The tomb complex of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari (Pir-i Herat) is perhaps the most beautiful and mysterious architectural monument of the Persianate style. Khwaja Abdullah Ansari was one of the great mystics and poets of the Persianate Islamic world in the 11th century (5th century Hejri).
Built during the Timurid rule of Herat, the tomb was designed by none other than Qavam Al-Din Shirazi, the esteemed architect who also designed Masjidi Gawharshad in Mashhad, Iran.
Records indicate the structure was built in the year 1428, making it one of the later and more mature works of Qavam Al Din’s lifetime, nearly 30 years after he built Masjidi Gawharshad.
The tomb remains in a very raw and original state, perhaps thanks to Afghanistan’s isolation and the perseverance of their traditional culture. At the tomb of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari men sit and pray and chant various zikrs. Unlike many Persianate monuments in Iran, Iraq, and Uzbekistan here the building has not been excessively restored or modernized. Vertical tomb stones occupy the courtyard while a melodious combination of intact mosaics, chipped ornamental work, and the raw brick behind reminds the visitor of the ancient history and cultural civilization that produced such poets and architecture alike.
Despite all the hardships it has gone through, Afghanistan has preserved the pure traditional Persian Islamic identity and civilization in a way that no other Persian speaking society has managed to do so. I hope I can visit this glorious tomb, of course in the robe of a pilgrim first and foremost and then as an admirer of its art.
*The video here is an abridged clip from one of Homayoun Afghan’s videologs.
