Şêx Ûsib

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General Information

Also Known As

Şêx Ûsib shrine, Ziyaretgeha Şêx Ûsib, Şehîd Refîq, Şehîd Refîq shrine, Goristana Şehîd Refîq

Type

Ziyareta, Goristana

Nahiya (Subdistrict)

Şera

Village or Nearby Villages

Metîna

Şêx Ûsib is the former shrine site west of Metîna that became the martyrs' cemetery Goristana Şehîd Refîq in 2011.

Map and Location

Coordinates: 36.588259, 36.919534

Source: https://akmckeever.substack.com/

Dedicated Figure & Historical Roots

The Şêx Ûsib shrine stood to the west of the village, below Metîna. In 2011 it became a cemetery for martyrs and was named after Martyr Refîq. More than fifteen hundred martyrs have been buried there.1

Current Status

Several pole barns that stood beside the cemetery were destroyed during the fighting of early 2018, possibly by airstrikes. Satellite imagery leaves unclear whether the graves themselves were disturbed.2

Transcripts

Metîna (Ax û Welat – Episode 564):

  • 19:04 – The narrator notes that the Şêx Ûsib shrine, west of the village, became the Martyrs' Cemetery named after Martyr Refîq.
  • 28:55 – The narrator explains that the site was a shrine until 2011, when it became a martyrs' cemetery, with more than 1,500 buried there.

Videography

Metîna (Ax û Welat – Episode 564): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LIh3GKG5ns

Bibliography

References

  1. Ax û Welat, "Metîna," Episode 564 (village Metîna), YouTube video, at 19:04–29:05, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LIh3GKG5ns. Quote (English transcript, voiceover): "To the West, the Shrine of Sheikh Usib, which has now become the Martyrs' Cemetery, named the Cemetery of Martyr Refîq." Quote: "Martyr Refiq Cemetery used to be a shrine. But in the year two thousand and eleven, it became a cemetery for martyrs. And it was named under the name of Martyr Refiq. And until now, more than one thousand five hundred martyrs have been buried there." ↩

  2. Alexander McKeever, "Afrin: Incidents Of Desecration And Destruction Of Cultural Sites," Bellingcat, July 11, 2019, https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2019/07/11/afrin-incidents-of-desecration-and-destruction-of-cultural-sites/. Direct quotes: "The third YPG/YPJ cemetery in Afrin, known as Martyr Rafiq, is located on a hill west of Qatme and was built sometime before July 2015. The site featured several pole barns nearby that can been in the background of funeral videos published prior to Olive Branch." "These structures were obliterated during the fighting, possibly by airstrikes. However, it is unclear from the satellite imagery whether the graves at Martyr Rafiq cemetery have been disrupted in a manner similar to the other two cases." ↩