SACRALIZATION OF BURIAL PLACES OF EARLY ISLAMIC AND SUBSEQUENT HISTORICAL FIGURES OF FERGANA AND MODERNITY

Abstract

The process of Islamisation in Central Asia took place over several centuries and was gradual. Nevertheless, the spread of Islam in the region, including Fergana, began in the 7th century as a result of the Arab conquest. This paper examines the problem of the Arab emergence in the region, and along with them the first companions of the Prophet Muhammad (sahaba or as’hab) in Fergana during the military campaigns of Amir Qutayba ibn Muslim al-Bahili (d. 715) in the reign of the Umayyads (661-750). For this purpose, the sacred places “Mashadi Maidan” in Besharyk, “3000 fallen As'habs” near Kokand and two sacred places in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya River are considered in the light of history and cultural anthropology, including a number of shrines such as “Mashadi Maidans” on Pap (Bab), Kubo (Kuva), Kasan, Ahkikas, from Uzgend to East Turkestan. These sacred places are a unique stage in the formation of Islamic culture and civilization. Interestingly, that nowadays the burial places of the Sahabas and other historical figures of Fergana have turned into places of pilgrimage for the local population and neighboring countries.