A Mazār is a tomb

Tomb

A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...

 or mausoleum

Mausoleum

A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...

 (also: A gift from a subordinate to a superior); the word deriving from the Arabic verb zāra (زار), 'to visit', whence also comes the noun ziyārah (زياره), 'a visit', or 'visiting the tomb of a saint for blessings.'. Though the word is Arabic in origin, it has been borrowed by a number of eastern languages, including Persian

Persian language

Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...

 and Urdu

Urdu

Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...

. The mausolea of Sufi saints (awliyā

Wali

Walī , is an Arabic word meaning "custodian", "protector", "sponsor", or authority as denoted by its definition "crown". "Wali" is someone who has "Walayah" over somebody else. For example, in Fiqh the father is wali of his children. In Islam, the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh...

) are often places of pilgrimage for Muslims. Certain groups of Muslims, however, such as the Wahhābīs and Salafīs strongly oppose visiting Mazārs. The city of Mazār-i Sharīf in Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

 is so called because it is also famous as a pilgrimage site.

See also

• Dargah
  Dargah
  A Dargah is a Sufi shrine built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint. Local Muslims visit the shrine known as . Dargahs are often associated with Sufi meeting rooms and hostels, known as khanqah...
  
  
• Gonbad
  Gonbad
  In traditional Persian architecture, a dome is referred to as a gonbad . It is known as Gumbaz, in India.The history of designing gonbads dates back to pre-Islamic Persia. The Parthians in particular were very keen in using such structures in their designs...
  
  
• Gongbei (Islamic architecture)
• Mazar of M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Ral, 33 miles from Philadelphia in the rural countryside of Chester County Pennsylvania http://www.bmf.org/mazar/index.html