Bab al-Saghir Cemetery
Bab al-Saghir Cemetery (Arabic: مقبرة الباب الصغير, romanized: Maqbarat al-Bāb al-Ṣaghīr) is an Islamic cemetery in Damascus, Syria. It is about 200 meters to the southwest of the Bab al-Saghir gate.[4][3]
| Maqbarat al-Bāb al-Ṣaghīr مقبرة الباب الصغير | |
|---|---|
مَـقْـبَـرَة الْـبَـاب الـصَّـغِـيْـر | |
 From left to right, the graves of Maymunah (Umm Al-Hasan), Asma bint Umais, and Hamidah bint Muslim ibn Aqeel. | |
| Details | |
| Established | Umayyad era[1] |
| Location | |
| Country | Syria[2] |
| Coordinates | 33°30′22″N 36°18′23″E[3] |
History
Stephanie Mulder in a book documenting and analyzing medieval Alid shrines in Syria points out that the "tomb [dedicated to Sukayna bint al-Husayn] in the Bab al-Saghir cemetery is consistently mentioned in medieval Arabic sources from the late twelfth century onwards, and the text-based findings relating to its location, original structure, phases of development and various patrons, afford well with the rich architectural evidence documented."[5] The place has notable Islamic interments.[2][6] The 20th century poet Nizar Qabbani is also buried here.
Interments
Companions of Muhammad
- Abd Allah ibn Umm Maktum (d. 636), early Medinian Muslim
- Asma bint Umays (died 7th century), wife of Abu Bakr, Ali, and Ja'far ibn Abi Talib
- Bilal ibn Rabah (580–640), the first muezzin and secretary of treasure of Medina's Islamic state
- Ubayy ibn Ka'b (d. 649), early Medinian Muslim and scribe of Muhammad
- Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (d. 680), converted to Islam in 630; first Umayyad caliph.
Alid community
- Umm Kulthum (627–685/705), Ali and Fatimah's daughter, wife of caliph Umar (r. 634–644)
- Fatimah al-Sughra (died after 680), daughter of Husayn ibn Ali
- Fidda, the maid of Fatimah
- Kamaid ibn Aswad al-Kindi, a companion of Ali
- Maymunah, daughter of Hasan ibn Ali
- Hameedah, daughter of Muslim ibn Aqil
- Abdullah, son of Zayn al-Abidin
Umayyad kings
- Muawiya I (597, 603 or 605–680), founder and first of the Umayyad Dynasty *
- Al-Walid I (674–715), sixth Umayyad king
Shrines and Mosques
Maqam Ru'us Al-Shuhada
Maqam Ru'us ash-Shuhada’ (Arabic: مَـقَـام رُؤُوس الـشُّـهَـدَاء, lit. 'burial place of head of the martyrs'), also known as Ganj-e-sarha-e-shuhada’-e-Karbala, or Raous al-Shuhada, the former burial place of the heads of the casualties in Husayn's army at Karbala.[2] Among them:
Tomb of Muawiya I
Mosque and tomb of Umm Kulthum
Tomb of Bilal
Cenotaphs
The following tombs are also found within this cemetery,[2] however these are empty graves (cenotaphs) created for the purpose of ziyārah (Arabic: زِيَـارَة), with the actual graves being at Jannaṫul-Baqī‘ (Classical Arabic: جَـنَّـةُ الْـبَـقِـيـع), in Medinah, Saudi Arabia:
- Wives of Muhammad:[6]
- Abdullah, son of Ja‘far aṭ-Ṭayyâr, and husband and cousin of Zaynab bint Ali
- Abdullah, son of the Sixth Ja`farī Shī`ite Imām, Ja'far as-Sadiq
Other religious significance
In addition, the area has the well from which the Fourth Shi'ite Imam, Ali Zayn al-Abidin used to perform wuḍú’ (Arabic: وُضُـوء).
References
- Kramer, H. (12 April 2015). "Bab Al-Saghir Cemetery". The Complete Pilgrim. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- "Places to Visit: Damascus". Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project. 24 September 2014. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- Demeter, D. (24 September 2014). "Damascus – Bab al-Saghir Cemetery (دمـشـق – مـقـبـرة الـبـاب الـصـغـيـر)". Syria Photo Guide. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- Barrani, S. "Bab Al-Saghir Cemetery". Retrieved 12 March 2018.
- Mulder, Stephennie (2014). "3". The Shrines of the 'Alids in Medieval Syria: Sunnis, Shi'is and the Architecture of Coexistence. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. pp. 129–41. ISBN 978-0-7486-4579-4.
- "Bab al-Saghir cemetery". IslamicLandmarks.com. Retrieved 12 March 2018.