Asheqan-wa-Arefan Shrine
The Asheqan-wa-Arefan Shrine is a mausoleum ("Ziarat") of the Afghan brothers and folk saints Abd al-Samad and Abd al-Salam in the Afghan capital Kabul . The grave and pilgrimage site is located in the old town south of the Kabul River .
The two brothers are considered by the Sufis and in popular belief to be the adopted sons of the Prophet Mohammed . They are said to have died as martyrs when the Muslims conquered Kabul and brought Islam to the city. Abd al-Samad, the younger of the brothers, called “Asheqan”, the lover, is considered the patron saint of lovers (love of God), his older brother Abd al-Salam, called “Arefan”, the enlightened one, is considered the patron saint of those who know (part in divine wisdom).
The district in which the sanctuary is located, [Mahale-e] Asheqan wa Arefan ( Eng : [district of] lovers and knowing ), is named after the brothers. Dervishes of the Naqshbandīya order once lived around the sanctuary . The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) has financed the restoration of the district since 2005. At the entrance to the shrine there is an emblem of the hand of Fatima . A cemetery and a mosque belong to the area of the pilgrimage cities.
Remarks
- ↑ ArchNet: Asheqan and Arefan Shrine Restoration ( Memento of 19 June 2010 at the Internet Archive ), 12 images
- ^ Nancy Hatch Dupree: An Historical Guide to Kabul, Tour V - Some Holy Shrines, Ziarat-i-Ashukhan-o-Arefa ( Memento November 12, 2010 in the Internet Archive ), American International School of Kabul
- ↑ Ahmad Taheri: In the realm of lovers and those who know , Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, December 30, 2007, No. 52, p. 12
- ↑ AKDN in Afghanistan , akdn.org
- ↑ Kabul's Old City Getting Face Lift ( Memento from April 5, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), Global Heritage Fund, January 21, 2008, picture of the entrance to the mausoleum
Web links
- Preservation of cultural goods in Afghanistan , Auswärtigesamt.de, u. a. Images by Ashekan wa Arefan
Coordinates: 34 ° 30 ′ 34.8 " N , 69 ° 10 ′ 29.2" E