Shrine of Najmeddin Kubra in Turkmenistan
Shrine of Abu Said in Turkmenistan
Beg for Love.
Consider this burning, and those who
burn, as gifts from the Friend.
Nothing to learn.
Too much has already been said.
When you read a single page from
the silent book of your heart,
you will laugh at all this chattering,
all this pretentious learning.
— Abu Said
The director of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO recently announced that the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) will be registering several “Iranian” occasions on its celebration list of anniversaries for 2014 and 2015–including the 800th birth anniversary of the 12th century Persian Sufi Sheikh Najmuddin Kubra (d. 1220)–whose beautiful tomb I had the chance to visit in Turkmenistan.
Also on the list is the 1000th anniversary of the achievements of Persian poet and Sufi philosopher Abu Said Abul-Khayr (d. 1049)–whose remote tomb I reached in Turkmenistan (left) after a very long, and bumpy ride through the middle of the desert. Abu Said referred to himself as “Nobody, Son of No One”–leaving his ego far behind…
Meeting with Turkmen visitors to the shrine of Sheikh Najmeddin Kubra in Konya-Urgench (Photo: Emily O'Dell)
