Kherqa-ye Sharif or Kherqa-ye Mubarak

Custodian of the Sacred Cloak in Kandahar:
Mawlawi Mohammad Huzayfa (20241121)

Kherqa-ye Sharif or Kherqa-ye Mubarak in Kandahar:

The Cloak of the Prophet, hosted in Kherqa-ye Sharif, played an important role in the birth of Afghanistan in the 18th century and connects two geographical poles of the country, southwestern Kandahar and mountainous Badakhshan in the northeastern corner.

Today, the Cloak is hosted in its namesake shrine in Kandahar, the Kherqa-ye Sharif, a mosque standing in front of Ahmad Shah Durrani’s mausoleum. It was in fact the founding father of Afghanistan who brought the holy artefact to Kandahar in 1768. While it is agreed that the relic arrived in that year in the then Durrani capital, it is not certain from whence. Previous possession of the Cloak has been attributed to Bukhara in current-day Uzbekistan or to Faizabad in Badakhshan province.

The cloak worn by the Prophet Mohammed is housed in the Mosque of the Sacred Cloak, by far the city’s most valued treasure. The mosque is situated opposite the governor’s palace. Ahmed Shah Durrani acquired the cloak along with a hair of the beard of the Prophet from the Amir of Bukhara in 1768. When the Taliban took Kandahar in 1994, Mullah Omar wrapped himself in the cloak in front of thousands of loyal Talibs, giving himself god-like status as Amir Al-Momineen (Commander of the Faithful). As a visitor you will be unable to see the cloak but the building is impressive in itself – ornately decorated with green Helmandi marble, mirrored tile work and gilded archways. A small donation is always appreciated.