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The Shrine to Imam Husayn is a Karbala landmark |
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The holy city of Karbala, situated 100 km south of Baghdad, derives its name from the ancient Babylonian meaning "sacred place of God" from the two shrines it houses of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Husayn and his brother 'Abbas. Shi'a Muslims consider this to be one of the holiest places in the world second only to Mecca and Najaf.
Karbala has long been a wealthy town deriving its income from religious visitors. Karbala is surrounded by orchard and palm groves and can be accessed directly from Baghdad and the holy city of Najaf.
Today the town is split into two; "Old Karbala", housing the twin shrines of Husayn and his brother Abbas and "New Kabarla", the residential district containing Islamic schools and government buildings.
The development of the city of Karbala occurred due to its popularity with religious pilgrims. Indeed, the economic well-being of the town is directly related to the influx of pilgrims and during periods such as the Iran-Iraq war from 1980-1990 the prosperity of Karbala suffered.
Karbala today is an important religious centre, as a destination for pilgrims and a seat of learning with more than 100 mosques and 23 religious schools.
The city's trade is mainly in religious objects, hides, wool, and dates. The proximity of the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers have created a fertile crescent ideal for date palm groves east of the city.
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Coalition forces patrolling the streets of Karbala |
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Karbala is currently rebuilding after the 2003 war and is patrolled by Polish and Bulgarian coalition forces. There has been some recent unrest in Karbala including two car bombs in late December 2003 which left more than 13 dead.
This year they are expecting a record number of visitors to commemorate Muharram. In fact, the hotels in Karbala have been booked out for years in advance by pilgrims, particularly Iranians who hoped they would be able to openly celebrate Ashura in Karbala.
View a map of the town here which shows the main features listed below.
Main features of modern Karbala
- Shrine of Al - Husayn - This is the focal point for the commemorations at Karbala during Muharram and is visited by millions of Shi'a every year. It was first built in 61AH/680CE following the battle of Karbala where the Imam Husayn and his followers were massacred by enemy troops.
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Shrine of Al - Abbas - Similar to the Shrine of Al - Husayn but slightly smaller, this holy shrine was built at the spot where the massacre at Karbala occurred. 'Abbas, also known as the 'water bearer', was the brother of the Imam Husayn who was ambushed and killed as he tried to bring water back to the thirst-stricken camp.
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Ibn Fahid's religious school - One of the most famous and well-respected schools in Iraq, this seat of learning was built some 440 years ago following the death of Ibn Fahid. It is frequented by Shi'a Muslims from all over the world.
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Courtyard - Situated in between the two Shrines, this area has in times past housed old buildings and markets including two religious schools but was demolished in the late 1970's and is now an open courtyard with plants and palm trees.
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Al Husaynyah River/Nahr Huayniyah - One of the many branches flowing from the Euphrates River. This was the river that the camp of Husayn was cut off from by Yazid's troops during the battle of Karbala.
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Al Makhayam - Believed to be the original place of the camp of the Imam Husayn, it has historically served as the focal point for Shi'a Muslims to visit during Muharram. Here the commemoration took the form of theatrical plays evoking the martyrdom of the Imam Husayn and his followers. It retains tremendous religious and historical significance for Shi'a visitors.
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