Şêx Mihemed - Miskê

General Information

Also Known As

Şêx Mihemed (Miskê), Şêx Mihemed (Miskê) shrine, Sheikh Mohammed shrine (Miske)

Type

Ziyareta

Nahiya (Subdistrict)

Cindires

Village or Nearby Villages

Miske Jerin

Şêx Mihemed is a shrine at Miske in the Cindires sub-district, with a sacred tree standing nearby.

This is one of several separate shrines in the Afrin region that share the name. The others are:

Map and Location

Coordinates: 36.445607, 36.702104

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

Dedicated Figure & Historical Roots

The shrine is presumed dedicated to a local Sufi saint, since neither Alevi nor Yezidi sources mention it.1

Current Status

The shrine was partially destroyed in October 2018, and the sacred tree nearby was also destroyed. The damage was photographed by March 2019 and is visible on satellite imagery.2

Bibliography

References

  1. 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 quote: "The shrine is presumably dedicated to a local Sufi saint as it is not mentioned in any Alevi or Yezidi source." ↩

  2. McKeever, "Afrin: Incidents Of Desecration And Destruction Of Cultural Sites." Direct quote: "Afrin Activist Network published photos on March 25, 2019 showing a partially destroyed shrine named Sheikh Mohammed, located here in the town of Miske, Jandaris subdistrict. This destruction was actually first reported without imagery in October of 2018. The structural damage is clearly evident when examined by satellite imagery." Direct quote: "A sacred tree nearby was also reportedly destroyed and pro-PYD news agency Afrin Post reported that the town's mosque had been looted, though this latter claim has not been corroborated." ↩