Pilgrimage in Kazakhstan: the graves of the Sufi sheikhs

Abstract

Places of pilgrimage in Sufism are shrines dedicated to various Sufi saints - spiritually elevated ascetics from various mystical orders in Islam. The purpose of the pilgrimage (ziyarat) to the graves of saints is to receive grace and protection from the saint. When making ziyarat to the saints, Muslims read suras from the Koran near the grave, make a ritual circumambulation around it (tawaf), and make sacrifices. In some countries, the local shrine is the center of the community. The tombs erected over the graves of the saints become the centers of the "sacred" cities (al-Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, Mashhad in Iran, Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan, the Mausoleum of Najimetdin Kubra in Turkmenistan, and the Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasavi in Turkestan). This article is devoted to the consideration of the traditions associated with the burial monuments of Sufi sheikhs in Kazakhstan. Sufism has gained widespread popularity since the time of the Golden Horde. To date, archaeological evidence testifies to the early spread of Sufism, mainly in the southern and western regions of the country. The southern regions are traditionally centers of pilgrimage. More than 300 auliya graves are located in the western region. Ethnographic studies of the graves of Sufi sheikhs in the Akmola region testify to the spread of Sufi teachings in the northern regions of Kazakhstan.

Keywords: graves of Sufis, ziryats of Sheikhs, pilgrimage, auliya, mausoleum