala".
Some have point ed out t hat "Karbala" has a connection to the word "Karbalaho", while others attemptto derive the meaning of word "Karbala" by analysing its spelling and language. They conclude that it originates from the Arabic word "KarBaabel" which was a group of ancient Babylonian villages that included Nainawa, Al-Ghadiriyya,The investigat or Yaqut al-Hamawy has pointed out that the meaning of "Karbala" could have several explanations, one of which is that the place where Imam Husain (a.s.) was killed is made of soft earth "Al-Karbalat".
Other writers made the connection between the name and the disas trous event which painted the desert wit h blood, and so the word "Karbala" was said to compose of two Arabic words: "Karb" meaning grief and sorrow, and "Balaa" meaning affliction. Such a connection, in fact, has no scientific evidence, since Karbala was known as such even before the arrival of Imam Husain (a.s.).
Martyrdom and popularity
Following the tenth of Muharram 61 AH (680 AD), after the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.), people from far as well as tribes living nearby started visiting the holy grave.
A lot of those who came, stayed behind and/or asked their relatives to bury them there after their demise.
Despite many attempts by successive rulers, such as Al-Rashid and Al-Motawakkil, to put a restriction on the development of this area, it has nonet heles s spread with time to become a city.
Karbala, Al-Nawawees, and Al-Heer. This last name is today known as Al-Haaer and is where Imam Husain's (a.s.) grave is located.
Mausoleum of Imam Husain (a.s.)
On the other hand, the historian Ibn Al-Athir, stated that in the year 371 AH, Aadad Al-Dawla Al-Boowayhi
became the first to largely lay the foundations for large scale construction, and generously decorated the place. He also built hous es and markets around the p recinct , and surrounded Karbala with a high boundary wall turning it into a strong castle.
In the year 407 AH, the precinct caught fire due to the drop p ing of two large candles on t he wooden
decorations, but Hasan ibn Fadl (the state minister) rebuilt the damaged sections.
History has recorded the names of several rulers who shared the honour of widening, decorating or keeping the precinct in good condition. Amongst them is Fateh Ali al-Qajari, who in 1250 AH ordered the construction of two domes. One over Imam Husain's (a.s.) grave and the other over his brother Abu al-Fazl al-Abbas (a.s.).
The f irst dome is 27 meters high and comp letely covered with gold. At the bottom, it is surrounded with 12
windows, each of which is about 1.25 m away from the other, from the inside, and 1.30 m from the outside.The mausoleum has an area of 59 m / 75 m with ten gates, and about 65 rooms (Eewans), well decorated from the inside and outside, used as classrooms for studying.
As for the grave itself, in the middle of the precinct, it is called the "Rawzah" or garden and it has several doors.
The most famous one is called "Al-Qibla" or "Bab al-Dhahab". When it is entered, one can see the tomb of
Habib ibn Mazaahir al-Asadi, to the right hand side. Habib was a friend and companion of Imam Husain (a.s.) since their childhood. He was one of those who was honoured with martyrdom at the Battle of Karbala.
The resting place of Abbas bin Ali (a.s.)
This mass grave is at the foot of Imam Husain's (a.s.) grave. In part icular, besides Imam Husain (a.s .) 's grave are the graves of his two sons Ali Akbar and 6-month old Ali Asgher.Abu al-Fazl al-Abbas, peace be upon him, was the brother of Imam Hasan (a.s.) and Imam Husain (a.s.) and the standard-bearer of Imam Husain (a.s.) in the Battle of Karbala. He is well known in history for his valour, loyalty and similarity to his father, the Lion of Allah, Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him.
The grave of Abbas (a.s.) received similar attention as that of Imam Husain (a.s.). In the year 1032 A.H., the King Tahmaseb ordered the decoration of the grave's dome. He built a window on the 'Zaree h' around the grave and organized the precinct. Other similar activities were done by other rulers.
As a matt er of fact, Karbala cont ains, bes ides the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.) and his brother, the grave of all the 72 mart yrs of Karbala. They were buried in a mas s grave which was then covered with soil to the ground level.The historian Ibn Kuluwayh (r.a. ) mentioned that those who buried Imam Husain (a.s.), made a special and rigid construction with signs above the grave.
Higher and bigger constructions above t he grave started during the ruling of Al-Saffah, but Harun al-Rashid
later on, put heavy rest rict ions to prevent p eople f rom visiting the grave.At the t ime of Al-Mamun, const ruction around the grave resumed until the year 236 AH when Al-Mutawakkil ordered the destruction and digging of the grave, and then filling the pit with wat er. His son, who succeeded him, allowed people to visit the grave, and since then building the precinct to the grave increased and developed step by step.Karbala was at first an uninhabited place and did not witness any construction act ivity, although it was rich in water and its soil fertile.
Upon reaching Karbala, the holy place would drawthe visitor's att ention to its glorious minarets and domes
shining due to the light of its lord At the city's entrance, the visitor finds a row of houses decorat ed with wooden columns, and while proceeding further towards the holy mausoleum, he sees architechture similar, to some extent, to modern ones.
Upon reaching t he holy shrine, one finds himself in front of a boundary wall that surrounds wooden gates covered with glass decorations, and when one enters one ofthose gates, he enters a precinct surrounded by small rooms called "Ewans".
The holy grave is located in the middle of the precinct, surrounded by square shaped structures called "Rawaaq".
The grave itself is located in the middle of the grave site with golden windows around it, with beautiful illumination. It really is something great to see.
"Karbala" Origin & Meaning
There are many op in ions among dif ferent investigators, as to the origin of the word "Karbala".
Some have point ed out t hat "Karbala" has a connection to the word "Karbalaho", while others attemptto derive the meaning of word "Karbala" by analysing its spelling and language. They conclude that it originates from the Arabic word "KarBaabel" which was a group of ancient Babylonian villages that included Nainawa, Al-Ghadiriyya,The investigat or Yaqut al-Hamawy has pointed out that the meaning of "Karbala" could have several explanations, one of which is that the place where Imam Husain (a.s.) was killed is made of soft earth "Al-Karbalat".
Other writers made the connection between the name and the disas trous event which painted the desert wit h blood, and so the word "Karbala" was said to compose of two Arabic words: "Karb" meaning grief and sorrow, and "Balaa" meaning affliction. Such a connection, in fact, has no scientific evidence, since Karbala was known as such even before the arrival of Imam Husain (a.s.).
Martyrdom and popularity
Following the tenth of Muharram 61 AH (680 AD), after the martyrdom of Imam Husain (a.s.), people from far as well as tribes living nearby started visiting the holy grave.
A lot of those who came, stayed behind and/or asked their relatives to bury them there after their demise.
Despite many attempts by successive rulers, such as Al-Rashid and Al-Motawakkil, to put a restriction on the development of this area, it has nonet heles s spread with time to become a city.
Karbala, Al-Nawawees, and Al-Heer. This last name is today known as Al-Haaer and is where Imam Husain's (a.s.) grave is located.
Mausoleum of Imam Husain (a.s.)
On the other hand, the historian Ibn Al-Athir, stated that in the year 371 AH, Aadad Al-Dawla Al-Boowayhi
became the first to largely lay the foundations for large scale construction, and generously decorated the place. He also built hous es and markets around the p recinct , and surrounded Karbala with a high boundary wall turning it into a strong castle.
In the year 407 AH, the precinct caught fire due to the drop p ing of two large candles on t he wooden
decorations, but Hasan ibn Fadl (the state minister) rebuilt the damaged sections.
History has recorded the names of several rulers who shared the honour of widening, decorating or keeping the precinct in good condition. Amongst them is Fateh Ali al-Qajari, who in 1250 AH ordered the construction of two domes. One over Imam Husain's (a.s.) grave and the other over his brother Abu al-Fazl al-Abbas (a.s.).
The f irst dome is 27 meters high and comp letely covered with gold. At the bottom, it is surrounded with 12
windows, each of which is about 1.25 m away from the other, from the inside, and 1.30 m from the outside.The mausoleum has an area of 59 m / 75 m with ten gates, and about 65 rooms (Eewans), well decorated from the inside and outside, used as classrooms for studying.
As for the grave itself, in the middle of the precinct, it is called the "Rawzah" or garden and it has several doors.
The most famous one is called "Al-Qibla" or "Bab al-Dhahab". When it is entered, one can see the tomb of
Habib ibn Mazaahir al-Asadi, to the right hand side. Habib was a friend and companion of Imam Husain (a.s.) since their childhood. He was one of those who was honoured with martyrdom at the Battle of Karbala.
The resting place of Abbas bin Ali (a.s.)
This mass grave is at the foot of Imam Husain's (a.s.) grave. In part icular, besides Imam Husain (a.s .) 's grave are the graves of his two sons Ali Akbar and 6-month old Ali Asgher.Abu al-Fazl al-Abbas, peace be upon him, was the brother of Imam Hasan (a.s.) and Imam Husain (a.s.) and the standard-bearer of Imam Husain (a.s.) in the Battle of Karbala. He is well known in history for his valour, loyalty and similarity to his father, the Lion of Allah, Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him.
The grave of Abbas (a.s.) received similar attention as that of Imam Husain (a.s.). In the year 1032 A.H., the King Tahmaseb ordered the decoration of the grave's dome. He built a window on the 'Zaree h' around the grave and organized the precinct. Other similar activities were done by other rulers.
As a matt er of fact, Karbala cont ains, bes ides the grave of Imam Husain (a.s.) and his brother, the grave of all the 72 mart yrs of Karbala. They were buried in a mas s grave which was then covered with soil to the ground level.The historian Ibn Kuluwayh (r.a. ) mentioned that those who buried Imam Husain (a.s.), made a special and rigid construction with signs above the grave.
Higher and bigger constructions above t he grave started during the ruling of Al-Saffah, but Harun al-Rashid
later on, put heavy rest rict ions to prevent p eople f rom visiting the grave.At the t ime of Al-Mamun, const ruction around the grave resumed until the year 236 AH when Al-Mutawakkil ordered the destruction and digging of the grave, and then filling the pit with wat er. His son, who succeeded him, allowed people to visit the grave, and since then building the precinct to the grave increased and developed step by step.Karbala was at first an uninhabited place and did not witness any construction act ivity, although it was rich in water and its soil fertile.
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