After over 40 years...

After over 40 years, due to the increase in the numbers of visitors to the holy shrine, and natural deterioration, the grills of the burial chamber became corroded. Additionally, the wooden interior of the chamber, which had been in place for over a hundred years, had become badly damaged. More importantly, the constant washing of the chamber with rose water had given it a red tinge, and cracks were found in its foundations. The considerable damage to the chamber necessitated a replacement.

The custodian of the shrine, Ayatollah Mas`ūdī, made the decision in the year 1415 A.H to replace the burial chamber. For this purpose, the leading expert in the field, Āghā Husain Parwaresh Isfāhānī was commissioned to design a new chamber. He died before he could finish the work and it was completed by Āghā Muhammad Husain `Abbāspūr Isfāhānī.

The New Burial Chamber (Darīh) of Lady Fatima Masuma (A) In this last and latest version of the burial chamber several changes have been made: • the poems and verses that were inscribed on the upper part of the old chamber were collected and inscribed in gold lettering to go at the top of the new chamber. • the section between the top of the chamber and the area accessible to the pilgrims, which was formerly made of silver, was replaced with gold.

●The upper chambers and grills which contained over 5000 spheres and tubes were all replaced and made thicker and sturdier. For this section alone, over 200 kilograms of pure silver was used. • The old wooden foundations, which are not visible, were also replaced with better and more hardwearing wood. The chamber itself is 4 meters high, 5.25 meters long and 4.73 meters wide.

Although outwardly the latest chamber does not seem much different from the former one, it has been made much stronger, sturdier and durable. The total cost of these renovations to the chamber was approximately 3 billion Rials (nearly £250,000). The project took 5 years to complete. However, by the swift work of the builders who worked three shifts round the clock, the installation of the new chamber was completed in just one month, thereby not unduly inconveniencing the pilgrims.

The new burial chamber was re-opened to the public on the day of Ghadīr 1422 A.H, by Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Taqī Bahjat.

✦ ✦ ✦