The Cellar of Occultation

The Cellar of Occultation, located in Iraq in the city of Samarra, is situated on the western side of the sacred courtyard of the Samarra shrine, in an underground chamber of the sanctuary, which today is known among Shia Muslims as the Cellar of the Occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance). Three Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) lived in this place, and this was the cellar of their residence in Samarra.

Location and Term

The word sardāb (formed from sard “cold” and āb “water”) means a place where water becomes cold, and it refers to a space built underground where people would reside during the summer.(1) Sardāb al-Muqaddas bi-Sāmarrā wa ʾĀdāb Ziyāratihi" ,p. 39.

It has been said that this place was a part of the house of Imam al-‘Askari (peace be upon him)(2) Sardāb al-Muqaddas bi-Sāmarrā wa ʾĀdāb Ziyāratihi" ,p. 40.

 The Connection of the Cellar with the Occultation of the Imam

A number of Sunni historians have attributed to the Shia the belief that the occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) began from a cellar in Samarra, or that he will appear from that cellar.(3)     al-Ḥamawī," Muʿjam al-Buldān" , vol. 3, p. 173.              

(4) Kharsān, , "Safīna: Pajūhishī darbārah-yi Masʾalah-yi Sardāb " ,p. 89/102.

In response, Shia researchers have strongly rejected these claims They emphasize that the Shia belief is that the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) will take place in Mecca and in the Sacred Mosque, and that it has no connection with the cellar in Samarra. They have explained that the fame of this cellar is due to the residence and worship of three infallible Imams there, and that Shia Muslims honor it only for seeking blessing from the traces of the righteous and for worship. They consider these attributions to be slanderous and based on misconception, and they note that no such belief exists in reliable Shia sources.(5) Qomī, "Hadiyat al-Zāʾirīn wa Bahjat al-Nāẓirīn", p. 83.

(6) Al-Maḥallātī, "Māʾāthir al-Kubrā fī Tārīkh Sāmarrā" ,vol. 1, p. 350.

(7) Sayyid Muḥsin al-Amīn,"Al-ʾĀʾiyān al-Shīʿah", vol. 1, p. 107.

The Well of Occultation

The common belief is that the well located in the Cellar of Occultation is the place through which Imam al-Mahdi entered into occultation. However, according to Muhaddith Nuri, this place was originally a basin used by the Imams for ablution, and later it became a spot where Shia believers would place their written supplications addressed to Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance).(8) Qomī, "Hadiyat al-Zāʾirīn wa Bahjat al-Nāẓirīn", p.84/85.

Architecture of the Cellar

A wooden window from the 7th century AH

The Cellar of Occultation is a small chamber measuring 2 by 1.5 meters, located underground and connected to the ground floor of the building by a staircase of twenty steps.

The ceiling and walls of the chamber are decorated with seven-color tiles from the era of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, and an inscription on these tiles recounts his visitation to this place in the year 1287 AH.(9) Khāmeh-yār , "Maqām-hā-yi Ḥazrat Mahdī (ʿAjal Allāh Farajuh al-Sharīf) dar ʿIrāq.", p. 103.

In this chamber, there was a very exquisite wooden door that bore inscriptions written in Naskh script. The door is lattice-designed and has two panels, and according to its inscriptions, it was made in the year 606 AH by order of the Abbasid caliph al-Nāsir li-Dīn Allah—who followed the Shia creed—and under the supervision of Abu Tamim Ma‘add ibn Husayn ibn Sa‘d al-Mūsawi (d. 617 AH).(10) Ṣāḥibī, " Waqf-i Mīrāth-i Jāwidān. “Bāb Ghiybat dar Sāmarrā ", p. 86.

This door is no longer in the cellar and, according to a report, it is kept in the storage of the shrine of the Two Askari Imams.(11)***

Around the chamber, there is also a band inscription in Kufic script containing salutations upon the Fourteen Infallibles.

This historical artifact was seriously damaged during one of the terrorist explosions that occurred at the sacred shrine in Samarra; its main part was destroyed, and today only its border remains.(9) Khāmeh-yār , "Maqām-hā-yi Ḥazrat Mahdī (ʿAjal Allāh Farajuh al-Sharīf) dar ʿIrāq.", p. 103.

Renovations

In the past, the way to reach the cellar was through a long, dark corridor whose entrance was located behind the tomb of Narjis Khatoon, inside the sacred shrine. However, Ahmad Khan Dunbali created an independent courtyard for the Cellar of Occultation along with a separate corridor and staircase, and blocked the previous staircase and passage.(12) Al-Maḥallātī,"Māʾāthir al-Kubrā fī Tārīkh Sāmarrā ", vol. 1, p. 354/355. ,,, Qomī, "Hadiyat al-Zāʾirīn wa Bahjat al-Nāẓirīn", p. 74.

Above the Cellar of Occultation, there is a mosque known as the Sahib Mosque, which was built by Hussainqoli Khan Dunbali. Above it, there is also a tall dome decorated with seven-color tiles, crafted by Mohammad Ali Mirza, the governor of Kermanshah.(13) Qāʾidān, "ʿAtabāt ʿĀliyāt-i ʿIrāq", p. 212.

After the fall of the Ba'athist regime, the space adjacent to the Cellar of Occultation underground was expanded, and a large prayer hall was built next to it, where congregational prayers are held.(9) ) Khāmeh-yār , "Maqām-hā-yi Ḥazrat Mahdī (ʿAjal Allāh Farajuh al-Sharīf) dar ʿIrāq.", p. 103.

Rituals

The Cellar of Imam al-Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) has been considered one of the Shia pilgrimage sites and is mentioned in ancient sources on supplications and shrine studies. For example, in the book al-Mazar al-Kabir by Ibn Mashhadi (d. 610 AH), the pilgrimage rituals to Imam al-Mahdi at this site are mentioned. These rituals include seeking permission to enter, reciting a visitation prayer containing salutations and blessings upon Imam al-Mahdi, and performing twelve units (rak‘ahs) of pilgrimage prayer.(14)***

In other sources, it is also recommended to recite additional supplications, such as the Du‘a al-‘Ahd and the Ziyarat of Al-Yasin, in the Cellar of Occultation.(15)***

References

Yāqūt b. ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥamawī. Muʿjam al-Buldān. Beirut: Dār Ṣādir, 1397 AH / 1977 CE.

Kharsān, Sayyid Muḥammad Mahdī. Safīna: Pajūhishī darbārah-yi Masʾalah-yi Sardāb. Translated by Māndanī Muvāsātīān.

Al-ʾĀʾiyān al-Shīʿah, Sayyid Muḥsin al-Amīn. Beirut: Dār al-Taʿāruf, 1406 AH / 1986 CE.

Waqf-i Mīrāth-i Jāwidān. “Bāb Ghiybat dar Sāmarrā.” Translated by Muslim Ṣāḥibī, No. 5, Bahār 1373 SH.

Qāʾidān, Aṣghar. ʿAtabāt ʿĀliyāt-i ʿIrāq. Tehran: Mashʿar, 1386 SH.

Qomī, Shaykh ʿAbbās. Hadiyat al-Zāʾirīn wa Bahjat al-Nāẓirīn. Qom, Iran: Mūsasah Sabtayn, 1383 SH.

Al-Maḥallātī, Dhabīḥ Allāh. Māʾāthir al-Kubrā fī Tārīkh Sāmarrā. 1st ed. Al-Maktabah al-Ḥaydariyyah, 1426 AH / 1384 SH.

Khāmeh-yār, Aḥmad. “Maqām-hā-yi Ḥazrat Mahdī (ʿAjal Allāh Farajuh al-Sharīf) dar ʿIrāq.” Fasl-Nāmah Farhang-i Ziyārat, No. 30, 1396 SH.