The assault on Samarra, which was built in the period of the Abbasid caliphate in the ninth century CE, therefore came to represent for many a symbol of the destructive civil conflict which engulfed Iraq following the 2003 US-led invasion. The Shi'a of Samarra explores and analyses the cultural, architectural and political heritage of the Shi'a in both Samarra and the Middle East, thus highlighting how this city functions as a microcosm for the contentious issues and debates which remain at the forefront of efforts to rebuild the modern Iraqi state. Its examination of the socio-political context of the Shi'a/Sunni divide provides important insights for students and researchers working on the history and politics of Iraq and the Middle East, as well as those interested in the art and architecture of the Islamic world.

'During the rule of Saddam Husayn's Ba'th Party, studies of Iraq's Shi'a community, whether historical or contemporary, were few and far between. In The Shi'a of Samarra: The Heritage and Politics of a Community in Iraq, Imranali Panjwani has addressed this problem in compiling an impressive group of essays on the history, religious significance and politics of a city that is central to Shi'ism. Rather than viewing Samarra as a site of sectarian conflict and political decay, the volume's contributors offer much hope for the future of Iraq. In an exceptionally creative manner, this volume uses the notions of place and geographical space to demonstrate Samarra's great contributions of Samarra not only to Shi'i scholarship, but the manner in which its heritage has enriched all Iraqis. This collection is must reading for all scholars of Iraq, whatever their disciplinary specialization.' - Eric Davis, Professor of Political Science at Rutgers University, 'The authors and compiler of this volume are to be thanked for placing Samarra in its true historical focus, bringing an appreciation of the ways in which the city and its monuments resonated through the history of the region.' - Charles R. H. Tripp, Professor of Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London

Imranali Panjwani is a Tutor and PhD candidate in the Theology and Religious Studies faculty at King's College London. Educated at the University of Sheffield, The College of Law and Al-Mahdi Institute in Birmingham, he has worked for the Centre for Islamic Shi'a Studies in London as its Research Co-ordinator.