Henan

General Information

Also Known As

Hanan Shrine, Ziyareta Henan, Abd al-Hanan, Henan Menan, Mezarê Henan, Ziyareta Henan Menan

Type

Ziyareta

Nahiya (Subdistrict)

Mabeta, Şera

Village or Nearby Villages

Meşalê, Metîna, Ĥebo

Religious Affiliation

Yezidi, Muslim, Druze

Ziyareta Henan Menan is one of the shrines of Meşalê, with the tomb of Henan Menan inside it.1

Map and Location

Coordinates: 36.575144, 36.929552

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

Physical & Landscape Features

South of Metîna, by Meşalê, Ziyaretgeha Henên is a large, ancient cemetery. It contains graves of well-known people, including Nûrî Dêrsimî and Cemîl Horo. Its name is connected to Henan, identified as Prophet Dawûd's brother. Three-arrow or three-corner details are linked there to a Jewish sign.2

The original building of the shrine was small, containing a tomb. In 1964 Nûrî Dêrsimî built a minaret for it, surrounded it with a wall, converted it into a mosque, and prepared two graves inside the wall for himself and his wife. Dersimi died in 1973 and his wife Frida in 1994, and both are buried in the courtyard of the building. Dersimi was a Kurd from Turkey who fled to Syria in the 1940s and lived in Aleppo until his death.4

The cemetery beside the shrine has become a general cemetery for the people of the area and the largest in the region. Dozens are buried there each year, including residents of Aleppo and Afrin city who ask before their deaths to be buried at the shrine, and on the mornings of the two Eids the site is crowded with people visiting the graves of their dead.5 Among the graves, one in the northwestern part carries two headstones carved in the form of a turban, with a sword and an old type of pistol drawn on them. It belongs to Muhammad bin al-Hajj Ali al-Kurdi, who died in 1849.6 The small Pîr Ja‘far shrine stands about a hundred metres to the northwest.7

Dedicated Figure & Historical Roots

The tradition about Henên is separate from the tradition about Nebî Hûrî. Henên is remembered as the grave of Prophet Dawûd's brother, while Nebî Hûrî is remembered as the grave of Uriah son of Hanan.3

A story in local circulation says that a man of miracles and of the righteous named Henan was buried at the site after he was martyred in a battle between the Muslims and the unbelievers, and that his grave is still inside the shrine.8 Dr. Mihemed Ebdo Elî, the historian and geographer of the Afrin region, identifies the Mashhala of Ibn al-Shihna's passage, on page 97 of al-Durr al-Muntakhab fi Tarikh Mamlakat Halab, with the present village of Meşalê north of the shrine, and the running river of that passage with the Kefer Janê stream, which appears to have been abundant in his day.9 Local accounts also hold that the site was at one time Yezidi and was converted into a mosque in the mid-twentieth century.10

After Turkish-backed forces took the area in March 2018, the placards commemorating Nûrî Dêrsimî on his grave were destroyed or removed, and in May 2018 the mosque was emptied of its contents and looted.11

Ritual Practices & Beliefs

People visit from many areas on Fridays and on religious occasions for blessing and in hope of recovery from illnesses, especially infertility, in the hope of bearing children, and they present sacrifices and offerings beside the shrine.12 Dr. Sebastian Maisel, author of Yezidis in Syria, writes that Qatme kept its reputation among the communities of the Kurd Dagh through its two important shrines, Sheikh Hanan and Pir Jafar, near the Mashala cemetery on the town's outskirts, revered and visited by Yezidis, Muslims, and Druze alike.13

Transcripts

Meşalê (Afrin 366 - Episode 103):

  • 01:05 – Host introduces the village of Meşalê, noting that the filming is taking place near the Henan Menan shrine.
  • 01:56 – Host stands in front of the Henan Menan shrine complex.
  • 02:29 – Host shows and details the tomb of Henan Menan.

Videography

Meşalê (Afrin 366 - Episode 103): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unk9bjkXE9o

Bibliography

References

  1. Afrin 366, Episode 103 (village Meşalê), "Meşalê," published 2017, YouTube video, at 01:05 and 02:29, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unk9bjkXE9o. Quote: "Hafê ziyareta Henan Menan. ... Tab’an viderê ziyareta Henan Menan li pişiya me ye, noka em kê wara teswîr kin. ... Ev jî tirba Henan Menan e." English translation: "Near the shrine of Henan Menan. ... Of course, here the shrine of Henan Menan is in front of us; now we will film it for you. ... This is also the tomb of Henan Menan." ↩

  2. Ax û Welat, "Metîna," YouTube video, at 19:01 and 19:18, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iJilStcO2Y. Quote: "Li Başûr gundê Meşalê û Ziyaretgeha Henên. ... Ziyaretgeha Henên weke goristaneke mezin û kevnar e. Li wir gora gelek kesên navdar hene, weke Nûrî Dêrsimî, Cemîl Horo. Û navê wê ji Henanê hatiye, ku dipirtûka pîroz ya Tewratê da hatiye diyarkirin ku Henanê birayê Pêxember Dawûd bû. Lewra di hûrgûran da sê tîr, sê goşe derdikevin, ew jî nîşana Cihûyan e." English translation: "To the south are the village of Meşalê and the Henên shrine. ... The Henên shrine is like a large and ancient cemetery. There are graves of many famous people there, such as Nûrî Dêrsimî and Cemîl Horo. Its name comes from Henan, who is stated in the holy book of the Torah to have been the brother of Prophet Dawûd. Therefore, in the details, three arrows and three corners appear; that is the sign of the Jews." ↩

  3. Mihemed Ebdo Elî, Çiyayê Kurmênc (Efrîn): Dîrok, Civak, Belgekirin (Efrîn: Çapnivîsa Kurdî, 2007), 341. Quote: "Bi taybetî Pîrozgeha Henên ya navdar li ber gundê Meşalê jî, Ibin El- Şuĥnê wiha dibêje: Gora birayê Pêxember Dawûd li wir e. Pîrozgeha Nebî Horî jî gora Orya kurê Henan e, wek hatiye zanîn Orya evserekî artêşa Pêxember Dawûd bû, li wir hat kuştin û hat veşartin." English translation: "In particular, concerning the famous Henên shrine before the village of Meşalê, Ibn al-Shuhna says: the grave of Prophet Dawûd's brother is there. The Nebî Hûrî shrine is the grave of Uriah son of Hanan; as is known, Uriah was an officer in the army of Prophet Dawûd, and he was killed and buried there." ↩

  4. Nidal Yousef, "'زيارة حنان'.. الضريح الذي تحول إلى مقصد ديني" [The Hanan Shrine: The Tomb That Became a Religious Destination], eSyria, March 21, 2013, https://www.esyria.sy/2013/03/زيارة-حنان-الضريح-الذي-تحول-إلى-مقصد-ديني. Arabic quote: "كان البناء الأساسي القديم لمزار 'حنان' صغيراً فيه ضريح، وفي عام 1964م قام المرحوم الدكتور 'نوري ديرسمي' ببناء منارة لمبناها، كما قام بإحاطته بسور وحوّله إلى مسجد وجهّز لنفسه ولزوجته قبران داخل السور وليُدفنا هناك بعد وفاتهما. ... توفي الدكتور 'نوري ديرسمي' في العام 1973 أما زوجته 'فريدة' فتوفيت في العام 1994 ودفنا في فناء مبنى المزار، والمرحوم الدكتور من أكراد تركيا هرب إلى سورية في الأربعينيات من القرن الماضي بسبب طغيان الأتراك وأقام بمدينة 'حلب' حتى وفاته." English translation: "The old original building of the Hanan shrine was small, containing a tomb. In 1964 the late Nuri Dersimi built a minaret for its building, surrounded it with a wall, converted it into a mosque, and prepared two graves for himself and his wife inside the wall so that they would be buried there after their deaths. ... Nuri Dersimi died in 1973, while his wife Frida died in 1994, and they were buried in the courtyard of the shrine building. The late man was one of the Kurds of Turkey who fled to Syria in the 1940s because of the tyranny of the Turks, and he lived in the city of Aleppo until his death." ↩

  5. Yousef, "'زيارة حنان'." Arabic quote: "بالإضافة لأهميته الدينية في حياة الناس فإنّ المزار حالياً يضم أكبر مقبرة في عموم المنطقة إذ يدفن فيها سنوياً العشرات وخاصة من الذين يسكنون مدينة 'حلب' ومدينة 'عفرين' والذين يوصون أهاليهم بدفنهم في المزار قبل وفاتهم، ولذلك فإن الموقع يشهد في صبيحة عيد الفطر السعيد والأضحى المبارك ازدحاماً شديداً بسبب توافد الناس من مختلف المناطق والأماكن لزيارة قبور موتاهم." English translation: "In addition to its religious importance in people's lives, the shrine now holds the largest cemetery in the whole region; dozens are buried in it each year, especially people living in the cities of Aleppo and Afrin who instruct their families before their deaths to bury them at the shrine. For this reason the site sees heavy crowding on the mornings of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, as people arrive from different areas and places to visit the graves of their dead." ↩

  6. Yousef, "'زيارة حنان'." Arabic quote: "ومن القبور الموجودة في الموقع ميزنا في الجانب الشمالي الغربي قبراً نحتت شاهدتاه على هيئة عمامة عليها رسم سيف ولنوع قديم من المسدسات ويعود القبر لشخص يدعى 'محمد بن الحاج علي الكردي' وفاته في 1849م." English translation: "Among the graves at the site we noticed, on the northwestern side, a grave whose two headstones were carved in the form of a turban, with the drawing of a sword and of an old type of pistol; the grave belongs to a person named Muhammad bin al-Hajj Ali al-Kurdi, whose death was in 1849." ↩

  7. Yousef, "'زيارة حنان'." Arabic quote: "وعلى بعد مئة متر منها إلى الشمال الغربي توجد زيارة أخرى ذات مبنى صغير تسمى زيارة 'بير جعفر' وواضح من اسمها أنها تخص ابناء الديانة الإيزيدية في المنطقة." English translation: "A hundred metres to its northwest is another shrine with a small building called the Pir Ja'far shrine, and it is clear from its name that it belongs to the followers of the Yezidi religion in the region." ↩

  8. Yousef, "'زيارة حنان'." Arabic quote: "القصة المتداولة شعبياً حول سبب تسميته 'زيارة حنان' تفيد بأن شخصاً كان من أهل الكرامات والصالحين واسمه 'حنان' دفن في الموقع بعد أن استشهد في إحدى المعارك بين المسلمين والكفار ومازال قبره موجوداً داخل المزار." English translation: "The story in popular circulation about the reason for its name, the Hanan shrine, holds that a person of miracles and of the righteous named Hanan was buried at the site after he was martyred in one of the battles between the Muslims and the unbelievers, and his grave is still inside the shrine." ↩

  9. Yousef, "'زيارة حنان'." Arabic quote: "ورد في الصفحة 97 من كتاب 'الدر المنتخب بتاريخ مملكة حلب' لمؤلفه المؤرخ 'ابن الشحنة' ما يلي حول هوية المزار: بقرية 'مشحلا' من عمل 'إعزاز' قبر أخي 'داود' عليه السلام وهذه القرية فيها بساتين ونهر جار. إن 'مشحلا' الواردة عند 'ابن الشحنة' هي قرية 'مشعلة' الحالية الواقعة إلى الشمال من المزار والنهر الجار فهو جدول ماء 'كفرجنة'، الذي يبدو أنه كان غزيراً على أيامه." English translation: "On page 97 of the book al-Durr al-Muntakhab fi Tarikh Mamlakat Halab by the historian Ibn al-Shihna the following appears concerning the identity of the shrine: in the village of Mashhala, of the district of A'zaz, is the grave of the brother of David, peace be upon him, and this village has orchards and a running river. The Mashhala mentioned by Ibn al-Shihna is the present village of Mashala north of the shrine, and the running river is the Kafr Janna stream, which appears to have been abundant in his days." ↩

  10. Jamie O'Connell, "Incident Report Feature: Intentional Destruction of Religious Sites in Afrin," ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiatives, http://www.asor-syrianheritage.org/incident-report-feature-afrin-religious-sites/. Direct quote: "It is a major pilgrimage site, believed to be the resting place of one of David's brothers. Today it is one of the largest cemeteries in the region. Local sources report that the site was at one time Yezidi but was converted into a mosque in the mid-20th century." ↩

  11. 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: "Days after the conclusion of Operation Olive Branch, Kurdish sources reported the desecration of 20th century Kurdish revolutionary Nuri Dersimi's grave, located in the Henan cemetery near the town of Meshale." "Initially, the grave had four placards commemorating Dersimi, one in Arabic script and three in Kurdish using the Latin alphabet. ... The former and one of the later have been destroyed and another one in Kurdish has been removed from the part of the tomb it rested on." "On May 21, 2018, media outlet Deri Press published a video reportedly showing the Henan shrine, or Henan mosque, having been ransacked and looted." ↩

  12. Yousef, "'زيارة حنان'." Arabic quote: "'زيارة حنان' مزار ديني معروف في منطقة 'عفرين' خصوصاً وفي محافظة 'حلب'، حيث يزوره الناس من مختلف المناطق وذلك في أيام الجمع والمناسبات الدينية للتبرك ورغبة في التشفي من بعض الأمراض والعلل وخاصة العقم على أمل إنجاب الأطفال ولذلك يقدمون بجانب المزار الأضاحي والقرابين." English translation: "The Hanan shrine is a well-known religious shrine in the Afrin region in particular and in Aleppo governorate, visited by people from different areas on Fridays and religious occasions for blessing and in the desire to be cured of certain diseases and ailments, especially infertility, in the hope of bearing children; for this they present sacrifices and offerings beside the shrine." ↩

  13. Sebastian Maisel, Yezidis in Syria: Identity Building among a Double Minority (Lanham: Lexington Books, 2017), 212. Direct quote: "The town kept its reputation among the various communities in the Kurdagh due to two important shrines, Sheikh Hanan and Pir Jafar, which are located near the cemetery of Mashala on the outskirts of Qatme. These shrines are revered and visited by Yezidis, Muslims, and Druze alike." ↩