Photos: Demolition anniversary of al-Askariyain holy shrine

Since the tragic demolition of the al-Askariyain Holy Shrine (the Shrine of Imam al-Hadi (a) and Imam al-Askari) in the northern Iraqi city of Samarra on Muharram 23, 1427/February 22, 2006, Shia Muslims around the world commemorate it as a day of sorrow and grief. The holy dome and minarets were bombed by Wahhabi insurgents with over 200 kilograms of explosives planted inside. Five years after the demolition, the reconstruction works began in coordination with UNESCO. Millions of pilgrims have since visited the Al-Askariyain Holy Shrine every year.