Hazrat Ali Mazar

When Alī was killed, Afghans believed that his body was taken and buried in the Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif at this site.[4] Alī was reportedly brought here by a white camel in order to save his remains from the desecration by his enemies. However, some Shia Muslims believe that Alī is buried in the Imam Alī Mosque at Najaf in Iraq. Alternatively, the personage buried in the shrine may have predated Islam. Identifying the shrine with Alī could likely be a myth to ensure the tomb would be protected and honored by the Islamic establishment.[5] Historical studies say that the owner of the shrine is Ali bin Abi Talib Al-Balkhi, captain of the Alevis in Balkh during his time.[6]

The Sultan of the Seljuk dynasty, Ahmed Sanjar, built the first known shrine at this location. It was destroyed or hidden under earthen embankment during the invasion of Genghis Khan around 1220. In the 15th century, Timurid Sultan Husayn Bayqarah Mirza built a mosque over the tomb of Hazrat Alī.

A site plan of the location made in the 1910s shows that there had earlier been a smaller walled precinct in the mosque, which was razed to create park lands later, although the portals to this precinct still remain as gateways for the shrine.[7]

Tombs of varying dimensions were added for a number of Afghan political and religious leaders over the years, which has led to the development of its current irregular dimensions. These include the square domed tomb of Wazir Akbar Khan and a similar structure for Emir Sher Ali and his family.[7]

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  Muslim men praying during the month of Ramadan in 2012.
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  Entrance to one of the buildings.
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  Looking at the mosque from a far distance during the 2011.
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  White Pigeons in the courtyard by the Blue Mosque.
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  Close up.
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  Persian-style tile work.
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  A family feeding the pigeons

• List of mosques in Afghanistan
• Nowruz in Afghanistan