The Cellar of Occultation: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Building

| name =The Cellar of Occultation

| image = سرداب_غیبت1.jpg

| image_size =

| image_link =

| image_caption =

| other names =

| place = [[Samarra]], [[Iraq]]

| usage = Blessing and Pilgrimage

| religious affiliation = shia

| venerated =

| founded_by =

| established =

| events =

| reconstructions =

| historical_features =

| area =

| length = 2 meters

| width = 1.5 meters

| height =

| status =

| capacity =

| facilities =

| sections =

| features = Decorated with antique tiles

| latitude =

| longitude =

| map_caption =

}}

'''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(a). Three Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) lived in this place, and this was the cellar of their residence in [[Samarra]].

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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(a).<ref>Qomī, "Hadiyat al-Zāʾirīn wa Bahjat al-Nāẓirīn", p.84/85.</ref>

[[file:نمایی از سرداب سامراء.jpg|thumbnail|An old view of the Samarra Cellar.]]

==Architecture of the Cellar==

[[File:پنجره چوبی سرداب غیبت.jpg|~~Thumbnail~~|A wooden window from the 7th century AH]]

[[File:پنجره چوبی سرداب غیبت.jpg|thumbnail|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 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.<ref>Khāmeh-yār , "Maqām-hā-yi Ḥazrat Mahdī (ʿAjal Allāh Farajuh al-Sharīf) dar ʿIrāq.", p. 103.</ref>

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.<ref>Khāmeh-yār , "Maqām-hā-yi Ḥazrat Mahdī (ʿAjal Allāh Farajuh al-Sharīf) dar ʿIrāq.", p. 103.</ref>

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).<ref>Ṣāḥibī, " Waqf-i Mīrāth-i Jāwidān. “Bāb Ghiybat dar Sāmarrā ", p. 86.</ref>

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.<ref></ref>

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.<ref>[https://www.khabaronline.ir/news/1376901/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B9%D8%AC-%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%BA%DB%8C%D8%A8%D8%AA https://www.khabaronline.ir/news]</ref> Around the chamber, there is also a band inscription in Kufic script containing salutations upon the Fourteen Infallibles.

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.<ref>Khāmeh-yār , "Maqām-hā-yi Ḥazrat Mahdī (ʿAjal Allāh Farajuh al-Sharīf) dar ʿIrāq.", p. 103.</ref>

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==Rituals==

The Cellar of Imam al-Mahdi(a) 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.<ref> Al-Mazār al-Kabīr, p. 589.</ref>

The Cellar of Imam al-Mahdi(a) 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.<ref> Al-Mazār al-Kabīr, p. 589.</ref> 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.<ref>https://farhangziarat.hzrc.ac.ir/article_106652.html</ref>

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.<ref>https://farhangziarat.hzrc.ac.ir/article_106652.html</ref>

==Notes==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Infobox Building
+| name =The Cellar of Occultation
+| image = سرداب_غیبت1.jpg
+| image_size =
+| image_link =
+| image_caption =
+| other names =
+| place = [[Samarra]], [[Iraq]]
+| usage = Blessing and Pilgrimage
+| religious affiliation = shia
+| venerated =
+| founded_by =
+| established =
+| events =
+| reconstructions =
+| historical_features =
+| area =
+| length = 2 meters
+| width = 1.5 meters
+| height =
+| status =
+| capacity =
+| facilities =
+| sections =
+| features = Decorated with antique tiles
+| latitude =
+| longitude =
+| map_caption =
+}}
 '''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(a). Three Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) lived in this place, and this was the cellar of their residence in [[Samarra]].
@@ Line 13: / Line 42: @@
 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(a).<ref>Qomī, "Hadiyat al-Zāʾirīn wa Bahjat al-Nāẓirīn", p.84/85.</ref>
+[[file:نمایی از سرداب سامراء.jpg|thumbnail|An old view of the Samarra Cellar.]]
 ==Architecture of the Cellar==
-[[File:پنجره چوبی سرداب غیبت.jpg|Thumbnail|A wooden window from the 7th century AH]]
+[[File:پنجره چوبی سرداب غیبت.jpg|thumbnail|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 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.<ref>Khāmeh-yār , "Maqām-hā-yi Ḥazrat Mahdī (ʿAjal Allāh Farajuh al-Sharīf) dar ʿIrāq.", p. 103.</ref>
-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.<ref>Khāmeh-yār , "Maqām-hā-yi Ḥazrat Mahdī (ʿAjal Allāh Farajuh al-Sharīf) dar ʿIrāq.", p. 103.</ref>
 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).<ref>Ṣāḥibī, " Waqf-i Mīrāth-i Jāwidān. “Bāb Ghiybat dar Sāmarrā ", p. 86.</ref>
-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.<ref></ref>
+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.<ref>[https://www.khabaronline.ir/news/1376901/%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B9%D8%AC-%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D8%BA%DB%8C%D8%A8%D8%AA https://www.khabaronline.ir/news]</ref> Around the chamber, there is also a band inscription in Kufic script containing salutations upon the Fourteen Infallibles.
-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.<ref>Khāmeh-yār , "Maqām-hā-yi Ḥazrat Mahdī (ʿAjal Allāh Farajuh al-Sharīf) dar ʿIrāq.", p. 103.</ref>
@@ Line 40: / Line 66: @@
 ==Rituals==
-The Cellar of Imam al-Mahdi(a) 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.<ref> Al-Mazār al-Kabīr, p. 589.</ref>
+The Cellar of Imam al-Mahdi(a) 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.<ref> Al-Mazār al-Kabīr, p. 589.</ref> 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.<ref>https://farhangziarat.hzrc.ac.ir/article_106652.html</ref>
-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.<ref>https://farhangziarat.hzrc.ac.ir/article_106652.html</ref>
 ==Notes==
 {{Notes}}