20 - 26 December 2001
Issue No.565
|
Al-Ahram Weekly Online 20 - 26 December 2001 Issue No.565 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
A place abundant with palms
Did the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus visit a holy site in Iraq? Nermin Al-Mufty in Baghdad looks at the local legend
The story of the birth of Jesus and the travels of the Holy Family spread far and wide. According to the Bible, the only country the Holy Family visited outside Palestine was Egypt. However, in the Qur'an -- which recognises Jesus as a prophet and Mary as his virgin mother -- there are verses that suggest they may have travelled as far as Baghdad.
The site of Baratha in northern Baghdad, where the mosque of Baratha has stood for centuries, was famous 2,000 years ago as the site where 70 "guardians" and 70 prophets were said to have prayed, among them the prophet Abraham, Jesus and his mother the Virgin Mary. Journalist Salaam Al- Shammaa' says those who defend the belief that Jesus and Mary came to Iraq point to Qur'anic verses which say the Virgin travelled east, far from her family, to a place abundant with date palms. "Iraq is east of Palestine, and it is a land of palm trees," Al-Shammaa' says. He added that a variation of the legend says Jesus wandered through the area to perform good deeds and spent some time at Baratha.
Iraqi historian Hussein Ali Mahfouz, who studied old texts to trace the origin of the legend, says some sources suggest that Baratha was once the temporary home of the Virgin Mary. A natural spring, known as Mary's spring, is said to have gushed from the ground at her touch.
It was to this holy place that, more than 600 years later, the Imam Ali, son-in-law of the Prophet Mohamed and the fourth caliph of Islam, paid a visit on his return from the battle of Al- Nahrawan. The Imam prayed there with his son, Al-Hussein, and 100,000 believers. The Imam himself is said to have dug the well which stands at the source of the holy spring. The Imam reputedly met a monk whose name was Al-Habbab, and who lived in a monastery there.
Mahfouz says these traditions may have been embellished over time, and that more research is needed to establish the truth of the stories. There is no doubt, however, that Baratha has been a holy place of long standing, and that its sanctity was reinforced by the famed visit of Imam Ali.
There is archaeological evidence of a pre-Islamic settlement at Baratha, and several artefacts have been unearthed at the site. Siham Al-Qaim, director of excavations, mentions pottery shards and bricks found at the well and in the surrounding area. He points out, moreover, that the mosque courtyard is three to four metres below ground level, and that archaeologists have discovered a circular basin built of square bricks. Their size, 22 x 22 x 5 centimetres, is typical of the Abbasid period in Iraq, and resembles the bricks of the Al- Khuld palace on the banks of the Tigris built by the Abbasid Caliph Abu Jafaar Al-Mansour, the founder of Baghdad. In other words, the mosque was built on the ruins of an older site.
Baratha mosque, which was built more than a century before the foundation of Baghdad, is considered by historians and religious leaders to be the fifth most sacred site in the Islamic world.
The well, which suffered badly over the passage of the years, was restored last January. Today it is covered by a marble top, while the water has been tested fit for consumption. Work to restore the mosque itself is under way. Each year thousands of Iraqi Muslims and Christians visit the site, as well as pilgrims from Iran, Lebanon and elsewhere in the Arab world. They bring with them jugs, phials and bottles to carry the sacred water, which they believe bestows a blessing (baraka) and will cure their bodily and spiritual ailments.
Abdel-Rahman Zaghir, 34, who was at the well at Baratha mosque, said as he carried away two jerrycans brimming with sacred water: "As soon as I heard the well had been restored, I hurried here to take a few litres home to my family."
There are many places around the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant which have a tradition of sanctity and are regarded as holy, and where water from a well or spring is believed to have healing qualities. Baratha is one such place, and is thus held sacred by both Christians and Muslims.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page