Mausoleum of Imam Ali
The Mausoleum of Ali, also known as the Shrine of Hazrat Ali and the Great Blue Mosque, is a mausoleum and mosque complex located in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital and largest city of Balkh Province in northern Afghanistan. It is a popular tourist attraction in the middle of the city, which is visited all year long by all people regardless of religion or sect.
The complex purportedly houses the tomb of Caliph Ali, also known as the first Imam of Shia Muslims. Many pilgrims annually celebrate Nowruz at the site. At the annual Janda Bala ceremony a flag used to be raised in honor of Ali. Some touched the flag for supposed luck in the New Year. This particular ceremony has been officially halted in recent years.
History
The earliest surviving source stating Ali to be buried in Balkh is of the Andalusian traveller Abu Hamid al-Gharnati. Abd al-Ghafur Lari wrote that Muhammad al-Baqir, the fifth Shia imam, assigned Abu Muslim the task of transferring Ali's body to the Khurasan, though this is likely apocryphal. The land around the site was formerly a memorial mosque dedicated to Ali al-Balkhi, a Hanafi Muslim scholar and statesman who died in the same place.The first structure of the site dates back to the Seljuk era. It was a shrine built by Sultan Ahmad Sanjar in 1136. In the 13th century, the Mongols under Genghis Khan invaded Balkh, where they massacred the Balkhi population and destroyed their places of worship. The shrine built by Sanjar was destroyed by the Mongols in the year 1220. The Mongols were led to believe that there was a significant amount of treasure under it.
In the 15th century, the Timurid amir, Sultan Husayn Bayqara, ordered a reconstruction of the destroyed building.
In later years, various rulers made repairs and endowments, including the Shaybanid emir Abd al-Mu'min ibn Abd Allah Khan, who built a dome. Later, Berdi Beg, the Khan of the Golden Horde who reigned from 1357 to 1359, added several decorations to the building. In the modern era, a plan was created to renovate the whole complex in 1910.
Sher Ali Khan, Emir of Afghanistan in 1860s, and some of his relatives are also buried at the site. During the 2025 Balkh earthquake, the structure's minaret was partially damaged and cracks formed in the walls. Afghanistan's Ministry of Information and Culture immediately pledged to "assess and repair the damage".