Kirka Sharif

Kirka Sharif
Kirka Sharif, c. 1878 – c. 1880
Religion
AffiliationIslam
DistrictKandahar
ProvinceKandahar
Location
LocationKandahar
StateAfghanistan
Geographic coordinates31°37′11″N 65°42′29″E / 31.6196°N 65.7080°E / 31.6196; 65.7080
Architecture
TypeIslamic
StyleAfghan

Kirka Sharif (Pashto: خرقه شريفه; meaning Sacred Cloak) is an Islamic shrine located in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The shrine became notable in English literature during the Second Anglo-Afghan War, when neighboring British-India was trying to establish friendship with Afghanistan.[1] The shrine houses a Middle-Eastern style mantle or cloak, believed to be the cloak of Muhammad, as worn by the Islamic prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey in the year 621.

Cloak of Muhammed

Main article: Cloak of Muhammad

This cloak or mantle reached Kirka Sharif when it was donated by the 18th-century Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Durrani, the father of modern Afghanistan and founder of the Durrani Empire. The sacred Muslim object itself had been given to Ahmad Shah by the amir of Bukhara around 1768. The cloak is said to have been worn by the Islamic prophet Muhammad during the famous Isra' and Mi'raj, or Night Journey, in the year 621.[1][2][3][4] It is one of the most revered relics in the Muslim world.[1]

Friday Mosque

The building housing the Kirka Sharif sits next to the historical Friday Mosque of Kandahar. The mosque's design follows many principles of Islamic architecture and local customs, with the interior being decorated and carved with green marble from Helmand region of Afghanistan. In addition, it has tiles that are mirrored with gilded detailing. The mosque also has a large courtyard and gravestone located on the premises of the shrine. The walls of the shrine are decorated with carvings, common in many Islamic mosques. The carvings of this mosque have trees and other foliage, and the designs are unique to each wall.[1][4]

Mausoleum of Ahmad Shah

Mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani nearby Kirka Sharif
Further information: Mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani

A short walking distance to the back of the Kirka Sharif shrine is the Mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani Empire.[5][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Kirka Sharif, the Shrine Where the Mantle of the Prophet is Preserved". wdl.org. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  2. ^ Steve Inskeep (10 January 2002). "The Cloak of the Prophet". NPR. Archived from the original on 18 January 2002. Retrieved 12 June 2008.
  3. ^ Dupree, Nancy Hatch (1977). An Historical Guide To Afghanistan. The South (Chapter 16)
  4. ^ a b c "The Raglan Collection: Wellington, Waterloo and The Crimea And Works of Art from the Collection of the Marquesses of Londonderry". christies.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  5. ^ "Ahmed Shah's Tomb from Kirka Sharif [Kandahar]". bl.uk. Archived from the original on 28 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.