Mausoleums of 10th Imam Ali Alhadi and 11th Imam Hasan Alaskari, Samarra

The al-Askari Shrine is among Twelver Shia Islam's holiest places and a center of messianic hope. It holds the tombs of the tenth Imam, Ali al-Hadi (al-Naqi), and eleventh Imam, Hasan al-Askari, as well as Hakima Khatun and Narjis Khatun, mother of the twelfth Imam. Beside them is the sardab, the cellar from which Twelver belief holds that the young Muhammad al-Mahdi entered the Minor Occultation and will return at the end of time. This makes Samarra central to Twelver eschatology. Rebuilt after the 2006–07 attacks that helped trigger sectarian civil war, the golden “defiant dome” also carries a narrative of communal resilience. The shrine lies within the Samarra Archaeological City UNESCO World Heritage Site; current security and access must be verified before travel.

The thinness of the al-Askari Shrine rests on the tombs of two of the Twelve Imams and on the sardab linked to the occultation of the twelfth. It holds not only the graves of al-Hadi and al-Askari but also revered women of the Ahl al-Bayt, and the cellar from which, in Twelver belief, the Hidden Imam entered occultation — a place saturated with eschatological hope and the awaiting (intizar) of his return. After the 2006 destruction and the rebuilding that followed, the dome has also become a symbol of communal resilience. Pilgrims describe an overwhelming, emotionally intense atmosphere, especially at the sardab.

The burial place and shrine of the two 'Askari Imams in their Samarra residence, and a focus of devotion tied to the Hidden Imam's occultation.

The Imams were buried in their Samarra dwelling in 868 (al-Hadi) and 874 CE (al-Askari). A first dome rose around 939–940 CE; repeated renovation culminated in Qajar ruler Nasir al-Din Shah's 1868–69 gilding. A bombing destroyed the golden dome on 22 February 2006, and the minarets fell in June 2007. With Iraqi government and UNESCO assistance, the dome was rebuilt by 2009. The site remains a major active Shia pilgrimage shrine.

Pilgrims describe an overwhelming, emotionally intense atmosphere, especially at the sardab associated with the Hidden Imam's occultation. Above, the rebuilt golden dome embodies resilience after the 2006 bombing. A visit can hold patience under the Imams' house arrest, intizar—the awaiting of the Mahdi—and communal endurance after violence together. Foreign and non-Muslim access may be restricted or require permission as conditions change; where access is granted, respectful observation is welcome and prayer participation optional.

Pass through security screening and observe strict dress requirements. Ziyarat is offered at the tombs and supplications at the sardab. Photography is often restricted inside — follow signage and staff instructions. Confirm current access and security conditions before planning a visit to Samarra.

The Imams al-Hadi and al-Askari lived under house arrest in the Abbasid garrison quarter of Samarra, Askar al-Mu'tasim, from which they take the name al-Askari, and were buried in their dwelling in 868 and 874 CE. According to Shia tradition, the young twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, descended into the cellar (sardab) beneath the shrine and entered occultation, to return at the end of time. A first dome was raised over the graves around 939-940 CE, and the shrine was repeatedly rebuilt.

Twelver Shia Islam, central to the eschatology of the Hidden Imam and held in esteem by Samarra's Sunnis as well.

Ziyarat prayers at the tombs and at the sardab, supplications for the Hidden Imam, and mourning rituals on the Imams' martyrdom anniversaries.

Daily pilgrimage, with major gatherings on the death anniversaries of the two Imams and during Shia mourning seasons.

Approach the tombs and the sardab with attentiveness to the hope and patience they hold — the awaiting of the Mahdi, and the endurance of the Imams under house arrest. The rebuilt dome offers a separate kind of reflection, on resilience after the violence of 2006. Observe respectfully where access permits.

The shrine is read by historians as a major medieval Shia shrine within a UNESCO zone and by tradition as the seat of messianic hope.

Continue through the atlas by country, tradition, physical form, or a focused search that combines this place’s strongest context.

Sacred places within a half-day’s reach. Pilgrims often visit them together: walk one, stay for the other.

Mausoleums of 7th Imam Musa Alkadhim and 9th Imam Muhammad Aljawad, Baghdad

Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

100.7 km away

Mausoleum of Abd Alqadir Gilani, Baghdad

Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

107.9 km away

Mausoleum of Abbas (brother of Imam Hussein), Karbala

Karbala, Karbala, Iraq

176.5 km away

Mausoleum of Imam Hussein, Karbala

Karbala, Karbala, Iraq

176.6 km away

Sources consulted when researching this page. Independent verification by readers is welcome.

1. 01UNESCO to help Iraq reconstruct revered Al-Askari shrine in Samarra — UN News — United Nations / UNESCOhigh-reliability
2. 02Iraqis rebuild al-Askari mosque — Al Jazeera — Al Jazeerahigh-reliability
3. 03Marqad al-Imamayn, Samarra — Archnet — Archnet (MIT/Aga Khan)high-reliability
4. 04Al-Askari Shrine — Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors
5. 05Shrine of al-Askariyyayn — WikiShia — WikiShia
6. 06History of the Shrine of Imam Ali al-Naqi and Imam Hasan al-Askari — Al-Islam.org — Al-Islam.org
7. 072006 al-Askari mosque bombing — Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors