Touba, Senegal Touba is a relatively young metropolis, having grown up around the tomb of its locally revered Sufi saint over the last hundred years. Founded during the early 20th century, Touba has become the spiritual center of Senegal and arguably the most popular Islamic pilgrimage destination in West Africa. The city was established by Sheik Ahmadou Bamba, who is highly … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2015
TOMB OF BAHA AL-DIN AL-NAQSHBANDI
Bukhara, Uzbekistan There are many orders of Sufism, but only one, the Naqshbandi, which traces its origins back to Abu Bakr, the first caliph. Thus the Naqshbandi are one of the few Sunni oriented Sufi orders, and possibly the most important and influential religious institution in Central Asia. The order’s founder was Baha Al-Din Al-Naqshbandi, who stands out as one of the … [Read more...]
MURSI ABU EL-ABBAS MOSQUE (MASJID MURSI ABU EL-ABBAS)
Alexandria, Egypt Despite the fact that Alexandria was the largest and most important city in Egypt at the time of the Muslim conquest, it never developed into one of Islam’s greatest metropoli. In fact, the surprisingly neglected port city fell into a steep decline after being absorbed into the caliphate, and its surprising lack of major mosques reflects this. The city’s … [Read more...]
MEVLANA MUSEUM
Konya, Turkey While Sufism originated in Persia and other eastern Islamic nations, it reached the pinnacle of its popularity much later in the Turkish territories of Asia Minor. This was due in large part to one Jala Al-Din Rumi, one of the greatest and most revered of Sufi philosophers, who came to Konya as a refugee fleeing the Mongols. He contributed much in the way of … [Read more...]
DARGAH SHARIF
Ajmer, Rajasthan The Dargah Sharif of Ajmer is the most important Islamic shrine in India. It was built in honor of Moinuddin Chishti, one of the greatest Sufi theologians and missionaries of the 12th century. Moinuddin Chishti was pivotal both in the early development of Sufism but also in the spread of Islam across Northern India. He is also highly venerated by the Hindus … [Read more...]
SIDI BOU MEDIENE MOSQUE (MASJID SIDI BOU MEDIENE)
Tlemcen, Algeria Ever since Islam arrived in North Africa, Tlemcen enjoyed a prominent position along the trade and pilgrimage routes between West Africa and the east. Although politically and militarily important throughout the Middle Ages, it was overshadowed by nearby Kairouan in neighboring Tunisia. However, during the 1100s, Tlemcen managed to establish itself as a … [Read more...]
MAUSOLEUM OF OMAR KHAYYAM
Nishapur, Iran The city of Nishapur is, along with Mashhad and Toos, part of the region in northeastern Iran that churned out some of the foremost Muslim thinkers and academics of the Middle Ages. Nishapur’s favorite son, and its primary claim to fame, was Omar Khayyam, possibly the greatest mathematician to live between Euclid and Copernicus. Interestingly, he is even … [Read more...]
ACADEMIC HERITAGE SITES OF TOOS (TOMB OF FERDOWSI, HARUNIYEH TOMB)
Toos, Iran Throughout much of the Abbasid period, the small, unlikely city of Toos on the distant frontier of Persia was an important Islamic intellectual center. Some of the greatest Muslim thinkers of the 10th and 11th centuries were born and/or made their homes here. Among these noteworthies were scientists Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan and Nasir Al-Din Tusi, the poet Asadi … [Read more...]
GREAT MOSQUE OF PARIS
Paris, France The Great Mosque of Paris is one of the grandest mosques in Europe. Like the old mosques of Britain, it too is a record-holder, being the largest mosque in Europe outside of Spain and the Balkans. It is also one of the major mosques of the colonial era, and was built to honor Muslim soldiers who served in the French armed forces during World War I. Because of … [Read more...]
E-ABU HURAIRAH MOSQUE (MASJID-E-ABU HURAIRAH)
Cardiff, Wales The Masjid-E-Abu Hurairah in Cardiff is the oldest Islamic religious institution in Europe outside of Spain and the Balkans. It was established at the height of the British colonial era in the 19th century to serve Muslim sailors who regularly traveled between the British Isles and the Middle East. Cardiff is now home to the largest Muslim population in Wales, … [Read more...]