The Water Supply and Drinking-Fountain Installation Project in the Courtyard of the Alawi Shrine
To provide cold water for pilgrims, four large water coolers with a capacity of five tons each were installed by benefactors at various points throughout the courtyard of the Alawi Shrine. After some time, with the establishment of a comprehensive water purification, disinfection, and cooling project by the Custodianship of the Holy Alawi Shrine, the need for these cooling units was eliminated.
This project was carried out in accordance with health standards and drinking-water quality standards, so as to achieve self-sufficiency in water provision for the courtyard of the Alawi Shrine. Drinking water is channeled through the courtyard’s service tunnel to four outlets located at the four corners of the courtyard. The project became operational on 26 Rajab 1430 AH, corresponding to 2009, coinciding with the night of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him and his family) commissioning to prophethood (Mab’ath).
In 1431 AH, corresponding to 2011, the technical staff of the Custodianship of the Holy Alawi Shrine installed marble drinking fountains in the courtyard. These fountains were built in the shape of vases, each with three water outlets. There are twenty-two of them in total, installed at intervals between the porticoes (iwans). With this measure, the plastic water tanks previously used for water distribution were removed. These fountains were donated to the Custodianship by an Iraqi resident of Turkey who owned a marble quarry.
The Courtyard Service Tunnel Project of the Alawi Shrine
Work on the courtyard’s service tunnel project began in Dhu al-Hijjah 1428 AH, corresponding to 2007. This tunnel extends beneath the courtyard’s spaces and has a width of 70 centimeters. The services carried out through this tunnel include water, electricity, communications, and the channeling of water to the courtyard’s wells.
Following a precise engineering study of the anticipated loads, a layer of reinforced concrete was poured, its thickness calibrated to the type of marble to be used. The installation of new marble slabs, five centimeters thick, began in Rabi’ al-Thani 1429 AH, corresponding to 2008, and was completed in Safar 1430 AH, corresponding to 2009. It should be noted that the project’s funding was provided by the Najaf Governorate Reconstruction and Development Organization and the Shia Endowment Diwan, at a cost of approximately 2.5 billion Iraqi dinars. The project was carried out by a group of contractors under the engineering supervision of the Custodianship’s technical staff.
The Restoration and Renovation of the Rooms of the Alawi Shrine Courtyard and Related Sections
The shrine of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), along with the other holy shrines, suffered deliberate neglect under the former regime — a situation that caused extensive damage to the historic architecture of the shrine. This damage included cracks in the foundations, walls, and ceilings, problems that arose from the lack of maintenance, increased humidity, and the blockage of rainwater drainage channels. In addition, termite infestation spread, exposing much of the shrine’s historic fabric to erosion and collapse.
Beginning in 1426 AH, corresponding to 2005, the efforts of the Custodianship of the Holy Alawi Shrine, drawing on its own technical and engineering personnel, focused on repairing and restoring the damaged sections of the shrine’s sacred architecture, and this process continued for years.
Initial Cleaning and Preparation
With regard to the renovation of the rooms of the Alawi Shrine courtyard, the Custodianship’s service personnel cleared these rooms of bird droppings, bats, debris, and rubble. The cracks and damage present in the walls and ceilings were then repaired, and severely damaged, irreparable ceilings were demolished and rebuilt. The old flooring was also removed.
In Jumada al-Awwal 1427 AH, corresponding to 2006, the old flooring of the Alawi Shrine courtyard was removed and replaced with new brick paving. At the same time, the rainwater drainage channels were restored, and a comprehensive termite-control operation was carried out.
Renovation of the Upper-Floor Rooms
In the final stages of renovating the upper-floor rooms, the walls were finished with plaster and a traditional “burak” gypsum coating, the floors were paved and completed, electrical installations and air-conditioning systems were put in place, the doors were repaired, and the old windows were replaced with new ones made of fine teak wood, retaining the same original shape and design.
In Dhu al-Qa’dah 1427 AH, corresponding to 2006, the old marble balustrades installed along the porticoes of the upper-floor rooms — forty-eight in total — were removed and replaced with new teak-wood balustrades inlaid with sections of gold-colored aluminum.
Renovation of the Ground-Floor Rooms
As for the renovation of the ground-floor rooms of the shrine courtyard, the same method was applied, with the difference that their floors were covered with green onyx marble, and the walls were likewise faced with the same marble up to a height of 2.10 meters from ground level. The ceilings were adorned with mirrored glasswork, the room doors were repaired, and the windows were replaced. In Jumada al-Awwal 1429 AH, 2008, work began on covering the floors and portico walls of these rooms with Thassos marble three centimeters thick, and the renovation of the rooms was ultimately completed in 1430 AH, corresponding to 2009.
In 1433 AH, corresponding to 2012, technical experts of the Custodianship of the Holy Alawi Shrine repaired and restored all of the ventilation openings and passages (wind-catchers). These passages, which extend from the ground-floor and upper-floor rooms to roof level, play an important role in the natural ventilation of the rooms and help reduce humidity.
The Canopies of the Alawi Shrine Courtyard
Under an agreement concluded between the Custodianship of the Holy Alawi Shrine and the German company SL Rasch in 1430 AH, corresponding to 2009, and funded by the local government of Najaf Governorate, eight large canopies were built for the Alawi Shrine courtyard — four installed on the northern side of the courtyard and four more on the southern side. It is worth noting that this company, which specializes in such projects, is the same company that had previously built the canopies of the Prophet’s Mosque (peace be upon him and his family).
When opened, these canopies take the shape of a square and operate using hydraulic technology. Each one has eight movable metal arms that are controlled remotely. The fabric used in these canopies has special properties: it is fire-resistant, and patterns harmonizing with the decorations of the courtyard’s walls were incorporated into it, so as to preserve the dignity and sanctity of the site.
After the excavation work in the courtyard floor was completed to prepare the sites for the main columns, in 1435 AH, corresponding to 2014, the concrete foundations supporting these structures were poured by the engineering and technical personnel of the Custodianship of the Holy Alawi Shrine. Then, on Monday, 28 Rajab 1436 AH, corresponding to 18 May 2015, the first column of one of these canopies was installed in the northern section of the courtyard under the direct supervision of the German company’s engineers. Subsequently, the arms and fabric of the canopies were mounted and put into operation one after another. The final stage of the project also included the completion of all fittings related to the canopies, including their dedicated lighting systems.
The poet Muhammad Ali Zuhairi also composed verses commemorating the installation of these canopies in 1436 AH.
Adapted from the book Tarikh al-Marqad al-Alawi al-Mutahhar.
The previous installment in this series examined the historical developments and stages of restoration of the flooring of the Alawi Shrine courtyard.
