Al-Askari Shrine

The Al-Askari Shrine in Samarra is a major site of Shia pilgrimage, holding the tombs of two revered ninth-century imams and associated with the disappearance of the twelfth. Its most famous feature was a great golden dome, destroyed by bombing in the 2000s and since rebuilt, which drew pilgrims from across the Shia world. The complex includes a mosque, minarets, and a sanctuary richly decorated with mirrorwork and tile. Visitors to the reconstructed shrine can see the restored golden dome rising above the old city.