General Structure of the Building
The Holy Alawi Shrine stands roughly at the center of the courtyard. The building is square, with sides of 13.30 meters and an area of 176.89 square meters. Its walls rise to about 12 meters, and it encloses the pure tomb of Imam Ali (peace be upon him).
Above the shrine rises a dome supported by four pillars, between which four tall arches, or iwans, have been built. These iwans embrace the sacred tomb on all four sides.
Architectural and Decorative Features of the Shrine
The Holy Alawi Shrine is renowned for its precise design, the delicacy of its patterns and engravings, and the beauty of its colors. It is an example of Islamic architectural art whose dazzling details leave every beholder in awe. The walls are covered with decorative broken-mirror work and feature exquisite geometric ornamentation.
The great iwans of the shrine are framed with bands of Kashani mosaic tilework inscribed with a number of Quranic surahs, while verses of poetry can be seen above them.
The floor of the shrine is paved with luxurious green onyx marble, and the walls are adorned with the same marble up to a height of about two meters.
The Doors of the Holy Alawi Shrine
The shrine has four entrances, one on each side. Over the centuries, the doors of these entrances have been replaced many times. They were first made of wood, then replaced with silver doors, and today each entrance holds two golden doors.
These golden doors are remarkable for the delicacy of their craftsmanship, the precision of their design, and their enamel work and raised floral ornamentation. They are also inscribed with Quranic verses, noble hadiths and poetry. Each door is about 3 meters high and 2 meters wide.
The Doors on the Eastern Side of the Holy Shrine
These doors serve as the main entrance to the Alawi Shrine, on the side of the Imam’s (peace be upon him) blessed feet. In the last third of the 13th century AH, two silver doors were installed at this entrance.
In 1283 AH (1866 CE), Lutf Ali Irani donated the door on the right side of the entrance. The date of its installation is recorded in a chronogram that corresponds to the phrase “ألا بأمر الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَادْخُلُوا البابَ سُجَّداً” (“Enter the gate prostrating”), an allusion to verse 58 of Surat al-Baqarah.
The door on the left side of the same entrance was donated by Sultan Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar and installed in 1287 AH (1870 CE). These two doors were later removed and replaced by two golden doors made in 1376 AH (1957 CE). The new doors were built in Isfahan at the expense of Hajj Muhammad Taqi Ittifaq Tehrani, under the supervision of Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Kalantar.
At the bottom of the right and left panels of both doors, the same inscription appears:
“Praise be to God, who granted me the success, through the blessing of the guidance and kindness of the noble brother Hajj Muhammad Taqi Ittifaq, to accept his invitation to build this door. His lofty soul spent from his own pure wealth for this cause, and I, placing my hope in his mercy and seeking refuge with his Excellency, Muhammad Musawi Kalantar.”
Allamah Sayyid Musa Bahr al-Ulum also composed an ode commemorating the installation date of these two doors in 1376 AH. It is inscribed in a circular form on the door to the right (as seen from inside the shrine). Another ode is written on the left door, recording the year 1376 AH in verse.
In 1442 AH (1399 SH), these two doors were removed, and the artistic and technical staff of the Holy Shrine began restoring and rebuilding them. The old wood was set aside, the ornamental copper panels were repaired and covered with gold, and the doors were then mounted on valuable Burmese teak. On 8 Sha’ban 1443 AH (2 Farvardin 1400 SH), the doors were returned to their original place at the eastern entrance of the Alawi Shrine.
It is worth noting that a metal plaque with a golden frame was also made. On its blue enamel background is inscribed a third ode by Sayyid Musa Bahr al-Ulum, describing the majestic scene of the Holy Shrine. This plaque was installed in the space between the two doors in 1382 AH (1962 CE). In 1443 AH (1400 SH), the Custodianship of the Holy Alawi Shrine restored the plaque and reinstalled it in its original place.
The Doors on the Western Side of the Holy Alawi Shrine
This side corresponds to the blessed head of the Imam (peace be upon him). In the past, the shrine had two silver doors decorated with gold that did not open onto the western portico, because a large metal window had been installed behind them.
The northern door was donated by the benefactress Bibi Shams al-Muluk, daughter of Nizam al-Dawla and wife of Ali Shah, who presented it while traveling from India to Najaf on her way to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. The door was installed on Tuesday, 4 Rabi’ al-Thani 1316 AH (1898 CE).
The southern door was donated by Hajj Ghulam Ali Muscati. Its construction cost 10,000 rials, and a further 2,000 rials were paid by Bibi Khanum for the same purpose. Once completed, the door was installed on Wednesday, 18 Rabi’ al-Thani 1318 AH (1900 CE).
In 1366 AH (1947 CE), these two doors were removed from their original location and installed at the northern entrance of the Holy Shrine. In their former place, a window was set, which was part of the old window of the sacred tomb that had been removed in 1361 AH (1942 CE).
In Sha’ban 1443 AH (1400 SH), on the occasion of the blessed birth anniversaries of the Infallible Imams (peace be upon them), two golden doors were installed on the western side of the Holy Shrine. The cost of building them was paid by Hajj Mu’in Shaykh Jabir Jaddi, and they were made in the holy city of Najaf under the supervision of the renowned Najafi goldsmith Hajj Majid Abu al-Nawa’ir.
At the bottom right of each of these two doors (as seen by someone leaving the shrine), the following is written: “This door was made through the blessing of the exalted authority, Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani (may his shadow endure).”
At the bottom left of each door, the following was engraved:
“At the expense of the noble figure Hajj Mu’in Shaykh Jabir Jaddi al-Najafi, 1433 AH.”
On the side pillars (the jambs) to the right and left, verses from the famous ode “al-Kawthariyya” by Sayyid Radi al-Hindi are also inscribed.
The Doors on the Northern Side of the Holy Alawi Shrine
As quoted from Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Harzuddin: “In 1366 AH, the two silver doors of the western side were moved to the northern side of the shrine, where they replaced the large latticed copper door. The latticed door was transferred to the shrine’s treasury along with other historical artifacts.
In 1417 AH (1997 CE), the ornamentation of these two doors was restored and rebuilt. Afterwards, the two silver doors were set aside and replaced with new golden doors that had been made in Iran through the efforts of benefactors from the city of Isfahan. These golden doors were installed on Friday, 18 Jumada al-Awwal 1442 AH (1399 SH).”
The Doors on the Southern Side of the Holy Shrine
This entrance was formerly closed off by a metal window. To make the movement of pilgrims easier, it was converted in 1414 AH (1994 CE) and built as a door. Its frame and edges were covered with silver by the Indian Bohra community. Then, in 1419 AH (1998 CE), the entrance was turned into a latticed door with two leaves.
In 1430 AH (1388 SH), the maintenance staff of the Holy Shrine carried out the restoration and repair of this door, renovating its frame and increasing the thickness of its silver cladding.
In 1433 AH (1391 SH), two golden doors, made in the holy city of Najaf, were installed on the southern side of the Holy Shrine. Hajj Mu’in Jaddi paid for them, and an ode by Allamah Shaykh Abd al-Mun’im al-Faratusi was inscribed on the pillars on either side of the doors.
Source
Adapted from the book “Tarikh al-Marqad al-Alawi al-Mutahhar”.
The previous article in this series introduced the golden door of the Holy Alawi Shrine.
