Zarih

Zarih of Sukayna bint Husayn, in the Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque.

Zarih of Junayd of Baghdad and a smaller wooden zarih of Sirri Saqti

A zarih (Template:Lang-hi) or ḍarīḥ (Template:Lang-ar) is an ornate, usually gilded, lattice structure, that encloses a grave in a mosque or Islamic shrine. It is usually made out of metal but wooden zarihs are also common.

Purpose

A zarih is constructed over the grave of religious (usually Muslim) figures.

Construction

A zarih is built from fine materials by skilled craftsmen, calligraphers, metal workers, jewellers, carpenters, and engineers. Zarihs can be the size of a small room and are commonly built by hand in a process that often takes several years. Not all zarihs are of the same quality; however, the most intricate zarihs found, are often in the shrines of Shia Imams and are seldom built, these zarihs take longer to construct and use more sophisticated materials and methods.

The walls of a zarih are filled with verses from the Quran, names of holy figures and other religious artwork. Notable installations are found in the Imam Husayn Shrine, the Al Abbas Mosque, the Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque , the Abdul Qadir Jilani Mosque, The Junaid Baghdadi with Sirri Saqti shrine and the Imam Ali Mosque.

Zarih of Emamzadeh Yahya (in Miami, Mashhad, Khorasan, Iran)

See also

• Islamic architecture
• Shia
• Sufi