Al-Askari Mosque

: This article is about the Iraqi mosque. For the medieval Egyptian capital, please see Al-Askar.
Al ‘Askarī Mosque or the ‘Askariyya Mosque/Shrine ( ) is a Shī‘ah Muslim holy site located in the Iraqi city of Sāmarrā from Baghdad. It is one of the most important Shī‘ah mosques in the world, built in 944. Its dome was destroyed in a bombing by Sunni extremists in February 2006 and its two remaining minarets were destroyed in another bombing in June 2007, causing widespread anger amongst Shī‘ah Muslims. The remaining clock tower was also destroyed in July 2007.
The remains of the 10th and 11th Shī‘ah Imāms, ‘Alī al-Hādī ("an-Naqī") and his son Hasan al-‘Askarī, known as: al-‘Askariyyain ("the two ‘Askarīs"), rest at the shrine. Also buried within the Mosque are: Hakimah Khātūn, sister of ‘Alī al-Hādī; and Narjis Khātūn, the mother of Muħammad al-Mahdī.Shrine of Imām al-Hādī and Imām al-‘Askarī (ArchNet Digital Library) Adjacent to this shrine is another mosque, built over the location where the Twelfth or "Hidden" Imām, Muħammad al-Mahdī first entered the Minor Occultation. 
The ‘Askariyya Shrine is also known as the "Tomb or Mausoleum of the Two Imāms", "the Tomb of Imāms ‘Alī al-Hādī and Hasan al-‘Askarī" and "al-Hadhratu l-‘Askariyya".
Time magazine reported at the time of the 2006 bombing that:
==History==
The Imāms ‘Alī al-Hādī ("an-Naqī") and Hassan al-‘Askarī lived under house arrest in the part of Samarra that had been Caliph al-Mu'tasim's military camp (‘Askaru l-Mu‘tasim). As a result, they are known as the ‘Askariyyain "Dwellers in the Camp". They died and were buried in their house on Abī Ahmad Street near the mosque built by Mu‘tasim. A later tradition attributes their deaths to poison.
Nasir ad-Din Shah Qajar undertook the latest remodelling of the shrine in 1868, with the golden dome added in 1905. Covered in 72,000 gold pieces and surrounded by walls of light blue tiles, the dome was a dominant feature of the Samarra skyline. It was approximately in diameter by high.
==Bombings==
===2006 attack===
On February 22, 2006, at 6:55 a.m. local time (0355 UTC) explosions occurred at the mosque, effectively destroying its golden dome and severely damaging the mosque. Several men belonging to Iraqi Sunni insurgent groups affiliated with Al-Qaida, one wearing a military uniform, had earlier entered the mosque, tied up the guards there and set explosives, resulting in the blast. Two bombs were set off by five to seven men dressed as personnel of the Iraqi Special forces who entered the shrine during the morning.
===2007 attack===
At around 8 a.m. on 13 June 2007, operatives belonging to al-Qaeda destroyed the two remaining -high golden minarets flanking the dome's ruins. No fatalities were reported. Iraqi police have reported hearing "two nearly simultaneous explosions coming from inside the mosque compound at around 8 a.m." A report from state run Iraqiya Television stated that "local officials said that two mortar rounds were fired at the two minarets."
===Reopening===
As of April 2009, the golden dome and the minarets have been restored and the shrine reopened to visitors.Bombed Iraq shrine reopens to visitors
==See also==
* Baab Sagheer
* Destruction of sites associated with early Islam
* Holiest sites in Islam (Shia)
* Jannatul Baqee'
* Jannatul Mualla
==References== 	 
==Further reading==
* Abstract (characteristic of Smithsonian feature articles): "In 2006, sectarian violence engulfed Iraq after terrorists destroyed the Mosque of the Golden Dome, built on a site sacred to Shiites for 1,100 years. Today, Sunnis and Shiites are working together to restore the shrine and the war-torn city."
*
*ICOMOS Heritage at Risk 2006/2007: Iraq, Askariya Shrine
==External links==
*Images of the destruction: before and after
*BBC picture gallery
*BBC video
*NYT picture gallery
Category:Family of Muhammad
Category:Twelvers
Category:Ziyarat
Category:Shi'a mosques
Category:Mosques in Iraq
Category:Shrines
Category:Mausoleums
Category:Islamic holy places
Category:Visitor attractions in Iraq
Category:Buildings and structures in Iraq
Category:Islam in Iraq
Category:Arabic architecture
Category:Islamic architecture
Category:10th-century architecture
Category:1868 architecture
ar:ضريح الإمامين علي الهادي والحسن العسكري
da:Imam Ali al-Hadi moskéen
de:Al-Askari-Schrein
es:Mezquita Al Askari
fr:Mosquée d'Or
hi:अल असकरी मज़ार
id:Masjid Al Askari
he:מסגד אל-עסכריה
mk:Џамија Ал-Аскари
ms:Masjid Al Askari
nl:Gouden Moskee
no:Al-Askaria
nn:Al-Askaria
pl:Al-Askari
ru:Мечеть Аль-Аскари
simple:Al-Askari mosque
fi:Al-Askarin kultainen moskeija
sv:Al-Askari-moskén
zh:阿里·哈迪清真寺