Dome of the shrine of Imam Al-Hadi Yahya bin Al-Hussein bin Al-Qasim Attached to his comprehensive mosque in the city of Saada, an archaeological study comparative architecture

Abstract

The current research is a comparative analytical archaeological study of the planning and architecture of the oldest shrine dome erected in Yemen and attached to the mosque of Imam Al-Hadi To Al-Haq "Yahya Bin Al-Huseen Bin Al-Qasim", the first mosque erected in Sa'da, the city which was planned by Imam Al-Hadi the owner of the shrine dome - the subject of the present study.
The researcher was able to track the planning and architecture of this dome, which was erected over the tomb of Imam Al-Hadi after his death in 298 H (911 AD) in accordance with the historical sources. It is commonly known that the oldest Yemeni dome erected within a religious facility was the dome attached to Farwa Bin Musik Mosque in Sana’a, and the first who erected a shrine dome over the tomb of Imam Al-Hadi was Imam Al-Mahdi Ali Bin Muhammad between 750 & 773 H (1349 & 1371 AD).
However, according to this study, it was confirmed to the researcher that the first person who erected a shrine dome over the tomb of Imam Al-Hadi was his son Imam Al-Nasser Ahmed when he expanded his father's mosque from the east side between the hijri years (299 and 325 H). This dome remained standing until it was demolished by the Judge Mutahar Bin Trik, who died in 748 H (1347 AD). Later on, judge Trik erected a dome in the place of the oldest one but with a different architecture design than the first dome.

Again, the dome was demolished and rebuilt upon an order of Imam Al-Mahdi Ali Bin Muhammad Before 773 H (1371 AD) Because It Was Only Erected Over the Tomb of Imam Al-Hadi. Three shrine domes were also built and attached to the new erected dome, exactly over the graves of Imam Al-Nasser Ahmed the son of Imam Al-Hadi from the west, and Imam Al-Mokhtar the son of Imam Al-Nasser from the east. And the Tiberian martyrs from the south.
These domes remained standing until the construction renewing of the shrine dome of Imam Al-Nasser by prince Ahmed Bin Al-Qasim in 1030 H (1621 AD).
As a result of the architecture disruption of Imam Al-Hadi dome and the attached domes, they were rebuilt again by Ali Bin Ahmed Bin Al-Qasim, in 1108 H (1696 AD).