Al-Askari Shrine

The Al-Askari Shrine is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Shia Muslim world, containing the tombs of Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari — the 10th and 11th Imams in the Twelver Shia tradition. The shrine's golden dome and minarets are visible from much of the city, and the surrounding streets fill with pilgrims from Iraq, Iran, and beyond, particularly during Shia religious festivals.

The shrine was devastated by bombs in 2006 and 2007, attacks that triggered widespread sectarian violence across Iraq. The golden dome was painstakingly reconstructed with donations from Shia communities worldwide and reopened in April 2009. The shrine also marks the site where the 12th Imam — al-Mahdi — is said to have gone into occultation in 874 AD, making it particularly significant in Twelver Shia theology. Non-Muslim visitors should check current access conditions before visiting.

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In February 2006, a bomb planted by Sunni extremists destroyed the golden dome of the Al-Askari Shrine, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. The explosion triggered weeks of sectarian reprisal killings across Iraq that many historians regard as the beginning of the country's civil war. The dome was rebuilt and reopened in 2009.

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