The Dargah of Hazrat Abbas is one of the most important monuments of Lucknow. This much revered Dargah stands in the Kashmiri Mohalla, south-west of the Akbari Darwaza and Chowk. This two-hundred-year old Dargah is dedicated to the memory of Hazrat Abbas, step-brother and Alamdar (standard bearer) of Hazrat Imam Husain. Hazrat Abbas laid down his life for religion and displayed great devotion, loyalty and faithfulness to his step-brother during the tragic conflict of Karbala in Iraq. His death therefore, is equally mourned during Muharram.

History of Dargah Hazrat Abbas
It is believed that in the course of his pilgrimage to Karbala an Indian Muslim brought the sacred Alam of Hazrat Abbas to Lucknow. The Dargah was constructed by Nawab Saadat Ali Khan in 1798, for the Alam to be permanently revered. King Nasir ud Din Haidar had a deep reverence for this Dargah, and his step-mother Badshah Begum, and the favourite Malika Zamani constructed a kitchen adjacent to this shrine. The cash offerings made to the Dargah were remitted to the royal treasury.

The last king of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, appointed Nawab Pyare Sahib as Mutawalli (caretaker) of the Dargah in place of Sharaf ud Daula, who used to utilise the cash offerings for the maintenance of the Dargah. It is said that Wajid Ali Shah had offered his crown and sword in homage to the Dargah when he was exiled to Matya Burj, near Kolkata. It is also believed that during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, Begam Hazrat Mahal had made a pilgrimage to the sacred Dargah with prince Birjis Qadar, who fought the British for the throne of Awadh.

After the failure of the revolt the British are reported to have ransacked the Dargah and carried away the sacred Alam. They also took the royal crown, sword and bejeweled insignia of the last king, and all the other valuables. The Muslim women who had taken shelter in the sacred sanctuary could not escape brutal torture at the hands of British officials. The Dargah and its main gate were declared government property, but later Rukn ud Daula, son of Amir ud Daula, again received charge of its maintenance. Rukn ud Daula constructed the beautiful tank in the central courtyard. A spacious plot of land adjacent to the Dargah was bequeathed by Her Highness Nawab Rafat Zamani Begum of Rampur State.

Architecture of Dargah Hazrat Abbas
Apart from its historic and religious associations the sacred Dargah also has architectural value. Its spacious courtyard and its proportionate, cusped arches are reminiscent of the architecture of Shah Jahan`s era. The lofty central arch is higher than the arcuate parapet walls. The arch is flanked by two minarets, Indo-Iranian in style. The fluted dome, crowned by the inverted lotus and finial, must definitely have inspired the architect of the Husainabad Imambara.

Thus discussed above is the Dargah Hazrat of Lucknow.