Bab al-Saghir Cemetery


Bab al-Saghir Cemetery is an Islamic cemetery in Damascus, Syria. It is about 200 meters to the southwest of the Bab al-Saghir gate.

History

Stephanie Mulder in a book documenting and analyzing medieval Alid shrines in Syria points out that the "tomb 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." The place has notable Islamic interments. The 20th century poet Nizar Qabbani is also buried here.

Interments

Companions of Muhammad

Alid community

Umayyad kings

Shrines and Mosques

Maqam Ru'us Al-Shuhada
Maqam Ru'us ash-Shuhada’, 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. Among them:
Tomb of Muawiya I
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FjxLi8QWIAAmbtd.jpg:large
Mosque and tomb of Umm Kulthum
https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/FQN2LYOG3WVEYD3DUVS47TBCZY.jpg
Tomb of Bilal
https://madainproject.com/content/media/collect/bilal_grave_732849.jpg

Cenotaphs

The following tombs are also found within this cemetery, however these are empty graves created for the purpose of ziyārah (

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’.