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Not to be confused with Blue Mosque, Tabriz.
Blue Mosque (Mazar-i-Sharif)
General Information
FounderSultan Husayn Bayqara
Established885/1480
TypeShrine, Ziyara, Memorization of the Qur'an, and feeding the poor
LocationMazar Sharif
Other names'Ali Mosque, Shah-i Mardan Mosque, Ziyarat-i Sakhi, Mazar-i Sakhi
Specifications
Area70 jeribs
FacilitiesLibrary, place for Memorization of the Qur'an, chilla-khana, and kitchen
Architecture
StyleTimurid


The Blue Mosque (Persian: مسجد کبود) or Ziyarat-i Sakhi (Persian: زیارت سخی), situated in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, is a revered shrine attributed to Imam 'Ali (a). It stands as Afghanistan's most prominent religious and historical edifice, attracting thousands of domestic and international pilgrims annually. The grave site was reportedly discovered during the reign of Sultan Sanjar Seljuq (r. 511/1118 – 552/1157) in a village near Balkh. Although a sanctuary was erected by his decree, it was subsequently destroyed and abandoned following the Mongol invasion (617/1220). Later, Sultan Husayn Bayqara (r. 873/1469 – 911/1506) commissioned the construction of a majestic dome and shrine featuring the distinctive Timurid architectural style. Over successive centuries, Uzbek and Barakzai rulers endowed the site, expanding the complex to include a library, a seminary, and a center for the Memorization of the Qur'an, thereby amplifying its cultural and spiritual significance. The mosque serves as the focal point for various traditional ceremonies, including the lighting of lamps on the night of Barat (Mid-Sha'ban), the raising of the 'Alam-i Sakhi (Banner of 'Ali (a)) on the first of Farvardin/Hamal, and the Red Rose Festival (Mila-yi Gul-i Surkh). Furthermore, numerous rulers, Islamic scholars, and Sufi mystics are interred within the shrine's precincts.

Status

The shrine attributed to Imam 'Ali (a) is undeniably the most significant religious and historical landmark in Afghanistan, as well as the largest mosque in the country's northern territories. Consequently, Mazar-i-Sharif has flourished around this sacred site, evolving into northern Afghanistan's most populous city and its primary political and social hub.[citation needed]

Historical Accounts regarding Attribution to Imam 'Ali (a)

Historical chronicles offer divergent narratives concerning the attribution of the Blue Mosque's grave to 'Ali b. Abi Talib, the first Shi'a Imam. Certain accounts date its initial discovery to the 6th/12th century, while others emphasize its reconstruction and monumental expansion in the 10th/16th century. Moreover, several scholars have critically scrutinized the historical validity of attributing this tomb to Imam 'Ali (a). The principal historical accounts and scholarly critiques encompass the following:

Discovery of the Grave

According to the travelogue and historical chronicle Tuhfat al-albab wa nukhbat al-i'jab by Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Rahim al-Gharnati (473/1080-81 – 565/1169-70), the grave attributed to 'Ali (a) was unveiled shortly after 530/1135-36 in the village of "Khayr" within the Balkh region, prompted by the visions of several local villagers. Although contemporary jurists initially voiced skepticism, the grave's location was confirmed after the Amir of Balkh, serving under Sultan Sanjar Seljuq, experienced a corroborating dream. Upon excavation, a stone was reportedly unearthed bearing the inscription: "This is the lover of the Prophet, 'Ali."[1] Following this seminal discovery, a shrine was erected over the site.[2]

Conversely, the eminent historian 'Ali b. Abi Bakr al-Harawi (d. 611/1215), in his treatise Al-Isharat ila ma'rifat al-ziyarat, acknowledges the grave's existence but categorically dismisses its attribution to Imam 'Ali (a) as fallacious.[3]

Later historians Mu'in al-Din Muhammad Isfazari (d. 899/1493-94) and Khwandamir (d. 941/1534-35 or 942/1535-36) document that the public revelation of Imam 'Ali's (a) grave in Mazar-i-Sharif actually transpired in 885/1480.[4]

To reconcile these conflicting timelines, 'Abd al-Ghafur Lari (d. 912/1506-07) proposed that an inscribed stone was originally discovered in 530/1135-36, reading: "This is the Wali of Allah, 'Ali the Lion of Allah, the brother of the Messenger of Allah." Sultan Sanjar (d. 552/1157) reportedly commanded that this phrase, alongside the date of discovery, be transcribed onto a replacement stone. It was this secondary stone that was subsequently rediscovered in 885/1480.[5]

Reconstruction in the Era of Sultan Husayn Bayqara

The Herati historian Ghiyath al-Din Khwandamir (880/1475-76 – 941/1534-35) recorded in Habib al-siyar fi akhbar afrad al-bashar that in 885/1480, during the reign of the Timurid Sultan Husayn Bayqara (r. 841/1437-38 – 911/1506), Shams al-Din Muhammad—a subordinate to the governor of Balkh and a descendant of Bayazid Bastami—unearthed a document verifying the grave's discovery during Sultan Sanjar's era.[6] Prompted by this revelation, the Timurid ruler, accompanied by his distinguished minister Mir 'Ali Shir Nawa'i, traveled to the site. He subsequently commissioned the construction of a grand dome, an iwan, and several adjoining chambers. Furthermore, they diverted a local stream to flow through the sanctuary and established a bustling market and public bathhouse in the vicinity.[7]

Local History

Mazar-i-Sharif, 1269 Sh/1890

In local historical accounts from Balkh authored in the 10th/16th century and beyond, narratives frequently originate with Abu Muslim al-Khurasani (d. 137/755), the influential propagandist of the Abbasids. According to local lore, Abu Muslim wrote to Imam al-Sadiq (a) offering him the Caliphate. The Imam unequivocally declined the proposal but allegedly instructed Abu Muslim to secretly transport the remains of Imam 'Ali (a) from Najaf to a remote location to safeguard them from potential desecration by the Umayyads or the Kharijites.[8] Consequently, Abu Muslim's trusted associates purportedly relocated the coffin of 'Ali b. Abi Talib to the village of Khayr, near Balkh, burying it with the intention of erecting a public shrine once the Umayyads were overthrown. Following Abu Muslim's assassination in 137/755 by Al-Mansur al-'Abbasi, the site remained concealed until the reign of Sultan Sanjar Seljuq (r. 511/1118 – 552/1157).[9] These local chronicles diverge concerning the shrine's fate during the Mongol invasions: one version asserts that Genghis Khan razed the dome and surrounding monuments to quell local resistance, while an alternate tradition maintains that the local inhabitants intentionally dismantled the structure to obscure the grave and shield it from Mongol desecration.[10]

Shi'a Belief

In his authoritative treatise Farhat al-ghari fi ta'yin qabr Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a), the prominent Shi'a scholar Ibn Tawus compiled extensive evidence confirming that the authentic shrine of Imam 'Ali (a) is situated in Najaf. Reliable historical sources indicate that Imam al-Sadiq (a) (83/702 – 148/765) confidentially disclosed the location of the grave near Kufa to select companions, such as Safwan al-Jammal. The site was later made publicly accessible during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid (r. 170/786 – 193/809).[11]

Furthermore, Sayyid Shihab al-Din Mar'ashi Najafi (1276/1897 – 1369 Sh/1990), an esteemed genealogist and Faqih, posited that the grave in Mazar-i-Sharif actually belongs to an 'Alawi figure who fortuitously shared the name and kunya of Imam 'Ali (a). He theorized that the inhabitants of Balkh misinterpreted the grave's inscription, mistakenly attributing it to the first Shi'a Imam.[12] Supporting this hypothesis, the poet and litterateur 'Ali b. Hasan, known as Abu l-Hasan al-Bakharzi (d. 487/1094), documented this individual's name in Dumyat al-qasr wa 'usrat ahl al-'asr as Abu l-Hasan 'Ali b. Abi Talib al-Balkhi and cited fragments of his poetry.[13] Additionally, the genealogical text Al-Fakhri fi ansab al-talibin (compiled in the late 6th/12th century) records his name as Abu l-Hasan 'Ali b. Hasan Abi Talib, tracing his lineage directly to Imam al-Sajjad (a).[14]

Process of Changes

Blue Mosque, 1294 Sh/1915

The original sanctuary erected by Sultan Sanjar over the discovered grave was devastated during Genghis Khan's brutal sack of Balkh in 617/1220. For centuries, the ruins were colloquially known as Tall-i 'Ali (Mound of 'Ali) or Tall-i Khwaja Khayran, a designation that persisted until the era of Sultan Husayn Bayqara.[15] However, the 10th/16th-century manuscript Majma' al-ghara'ib indicates that some form of structure existed on the site in 686/1287, during the Ilkhanid period.[16] The present architectural framework fundamentally traces its origins to the grand edifice commissioned by Sultan Husayn Bayqara, augmented by subsequent modifications from later rulers.

The principal architects of the Timurid reconstruction are recorded as Muhammad Khan and his son.[17] Their initial project involved constructing a majestic dome over the grave, followed by the cultivation of a classic Timurid-style garden and the addition of a naqqara-khana (drum house) at the southern portal.[18] A public bathhouse and several commercial shops were also integrated into the complex.[19] Moreover, they restored the ancient canal originally diverted from the Balkh River by Sultan Sanjar Seljuq, ensuring a steady water supply to the shrine.[20]

Expansion

Following the Uzbek subjugation of Balkh,[note 1] 'Abd al-Mu'min Khan al-Shaybani, the crown prince and governor of Balkh (r. 990/1582 – 1006/1598) and a contemporary of Shah 'Abbas I, commanded the construction of a secondary dome over the shrine.[21] Later, Wali Muhammad (r. 1007/1598 – 1020/1611)[note 2] ordered the landscaping of a magnificent Chaharbagh (a quadrilateral Persian garden) enveloping the shrine, which featured 18 distinct lawns and spanned an expansive 100 jeribs.[22] His patronage also included the excavation of a northern reflecting pool, the planting of plane trees, and the paving of a dedicated road connecting Balkh directly to the sanctuary.[23] Decades later, Subhan Quli Khan (r. 1091/1680 – 1114/1702) repaired and expanded this thoroughfare, lining it with shade trees, and founded an adjacent hospital.[24] Four monumental gates were erected at the cardinal points of the complex: the Qasim Khani (Eastern), Manzargah (Western), Baha' al-Din (Southern),[note 3] and Chaharbagh (Northern) gates, the latter flanked by two soaring minarets.[25] During the tenure of Muhammad Muqim, grandson of Subhan Quli, a severe earthquake compromised the domes. He swiftly spearheaded their structural reconstruction, which endures to this day.[26]

In the 19th century, Muhammad 'Alam, the governor of Balkh, acting upon the directives of Shir 'Ali Khan (r. 1278/1861 – 1290/1873 / 1240-1258 Sh),[note 4] commissioned two protective covering domes over the existing structures and erected a separate mosque situated slightly toward the Qibla.[27]

More recently, in the winter of 1396 Sh/2017-18, the shrine's aging mosque—traditionally utilized for congregational and Friday prayers—was systematically demolished to facilitate the construction of a vastly expanded mosque capable of accommodating 8,000 worshippers.[28]

Tile Work

Ceiling of the entrance to the main dome

Historically, Sultan Husayn Bayqara mandated that the shrine's exterior walls be meticulously whitewashed with gypsum and ritually perfumed on an annual basis. This aesthetic tradition persisted uninterrupted until the reign of Shir 'Ali Khan, who revolutionized the structure's appearance by introducing intricate polychrome tile work.[29] This exquisite tiling has been diligently preserved and continuously restored by successive modern administrations.[30]

Other Sections

  • Library: Strategically positioned between the grave of Muhammad Akbar Khan and the entrance to the main dome, the library historically preserved rare manuscripts of the Qur'an, including masterful works by celebrated Islamic calligraphers that, tragically, are no longer extant.[31]
  • Chilla-khana: The primary dome is surrounded by more than 110 ascetic cells (hujras), which have historically accommodated Sufi mystics and Islamic scholars—both transient and permanent—devoting themselves to rigorous spiritual retreats (chilla) and dhikr.[32]
  • School of Huffaz: Inaugurated during the reign of 'Abd al-Rahman, this specialized academy for the memorization of the Qur'an (hifz) occupies the second floor of the shrine complex.[33]
  • Seminary: Historically, numerous chambers encircling the shrine functioned as dynamic classrooms for theological students and Mullahs; however, these formal educational activities have since been relocated beyond the immediate shrine precincts.[34]
  • Langarkhana: Abd al-Rahman Khan (r. 1259-1280 Sh/1880-1901)[note 5] established a philanthropic refectory known as the Langarkhana within the shrine grounds, dedicated to preparing daily sustenance for the site's caretakers and visiting pilgrims.[35] Two massive cast-iron cauldrons from this historic kitchen remain prominently displayed in the courtyard.[36]
  • Salam-nama: Upon conquering Turkestan (modern-day northern Afghanistan) in 1306/1888-89 / 1267 Sh, 'Abd al-Rahman made a triumphant pilgrimage to Mazar-i-Sharif. Entering the majestic dome, he recited a formal salutation—the Salam-nama—and decreed that it be elegantly inscribed on a memorial tablet, mounted at the entrance for all future pilgrims to recite.[37]

Ceremonies

Raising the Banner of Sakhi

Following the architectural formalization of the shrine attributed to 'Ali (a), pilgrims began congregating annually on the vernal equinox (1 Hamal/Farvardin). Drawn by the region's temperate spring climate and the spectacular bloom of wild red roses across the surrounding plains, these transient visits evolved into the enduring cultural phenomenon known as the "Mila-yi Gul-i Surkh" (Red Rose Festival).[38][note 6] Every year, the morning of the first of Farvardin—heralding both the Persian New Year and the commencement of the Red Rose Festival—is marked by the ceremonial raising of a towering iron standard, the 'Alam-i Sakhi. The term "Sakhi" (The Generous) is a widely venerated attribute and symbol of 'Ali (a) in Afghan culture. This ceremony has acquired profound national significance; since the era of Zahir Shah, Afghanistan's last monarch, the event has drawn a prestigious assembly of high-ranking dignitaries, political figures, and esteemed religious scholars.[39]

Mid-Sha'ban

On the auspicious night of Mid-Sha'ban, traditionally celebrated as the Night of Barat, a spectacular illumination ceremony takes place. Devotees historically prepared approximately 4,000 clay oil lamps outfitted with cotton wicks, which were meticulously arranged and ignited along the architectural contours of the shrine's porches and cloister walls.[40]

Endowments

Concomitant with the urban expansion of Mazar-i-Sharif, substantial tracts of land and numerous commercial properties were formally endowed to the shrine. Although these endowments eventually encompassed a significant portion of the city's real estate, periods of administrative laxity led to the misappropriation of certain assets.[41] Upon consolidating his control over Mazar-i-Sharif in 1306/1888-89 / 1267 Sh, Abd al-Rahman Khan centralized the management of these assets by transferring all endowment deeds directly to the Blue Mosque's treasury and assuming strict personal oversight. He systematically allocated incoming vows and monetary donations toward vital infrastructure repairs, the procurement of carpets and ceremonial candles, the provision of burial shrouds for the destitute, medical supplies for the shrine's hospital, and stipends for the custodians and Mullahs. To ensure financial integrity, all fiscal contributions were secured within a locked chest, with personal expropriation strictly forbidden.[42] Regrettably, following his death, a substantial proportion of the endowed lands was either liquidated or illicitly partitioned among the descendants of the shrine's historical custodians.[43]

Burials

The hallowed precincts surrounding the shrine attributed to Imam 'Ali (a) serve as the final resting place for numerous rulers, royal family members, eminent scholars, and Sufi masters:

| style="width:50%; text-align:left; vertical-align:top;" |

  • Sayyid 'Abd Allah Zarbakhsh, universally known as Khwaja Khayran
  • Gastanqara (d. 950/1543-44), the Shaybanid Uzbek ruler of Balkh[44]
  • Shir 'Ali Khan (r. 1278/1861 – 1290/1873 / 1240-1258 Sh)
  • Wazir Muhammad Akbar Khan (brother of Shir 'Ali Khan) (1195-1226 Sh/1816-1847)
  • Sayyid Taj al-Din Andkhu'i (the inaugural Naqib of the Mazar)[45]


Administrative Structure

Historically, the bureaucratic administration of the Blue Mosque fell under the purview of the Ministry of Information and Culture. The jurisdiction was subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Hajj and Endowments. The contemporary organizational hierarchy features specialized departments, including the Presidency, Administrative Management, Technical Management, Financial Management, and Cultural Management.[46]

  • Image of the Blue Mosque on the one thousand (1000) Afghani banknote
    Image of the Blue Mosque on the one thousand (1000) Afghani banknote
  • Image of the Blue Mosque on the one (1) Afghani banknote
    Image of the Blue Mosque on the one (1) Afghani banknote
  • Night view
    Night view

Notes

  1. ↑ Al-Gharnati, Tuhfat al-albab, 1993, pp. 162-166.
  2. ↑ Al-Gharnati, Tuhfat al-albab, 1993, pp. 162-166.
  3. ↑ Al-Harawi, Al-Isharat, 1423 AH, p. 69.
  4. ↑ Isfazari, Rawdat al-jannat, 1338 Sh, vol. 1, pp. 156-161; Khwandamir, Tarikh-i Habib al-siyar, 1353 Sh, vol. 4, pp. 171-172; Tarikh-i Rawdat al-safa, vol. 11, pp. 5746-5747.
  5. ↑ Lari, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i-Sharif, 1349 Sh, pp. 24-29.
  6. ↑ Khwandamir, Habib al-siyar, 1380 Sh, vol. 4, pp. 172-174.
  7. ↑ Khwandamir, Habib al-siyar, 1380 Sh, vol. 4, pp. 172-174.
  8. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, pp. 25-31.
  9. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, pp. 25-31.
  10. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 35.
  11. ↑ Amin, A'yan al-Shi'a, 1403 AH, vol. 1, p. 530.
  12. ↑ Mar'ashi Najafi, Al-Fakhri fi ansab al-talibin, 1409 AH, footnote on p. 64.
  13. ↑ Al-Bakharzi, Dumyat al-qasr, 1414 AH, p.
  14. ↑ Al-Marwazi, Al-Fakhri fi ansab al-talibin, 1409 AH, p. 64.
  15. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 35.
  16. ↑ Habibi, "Majma' al-ghara'ib wa matalib-i khandani-yi an", Majalla-yi Yaghma, 1335 Sh, pp. 363-368.
  17. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 54.
  18. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 55.
  19. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 55.
  20. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 56.
  21. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 56.
  22. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 56.
  23. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 57.
  24. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 57.
  25. ↑ Ansari, Inkishaf-i imruzi-yi Mazar-i-Sharif, 1373 Sh, pp. 4-5.
  26. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 58.
  27. ↑ Ansari, Inkishaf-i imruzi-yi Mazar-i-Sharif, 1373 Sh, pp. 4-5.
  28. ↑ "Takhrib-i Masjid-i Rawda-yi Sharif ba wakunish-hay-i mardom rubaru shuda ast", Tolo News; "95 darsad-i kar-i i'mar-i Masjid-i Jami'-i Rawda-yi Sharif takmil gardida ast", Ava Press.
  29. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 58.
  30. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 62.
  31. ↑ Ansari, Inkishaf-i imruzi-yi Mazar-i-Sharif, 1373 Sh, pp. 9-10.
  32. ↑ Ansari, Inkishaf-i imruzi-yi Mazar-i-Sharif, 1373 Sh, p. 5.
  33. ↑ Ansari, Inkishaf-i imruzi-yi Mazar-i-Sharif, 1373 Sh, p. 9.
  34. ↑ Ansari, Inkishaf-i imruzi-yi Mazar-i-Sharif, 1373 Sh, pp. 9-10.
  35. ↑ 'Abd al-Rahman, Khatirat, p. 128.
  36. ↑ Ansari, Inkishaf-i imruzi-yi Mazar-i-Sharif, 1373 Sh, p. 15.
  37. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, pp. 64-65.
  38. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 62.
  39. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, 1325 Sh, p. 62.
  40. ↑ Ansari, Inkishaf-i imruzi-yi Mazar-i-Sharif, 1373 Sh, p. 15.
  41. ↑ Safa & Tughyan Saka'i, Rawda-yi Shah-i Walayat-ma'ab, 1387 Sh, pp. 12-15.
  42. ↑ Safa & Tughyan Saka'i, Rawda-yi Shah-i Walayat-ma'ab, 1387 Sh, pp. 12-15.
  43. ↑ Safa & Tughyan Saka'i, Rawda-yi Shah-i Walayat-ma'ab, 1387 Sh, pp. 12-15.
  44. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikh-i Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, p. 101.
  45. ↑ Gugah-di, Tarikh-i Mazar-i Shah-i Awliya, p. 102.
  46. ↑ Safa & Tughyan Saka'i, Rawda-yi Shah-i Walayat-ma'ab, 1387 Sh, p. 17.

References

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  • Al-Bakharzi, 'Ali b. Hasan, "Dumyat al-qasr wa 'usrat ahl al-'asr", Investigation: , Beirut, Lebanon, Dar al-Jil, 1414 AH/1993.
  • Al-Gharnati, Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Rahim, Tuhfat al-albab wa nukhbat al-i'jab, Maghreb, Dar al-Afaq al-Jadida, 1413 AH/1993.
  • Al-Harawi, 'Ali b. Abi Bakr, "Al-Isharat ila ma'rifat al-ziyarat", Cairo, Maktabat al-Thaqafa al-Diniyya, 1423 AH.
  • Al-Marwazi, Sayyid 'Aziz Allah, Al-Fakhri fi ansab al-talibin, Qom, Library of Ayatollah Mar'ashi Najafi, 1409 AH.
  • Ansari, Sultan Muhammad, Inkishaf-i imruzi-yi shahr-i Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, Mazar-i-Sharif, Municipality, 1373 Sh.
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  • Habibi, 'Abd al-Hayy, "Majma' al-ghara'ib wa matalib-i khandani-yi an", Majalla-yi Yaghma, no. 100, Aban 1335 Sh.
  • Ibn Tawus, Farhat al-ghari fi ta'yin qabr Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali (a), Investigation: Sayyid Tahsin Al Shabib Musawi, Markaz al-Ghadir, 1419 AH.
  • Isfazari, Mu'in al-Din Muhammad, Rawdat al-jannat fi awsaf madinat Herat, Investigation: Sayyid Muhammad Kazim Imam, Tehran, Tehran University Press, 1338 Sh.
  • Khwandamir, Ghiyath al-Din b. Humam al-Din, Habib al-siyar fi akhbar afrad al-bashar, Tehran, Khayyam, 1380 Sh.
  • Khwandamir, Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad, Tarikh-i Habib al-siyar, Tehran, Khayyam, 2nd ed., 1353 Sh.
  • Lari, 'Abd al-Ghafur (attributed to him), Tarikhcha-yi Mazar-i-Sharif, by Najib Mayel Heravi, Afghanistan, Anjuman-i Tarikh wa Adab, 1349 Sh.
  • Mar'ashi Najafi, Al-Fakhri fi ansab al-talibin, 1409 AH.
  • Safa & Tughyan Saka'i, Rawda-yi Shah-i Walayat-ma'ab, 1387 Sh.
  • Vambrey, Arminius, Siyahat-i darwishi-yi durughin, Translation: Fath 'Ali Khwaja Nurian, Tehran, Intisharat-i 'Ilmi Farhangi, 1370 Sh.
  • "95 darsad-i kar-i i'mar-i Masjid-i Jami'-i Rawda-yi Sharif takmil gardida ast", Ava Press, Published: 13 Farvardin 1397 Sh, Accessed: 29 Aban 1400 Sh.
  • "Takhrib-i Masjid-i Rawda-yi Sharif ba wakunish-hay-i mardom rubaru shuda ast", Tolo News, Published: 20 Bahman 1396 Sh, Accessed: 29 Aban 1400 Sh.

Template:Shi'a in Afghanistan
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