News ID: 61

Date: 11 April 2021 - 15:58

Reconstruction and revival of the historical porch and dome of the holy shrine of Imam Ali

About 280 years ago, when Nader Shah Afshar visited Najaf, she ordered to gild the dome and two minarets  of the shrine that replaced the green Safavid tiles which was the memorial of Sheikh Baha'.

Repairing and gilding the dome, the minaret, and the porch of the shrine was costly but Nader Shah paid the cost. he also donated gifts to the Alawite treasury.it is said that the gifts are still in the treasury

Nader Shah's wife participated in the reconstruction and donated a sum of money that covered the cost of tiling of the holy shrine.

The Golden Porch is one of the most beautiful and glorious porches of the shrine of Imam Ali which is located at the foot of the zarih and faces west.This porch is 40 meters high and 45 meters long and the gilding was done at the request of Nader Shah in  1156 AH.

From inside the golden porch, a door opens into the porch and forty beautiful lights have been  installed in the middle of the porch, the lights are a gift from Nasser al-Din Shah.

There was a large pool known as "Kowsar" In front of this porch

In the north and south of the porch, two golden minarets have been raised to a height of 35 meters, on which some verses of Surah Jumu'ah are inscribed.

Above the porch, a golden  gutter which is 110 cm long has been installed  . rainwater that collects on the  roof of the shrine  flows down and through the gutter. Pilgrims believe that the rain water is blessed with the dust of the dome so at the time of raining people  gather under the golden gutters to pray.

Reconstruction headquarters of Holy Shrines started The project of repairing and reviving the historical porch of the holy shrine of Imam Ali on 07/22/2013  and ended it  on 08/18/2017

This renovation project was done under the supervision of Doctor Bahraman and his team in cooperation with cultural heritage experts . Engineer Zalfard took on the executive management.