Shrine of the Prophet Jarjis

"The Prophet Jarjis" shrine, also known as the "Yellow Prophet" shrine or the "Chain" shrine — a shrine complex located in the Beylagan district of Azerbaijan, 3–4 km northeast of the center of Beylagan city, in the area of the Shefq settlement. Here are the Shefq cemetery, the "Prophet Jarjis" mosque, and within the mosque a tomb believed to belong to Saint George.

In Islamic sources the saint described as a prophet and called "Jarjis", Saint George opposed an idolatrous king in Mosul and was therefore subjected to persecution and killed. This story was later brought to Azerbaijan by propagandists, and during the Caucasian Albania period a shrine to Saint George was created here. This shrine was destroyed by natural disasters and foreign invasions of Azerbaijan, and later rebuilt in the 17th–18th centuries.

The shrine was restored in the early 20th century. The Iranian architect Hasan Tabrizi, responsible for the restoration work, abandoned his work in 1905, leaving a chain in the center of the monument and departing; later the locals sanctified this chain. After Azerbaijan gained independence, restoration work was carried out again, and a mosque was built in 2010. The shrine, as a historical monument, is under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, as a religious monument under the Caucasian Muslims Administration, and as a community under the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations.

Location

The shrine is located in the Beylagan district, 3–4 km northeast of the city center, in the area of the Shefq settlement, within the Shefq cemetery. The cemetery was later erected around it.

Saint George

In Islamic sources the name "Jarjis" is recorded for Saint George, who lived after Jesus, approximately in the 3rd–4th centuries. He is portrayed as a prophet in Islamic sources, sometimes identified in Muslim countries with Khidr and Elijah. According to the writings of Abu Ishaq Ahmad ibn Muhammad Saleb, Saint George originally from Palestine is said to have lived among a group of believers directly connected with the last disciples of Jesus in Islamic sources. He is described as a wealthy merchant who, in Mosul under the idolatrous king Dadan, turned the population away from idols toward Christianity and opposed the erection of an Apollo statue. The king imprisoned George for this, subjected him to the harshest tortures to kill him, but angels assisted George. Ultimately, he exposed that the idols were protected by the devil, was martyred, and thereafter the city of God was destroyed by fire from the sky. It is believed that his remains were buried in the Saint George temple in Lod, Israel.

Having set out on a propaganda mission from Syria and arrived at the Mil plain, according to local sources, Saint George lived for 15–20 years in Beylagan, which was known in ancient times as Paytarakan. Here, because of his attempts to spread Christianity, Saint George was subjected to persecution by Zoroastrian priests and the shrine where he was located was attacked. The arrows and blows thrown at him did not wound Saint George, and he fell into a well. The Zoroastrians filled the top of this well with earth, and thus a mound was formed at the site of this shrine.

According to another version, he became king of Saint George in the present Beylagan area, and when he came to his uncle, he was deposed from the throne and a king named Derziana succeeded him. After seeing Saint George’s arrival here, the king thought that he had come to take revenge. Therefore a series of persecutions occurred against Saint George, but each remained ineffective. In return, the number of those who accepted Christianity, according to some sources, reached 33 000 in a short time. King Derziana imprisoned Saint George, had him beheaded and thrown into a well. Nevertheless, he was resurrected by God and emerged from the well, and this event repeated three times. Finally, when Saint George was beheaded and thrown into the well a fourth time, he asked God not to restore him to life again, after which the well was filled with earth. After this event, the people who had supported Saint George seized the area for pilgrimage.

Shrine

The foundation of the shrine was laid in the period when Christianity spread in Caucasian Albania. Historically, large mirrors were placed at the shrine’s entrance to give direction to caravans traveling along the Haram plain from a distance. Because Saint George’s external appearance led the local population to call him “the yellow prophet,” the shrine’s building was originally yellow in color, and the structure itself was called “Yellow Prophet.” Later, during restoration, it was painted with other colors. Natural disasters and invasions by foreigners into Azerbaijan destroyed the shrine, which was rebuilt again in the 17th–18th centuries.

In the years 1899–1905, Haji Qurban Haji Nabi son of Aşıqlı village took on the restoration of the shrine. For this, he brought architect Hasan Tabrizi from Qajar Iran. When the repair work began, Haji Qurban died and his son Hajiqulu continued the work. From 1989 the shrine began to be repaired, and after Azerbaijan gained independence, restoration work resumed here in 1997. These works were carried out as a charitable contribution to the shrine. In the years 2008–2010, on the shrine’s territory, Haji Adil Qardaşxan son of Hindarxlı built the “Prophet Hazarati Jarcis” mosque at his own expense. In the present time, besides Baku and other regions of Azerbaijan, many visitors also come from Georgia and Dagestan, as well as from nearby Muslim countries. The shrine, as a historic monument, is under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, as a religious monument under the Caucasus Muslims Administration, and as a community under the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations.