Maqam Ra’s al-Hussain
Maqam Ra’s al-Hussain (Arabic: مقام رأسُ الحُسَین) refers to various sites that have been claimed to house Imam Hussain’s head. Although there is consensus that the body of Imam Hussain is buried in Karbala, the burial of the head is open to debate. However, according to majority of Shi’a sources, Imam Hussain’s head was eventually returned from Damascus and attached to his torso in Karbala and buried there.
Various AccountsEdit
There are various accounts about where Imam Hussain’s head was buried; among others: Aleppo, Ashkelon, Baalbek, Cairo, Damascus, Homs, Merv, and Medina.
Maqam Ra’s al-Hussain in CairoEdit
Famous Muslim traveler Ibn Batuta wrote that the head of Imam Hussain was buried in the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus but later it was brought to Palestine for re-burial. Ibn Batuta went on to say that the head was brought to Cairo to save it from the Crusaders.