Mazar (mausoleum)

For other uses, see Mazar (disambiguation).

A Mazār (Arabic مزار) is a tomb or mausoleum (also: A gift from a subordinate to a superior); the word deriving from the Arabic verb zāra (زار), 'to visit', whence also comes the noun ziyārah (زياره), 'a visit', or 'visiting the tomb of a saint for blessings.'. Though the word is Arabic in origin, it has been borrowed by a number of eastern languages, including Persian and Urdu. The mausolea of Sufi saints (awliyā') are often places of pilgrimage for Muslims. Certain groups of Muslims, however, such as the Wahhābīs and Salafīs strongly oppose visiting Mazārs. The city of Mazār-i Sharīf in Afghanistan is so called because it is also famous as a pilgrimage site.

See also

• Dargah
• Gonbad
• Gongbei (Islamic architecture)
• Mazar of M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Ral, 33 miles from Philadelphia in the rural countryside of Chester County Pennsylvania http://www.bmf.org/mazar/index.html