THE TOMBS OF MARTYR AND SAINT OF ISLAM

This is an important subject for all Islam, strongly felt especially by the Shiites, in the case of Husai's tomb, or those of the Karbala martyrs, or of other victims of religious wars. The most important is the Prophet's tomb, at Medina; his chosen city that welcomed him when he had to leave Mecca and believed in his preachingv and gave him his most faithful followers. Previously the city was called Yathrib: it was renamed Medina an-Nabi or th "city of Prophet". The Medina tomb is second in sanctity only to Kaaba of Mecca and is an essential stage in the completion of the pilgrimage. In fact popular prints nearly always show both the Karbala and the tomb at Medina, complementary one to other. Ali is buried in a splendid mausoleum at al-Najaf in Iraq, near the ancient city of Kufa, but another tomb, also presumed to be his, is worshipped at Mazar e-Sharif in Afghanistan. A cherished but rather unbelievable legend recounts that his body was removed from the hands of his enemies after his death and carried to safety in a distant but friendly land. The graphic style of these prints is imaginative, highly-coloured and naive, having little connection with the actual places that are probably never seen by artits. Squares and courts are invariably paved with a colourful chequerboard; domes are green and gold, ith shining minarets; the sky hums with the wings doves. In addition to historical themes idespread throughout all Moslem countries, there are other locally important subjects restricted to areas such as Syria, Africa, Persia and Indo-Pakistan. Local saints are commemorated in legends that often include myth, ancient rites and custom dating from before the birth of Islam, just as beliefs and traditions deriving from the Greco-Roman world have been enveloped by Christianity.
Casalino Pierluigi, on December, 8th, 2015