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...]
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...]
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...]
