Dargah

A Sufi shrine or dargah is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervish. Sufis often visit the shrine for ziyarat, a term associated with religious visitation and pilgrimages. Dargahs are often associated with Sufi eating and meeting rooms and hostels, called khanqah or hospices. They usually include a mosque, meeting rooms, Islamic religious schools (madrasas), residences for a teacher or caretaker, hospitals, and other buildings for community purposes.

Etymology and other terms

The term dargah (dargāh; literally "doorway" or "threshold") originates from Persian compound roots dar (در) , meaning "door," and gāh (گاه), meaning "place." Historically, this term was used for the royal court and then in Persian literature for the court for a holy person.

Sufi shrines are found in many Muslim communities throughout the world and are called by many names. The term dargah is common in the Persian-influenced Islamic world, notably in Iran, Turkey and South Asia.

In South Africa, the term is used to describe shrines in the Durban area where there is a strong Indian presence, while the term kramat is more commonly used in Cape Town, where there is a strong Cape Malay culture.

In China, the term gongbei is usually used for shrine complexes centered around a Sufi saint's tomb.

Significance

Some Sufi and other Muslims believe that dargahs are portals by which they can invoke the deceased saint's intercession and blessing, as per tawassul, also known as dawat-e qaboor دعوتِ قبور, "invocations of the graves or tombs" or ‘ilm-e dawat عِلمِ دعوت, "knowledge of invocations".