In pictures: Work progress in the expansion project of the Maqam of Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his holy reappearance).

The work in the expansion project of the Maqam of Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his holy reappearance) is progressing with great pace, and its urban features started appearing.

The Head of the Engineering Projects Department at the al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine; Engineer Dea' Majeed al-Sa'egh, the responsible body for the design and supervision on the execution of this project, stated: We have reached advanced staged in the works that are executed in a parallel way in all the facilities of this project, which is a complementary to the series of projects of the al-Abbas's (p) holy shrine and the Maqams related to it.

The most prominent conducted works are:

- The installation of pieces of mirrors cut artistically on the ceilings and walls of the halls.

- Continuation of the coating works of the front and rear facade by the Kashi al-Karbala'i.

- Continuation of the installation of the main systems of the project such as lighting, warning, fire, communications, monitoring and others.

- Continuation of the work of the main entrance of the Maqam, which includes a large gate in the middle of its old entrance from the outside and an another from the outside, on top of which a Taremah is installed with a width of more than four meters, with columns on its sides in the form of Iwans, which will be encrusted by the streaky Kashi Karbala'i. An iron structure was used in these works which one of the new additions to this project.

- Continuation of the works of encrusting the main clock of the Maqam, on the top of its front façade. "

It is to note that the shrine of Imam Al-Mahdi Is located on the left bank of Hussayniya River at the entrance of Karbala on the road leading to the shrine of Ja'far As-Sadeq (peace be upon him), which is a famous shrine with high dome. This shrine was named after the name of the awaited Imam Al-Mahdi (peace be upon him) as it is said that the Imam has prayed in this place. The shrine built in this place was totally demolished after the Sha'ban uprising, but it was rebuilt after a short period, and after the fall of the former regime, many maintenance works have been conducted and were concluded by the maintenance and modernization project under the supervision of the Engineering Project Department at the Al-Abbas's (p) holy shrine as it is linked administratively to it. And following the completion of its maintenance and modernization, starting by the dome down to the shrine's halls and other facilities, the expansion idea was developed, as we cannot make the expansion from its three sides, we have conducted the expansion on the side of the Hussayniya River, the western side, adjacent to the Maqam, on an area of 1200 square meters and connected to the Maqam through ports and special doors.