Construction of Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque of Mazar-i-Sharif, also known as the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, is a mosque and sanctuary in northern Afghanistan, decorated with blue tiles. Local tradition holds that the tomb is that of Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, although most Muslims believe he was buried in Najaf in Iraq. The shrine is said to have been identified in the twelfth century, and the present structure dates from the Timurid period under Sultan Husayn Bayqara in the fifteenth century, with later restorations. It is a major pilgrimage site, and the city of Mazar-i-Sharif grew up around it. At Nowruz, the Persian New Year, a large festival is held there.

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