Buratha Mosque

The Buratha Mosque (Arabic: جامع براثا) is a historic Shi'ite place of worship in the Karkh district of Baghdad, Iraq. It is an important holy site for the Twelver Shi'ites.[1][2][3] The mosque was allegedly built in the 7th century over an old Nestorian Christian monastery, and it is now located at least five kilometres away from the Al-Kadhimiya Mosque.[4]

Buratha Mosque
The mosque in 2015
Religion
AffiliationTwelver Shi'a
ProvinceBaghdad Governorate
Location
LocationKarkh, Baghdad, Iraq
Shown within Iraq
Geographic coordinates33°21′03″N 44°21′40″E
Architecture
StyleModern
Completed1955 (current structure)
Specifications
Capacity1000–3000 worshippers
Dome(s)1
Minaret(s)2

History

Local tradition ascribes the construction of the mosque to be in the 7th century.[3][5][6][4] The traditional account states that the mosque was formerly a monastery for the Nestorian Christians, managed by a monk named Hebar. When Hebar met with Ali ibn Abi Talib, he accepted Islam and converted the monastery into an Islamic place of worship.[3][5][6] The mosque in that form existed until the 10th century, when the Abbasid Caliph Al-Radi ordered the demolition of the mosque as an attack against the Shi'ite communities.[2] After the mosque was demolished, locals complained of the matter to the governor of Baghdad, whom rebuilt the mosque and inscribed the name of the Caliph Al-Radi there to prevent it from being demolished.[2][1]

Modern history

Renovations to the mosque happened in the years 1659 and 1933.[3][5][6] In 1955, the mosque was completely rebuilt with local efforts, and two new minarets were introduced to the structure.[5][3][6]

Religious significance

The Buratha Mosque is a significant holy place for Twelver Shi'ites due to its association with Ali ibn Abi Talib.[6][3][5] It is narrated in Shi'ite holy books that Ali rested here after a fight with the Khawarij.[6][3][5] Another miraculous event reported by the Shi'ites is that Ali struck a stone in the floor of the mosque, which revealed a fresh spring.[6][3][5]

Christian significance

Some have believed that the rock in the mosque belongs to the Virgin Mary.[3][5] It is also believed that Patriarch Abraham and subsequent Patriarchs after him prayed at the site, and one of such Patriarchs is buried in the mosque.[4]

2006 bombing
Main article: Buratha mosque bombing

In 2006, three suicide bombers, two out of three disguised as women, detonated themselves in the mosque compound, leaving 85 dead and 160 wounded.[7] The attack was also a targeted attack against the Iraqi politician Jalaluddin al-Saghir, who was present in the mosque at the time as its main preacher. However, Saghir was not harmed by the attacks.[8]

See also

References
  1. "The Significance of Buratha Mosque".
  2. "The Buratha Mosque".
  3. "جامع براثا ومقام الإمام علي (عليه السلام) - موقع قسم الشؤون الدينية - العتبة العلوية المقدسة". tableegh.imamali.net. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  4. "Historic perspective of Al-Buratha mosque – International Shia News Agency". 2016-02-04. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  5. "التعريف في الجامع والروايات التي تخصه". جامع براثا. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  6. "إطلالة تاريخية مختصرة عن تاريخ جامع بُراثا الشيعي , كهف العجائب،". web.archive.org. 2017-07-14. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  7. "Dozens die in Iraq mosque attack". 2006-04-07. Archived from the original on 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  8. Life in Iraq: Day at a glance, BBC, 2006-04-07
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