Safed-Bulan

Safed-Bulan (Ala-Buka District, Jalal-Abad Province, Kyrgyzstan) is a small village and a historic, archaeological reserve that bears a sacred value for the Muslims. This picturesque area is at the North-Western part of Fergana Valley, right where the borders of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan meet. The settlement is at least one thousand years old and is mentioned in the Medieval Arabic and Persian Scriptures under the name Isbid Bulan.[1]

The hamlet of Safed-Bulan, located near Ala-Buka village, at the junction of Padisha Ata and Chanach-Sai Rivers, is named after Bulan (woman), a black African maiden. According to a story, Bulan came to the lands of Central Asia with the army of Arabic Warriors led by her beloved and, perhaps, her Master -Shah-Jarir (grandson of Prophet Mohammad).[1]

Seemingly, this wave of the Muslim conquests was a successful one, since the historical sources tell that the local tribal inhabitants "pretended to accept" a new religion of Islam.[1]

As legend has it, one Friday, while the Arabs put their weapons down and were in the middle of namaz, sacred Jumu'ah, they were attacked by the locals. While some warriors were able to flee, many defenseless Arabs were beheaded on the spot.[2]

Bulan,unsuccessfully, searched for her lover who, it is believed, fled back to Arabia. Though everybody was prohibited from burying the slain, Bulan gathered all 2700 heads of decapitated Arabs, washed them off blood in the River and buried them all.[1]

Bulan, according to a story, was blessed for her deed by becoming completely white all over. Hence the name: Safed (or safid) Bulan (or Bulon)(White Woman). Some historians believe that, most likely, Safed Bulan's hair turned white due to the shock she had experienced witnessing the massacre.[1]

When Safed Bulan died, she was laid to rest near the slain Arab warriors. Her place had since become a place of pilgrimage, a mazar ( Arabic for holy mausoleum). Kirin mechet, or a place where the warriors were beheaded stands nearby, on the left. At the Mazar's entry, stands a big rock. According to a story, that is the exact spot where Safed Bulan was washing the heads of the warriors.

Women come here to pray and ask for Safed-Bulan's blessings. Those women who have hard time conceiving children come to Safed Bulan's Mazar in order to touch the "fertility rock" that stands in the small yard of the mausoleum. It is believed that a woman who touches the rock will be able to have children.[1]

Ferghana's ruler Shah Fazil (born:Mahmud Ibn Nasir,a firm believer in Islam and a son of the unfortunate Shah Jarir[1]) is also buried nearby, in the 11th-12th century Shakh Fazil mausoleum that is named after him. Shah Fazil, who was called so by the people because he was their much loved and fair ruler, is said to have died a violent death. People from all over Central Asia and abroad come to his grave, a place of worship. Many worshipers go up the nearby holy mountain (one should not stop on the upwind path) to clense their souls and leave all dark thoughts behind them.

Exhibiting impressive Islamic art designs, Arabic ornaments, passages from the Qur'an and quotes in Persian, the Shah Fazil mausoleum is considered to be one of the most important historical and cultural world treasures and is on the wait list to be added to the UNESCO registry. Descriptions of the site appear in several scholarly studies.[3]

In 2002, the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan funded the mausoleum's long awaited and much needed restoration project.[1]

"The tale of Safed Bulan" (Сафед Булон қиссаси), a literary document written by Shah Khakim Halisa in 1811, is a crucial historical resource that offers information on various Mazars of Central Asia.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 http://www.fergananews.com/article.php?id=1980
  2. ↑ "Religious | Safed-Bulan". Avantiatur.com. Retrieved 2011-04-15.
  3. ↑ Cohn-Wiener, Ernst. "A Turanic monument of the twelfth century AD." Ars Islamica 6.1 (1939): 88-91.
  4. ↑ "Академия Наук Республики Узбекистан". History.uzsci.net. Retrieved 2011-04-15.

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