Tomb of Shaykh Haydar

Shaykh Haydar tomb — a tomb in the territory of the village of Tıxlı, Khizi district, where Shaykh Haydar, one of the leaders of the Safavid order, is buried.

About

Shirvan Shah Farrukh, defeated in battle with Yasarla, Shaykh Haydar was buried at the place where he fell. According to Ruzbihan Fazlullah, the battle between the two armies went to the foothills of the Elbrus (Caucasus) mountains. V. F. Minoriskij states that Elbrus is Shahdag. Shaykh Haydar was heroically killed on the battlefield, being defeated in the clash that took place on 9 July 1488, and was also buried there by his followers. His tomb is located 3–4 km northeast of the village of Tıxlı in Khizi district, behind Mount Beşbarmaq. On a stone slab discovered on the tomb, a three‑line Persian inscription (1.21 × 0.67 m) is carved with a thick‑line script. The first line is in a large, clear script; the words of the second and third lines are written in 5–6 rows, raised upward and overlapped with a fine script containing decorative elements. The translation of the text is as follows:

1 “The great tomb, the sacred martyrdom of the one who has gone by the way of God, the grave of the traveler on the path of truth, the wise Sheikh of the true‑seeking Quranic faith, is that of Shaykh Sultan Haydar, son of Shaykh Sultan Junayd.

2. He was killed in the war of Shirvan, Rum, Iran (referring to the Aq Qoyunlu state – My Master Nemət). (The tomb) remained in ruin until the year thirteen hundred and one. The trustworthy Imam Amir al‑Mumin, Ali ibn Abu Talib (peace be upon him), knowing the truth of the event that happened to Shaykh Junayd’s son Shaykh Haydar, said to the true ruler Shah Ismail, who came to strengthen and brighten the tomb, that for a long time this blessed, great tomb had remained hidden in the middle of a mountain in the Shirvan mountains.

3. Decree (that it) he saved him from this pit of misery and the low oppression, uncovered him, and let a building be erected over the grave. With mercy they cut a trench 50 zar (1 zar is 107 cm—M. N.) wide at the foot of the mountain where that lofty and high youth was buried, and went down into the depth. They uncovered the place of the ancient grave and paid homage to it. During the reign of Shah Safi Bahadur Khan al‑Hussein the building on this grave was renovated and restored. For a long time many found healing in this shrine, which was the base of the meliks. In the year one thousand four hundred ninety‑nine of the Rəǧəb month".

The text of the book reveals that among the Safavid sheikhs, Sheikh Haydar, the father of Shah Ismail Khatai, was secretly buried in one of the Shirvan mountains and his tomb remained hidden for a long time. Later, during the Qizilbash march into the Shirvan region, Shah Ismail Safavi sought and found the grave of his father Sheikh Haydar, had a tomb built over it, and there the pilgrims attacked the villages of Tekeli and Shikhlar and declared the mausoleum a sacred pilgrimage site. Currently the villages are in ruins. Later the village population left the place and moved to industrial centers.

The mausoleum building erected of baked brick over Sheikh Haydar’s grave consists of two rooms, the roof has collapsed. The remains of the dome’s supporting base and the dome’s circle are visible. In the style characteristic of the Nakhchivan‑Maraga architectural school, the building’s decorations use green, black, brown, and ochre glazed bricks.