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Chronology of Imam Hussain's Shrine at Karbala

61 1 Oct 680 Imam Hussain (A) was buried at this sacred spot.

65 18 Aug 684 Mukhtar ibn Abu Obaidah Thaqafi built an enclosure around the grave, in the form of a mosque and erected a dome over the grave. There were two entrances to this building.

132 12 Aug 749 A roof was built over a part of this mosque and two entrances were added during the reign of as-Saffah.

140 31 Mar 763 The roof was demolished during the reign of al-Mansur.

158 11 Nov 774 During the reign of Mahdi the roof was reconstructed.

171 22 Jun 787 During the reign of Al-Rashid the dome and the roof were demolished and the plum tree which stood near the grave was cut down.

193 25 Oct 808 During the reign of Amin the building was reconstructed.

236 15 Jul 850 Mutawakkil demolished the buildings and ordered that the land should be ploughed.

247 17 Mar 861 Muntasir built a roof over the grave and set up an iron pillar near it, to serve as a landmark for the pilgrims.

273 8 Jun 886 The roof was demolished again.

280 23 Mar 893 The Alid representative built a dome in the centre, with two roofs, on either side and an enclosure with two entrances.

307 19 Aug 977 Adzd ibn Boweih rebuilt the dome, the surrounding galleries and constructed a screen of teak wood around the sepulchre. He also constructed houses all round the shrine and erected the boundary wall of the city. At the same time Imran ibn Shahin built a mosque adjacent to the tomb.

407 10 Jun 1016 The buildings were damaged by fire and the Vizier, Al-Hasan ibn al Fadi rebuilt them.

620 4 Feb 1223 Nasir le-din-Illah reconstructed the screens of the sepulchre.

757 18 Sep 1365 Sultan Owais ibn Hasan Jalairi remodelled the dome and raised the walls of the enclosure.

780 24 Feb 1384 Ahmad ibn Owais erected two minarets covered with gold and extended the courtyard.

920 26 Feb 1514 When Shah Ismail Safawi visited the holy shrine he built a sacrophagus of the inlaid work over the grave.

1032 5 Nov 1622 Shah Abbas Safavi constructed the screens (darih) of brass and bronze and decorated the dome with Kashi tiles.

1048 15 May 1638 Sultan Murad IV, when he visited the holy shrine, whitewashed the dome.

1155 8 Mar 1742 Nadir Shah visited the holy shrine and decorated the building and offered valuable presents to the treasury of the shrine.

1211 7 Jul 1796 Shah Muhammad Qachar covered the dome of the shrine with gold.

1216 14 May 1801 Wahhabis attacked Kerbala, spoiled the screens and portico and looted the shrine.

1232 21 Nov 1817 Fateh Ali Shah Qachar repaired the screens and plated them with silver. He also plated the centre of the main portico with gold and repaired the damage done by the Wahhabi robbers.

1283 16 May 1866 Nasiruddin Shah Qachar extended the courtyard of the shrine.

1358 21 Feb 1939 Dr. Syedna Taher Saifud-din, 51st Dai-el-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra community offered a set of screens of solid silver which are fixed in the shrine.

1360 29 Jan 1941 Dr. Syedna Taher Saifud-din, 5lst Dai-el-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra community rebuilt the western minaret.

1367 20 Dec 1948 Syed Abdul Rasul Khalsi, Administrator of Karbala acquired the houses in the neighbourhood of the courtyard according to the price fixed by the government, to build a road around the holy mausoleum and to extend the courtyard.

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