Restored Minaret of Imam Ali (AS) Shrine Unveiled
The ceremony was held with the presence of officials including Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
The minaret was restored by Iranian experts at the Reconstruction Organization (Atabat).
The shrine of Imam Ali (AS) was originally built by Iranian artists and architects back in the Safavid period (1500-1736), decorating it with green tiles. Later, Nader Shah (1736-1747) ordered applying a thin layer of gold to the tiles.
The place had not undergone major reconstruction work since then, however, after the fall of the Saddam regime, grounds were prepared for reviving the religious site.
The Atabat organization finished the restoration of the southern minaret some two years ago and the northern minaret was unveiled yesterday on the eve of the birth anniversary of Imam Ali (AS).
Speaking on the sideline of the event, Majid Namjoo, deputy head of Atabat, noted that during the project, some 4,500 historic bricks were numbered before being detached from the minaret and undergoing a special restoration process in the workshop. The bricks were again covered with a very thin layer of gold and then installed in their place.
All the costs of the project have been paid by Iraqi philanthropists and the Astan (custodianship) of Imam Ali (AS) holy shrine, he added.
Namjoo also said that the next project is restoring the Iwan (a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open) of the shrine.
The mausoleum is one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam visited by millions of pilgrims from Iraq, Iran, and other countries every year.
