The Blue Mosque, Mazar Sharif

The Blue Mosque, Mazar Sharif, Afghanistan, 1915-16. Photo by Oskar von Niedermayer.

The Blue Mosque, Mazar Sharif, Afghanistan, 1915-16. Photo by Oskar von Niedermayer.

A notable event during the reign of Sultan Hussain Baiqara (a Timurid ruler) was the rediscovery, in 1480 AD, the uncorrupted body of Ali bin Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad , at Khwaja Khair (now Mazar Sharif). According to some sources, an earlier mausoleum, built by Sultan Sanjar , had been destroyed by the Mongol invaders. Despite overwhelmingly historical evidence which showed that , following his assassination by Kharjites in 661 AD, Ali's remains had been interred at Kufa, Sultan Hussain Baiqra gave almost instant official recognition to the rival claims of Khwaja Khair and endowed it in an appropriately munificent fashion. [The "Ancient Supremacy": Bukhara, Afghanistan and the Battle for Balkh, by Jonathan L. Lee, page-23]