Saints and Tombs of Mardin

Zaynal Abidin and Sitti Zaynab

Within the Zeynel Abidin Mosque Complex in Nusaybin lie two tombs, one of Molla Zaynal Abidin and the other of his sister Sitti Zaynab; both held to be descendants of the Prophet's family from Husayn b. Ali. The gate inscription dates the structure to AH 553/1159 (Zengid); on UNESCO's Tentative List. He is noted as distinct from Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin al-Sajjad. (Sources: Mardin Provincial Directorate; Kültür Envanteri; Kültür Portalı)

Sheikh Cabuk (locally identified with Abdullah b. Unays al-Juhani)

may Allah be pleased with him

The figure said to be buried in the Sheikh Cabuk Mosque near Cumhuriyet Square in Mardin is identified in local tradition with Abdullah b. Unays al-Juhani, the companion whom the Prophet sent alone on a military mission; the epithet 'Cabuk' (swift) is attributed to his speed in delivering messages. This identification rests on local tradition, while historical sources also record the companion as dying elsewhere.

Sheikh Hamid al-Mardini (Shah-i Mardin)

may his secret be sanctified

Born in Siirt, he is the Naqshbandi-Khalidi sheikh known as 'Shah-i Mardin' because he spent the last forty years of his life in Mardin. He received his khilafa from Sheikh Halid al-Jaziri, a deputy of Mawlana Khalid al-Baghdadi, and became the ancestor of the 'Hamidis' family. His tomb lies to the east of Mardin, at the entrance of the Midyat road.

Sultan Sheikhmus (Musa b. Mahin al-Mardini al-Zuli)

may his secret be sanctified

The most renowned saint of Mardin, known among the people as 'Sultan Sheikhmus'. He was a disciple of Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani and a follower of the Qadiri path. He lived in the Mazidagi region and died in Mardin in the 12th century; his tomb, in the village of Yüce (Sultan) on the Mardin-Diyarbakir road, is among the most visited shrines in Mardin.