Al Abbas Mosque

The Al-‘Abbas Mosque or Masjid al-‘Abbas (Arabic: مسجد الامام العباس) is the mausoleum of ‘Abbas ibn ‘Ali, located across from the Imam Hussein Mosque in Karbala, Iraq. ‘Abbas was the brother of Hassan and Hussein, and was the flag-bearer for Hussein in the Battle of Karbala.

Environmental effects over the years have caused the Euphrates River to change direction. Nearly 1400 years after the Battle of Karbala, the river flows across the grave of ‘Abbas and encircles it. It is said that the Euphrates has come to ‘Abbas now.

History and design

Emperors and kings of various dynasties have offered valuable gifts and gems to the shrine of ‘Abbas. History of the current structure began in 1622 with Abbas Shah Safavi, who ordered the decoration of the grave's dome. He also built a window around the grave and organized the precinct.

Majority of the modern design was done by Persian and Central Asian architects. The central pear shaped dome is an ornately decorated structure with two tall minarets on its sides. The tomb is covered with pure gold and surrounded by a trellis of silver, along with Iranian carpets rolled out on the floors.