Rite of pilgrimage in Islam (on the example of the Dagestan village of Shiri)

The paper reviews the venerated shrine (ziyarat), located in the village of Shiri, Dakhadaevsky region of Dagestan. The ziyarat is a mausoleum, in which sheikh Hasan as-Siddik ash-Shirvani. Based on field material, collected by the authors in the span of several years, the study characterizes the features of the shrine and its structure; examines the pilgrimage, with a description of the rituals and actions performed at the place of worship. The authors conclude that the distinctive feature of conducting the ritual of worship at the mausoleum of the holy sheikh in the village of Shiri is the mass and the gathering of pilgrims annually on strictly defined days. The paper reveals the details of the rituals in the mountainous village: the distribution of alms, praying, offerings, etc. The current state of such religious practices in Dagestan, along with the emergence of new sites of pilgrimage, is analyzed.