Veysel Karani Shrine: Pilgrimage on the Bitlis Road

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1. What is the Veysel Karani Shrine?
2. How do you get to the Veysel Karani Shrine?
3. When is the best time to visit the Veysel Karani Shrine?
4. What is the history of the Veysel Karani Shrine?
5. What is the Veysel Karani Shrine famous for?
6. What can you see at the Veysel Karani Shrine?
7. Common misconceptions about the Veysel Karani Shrine
8. Frequently asked questions about the Veysel Karani Shrine
9. What do the official records say about the Veysel Karani Shrine?

What is the Veysel Karani Shrine?

The Veysel Karani Shrine at Baykan is a tomb and mosque complex dedicated to Veysel Karani, known in Arabic as Uwais al-Qarani, a man from Yemen who lived in the time of the Prophet Muhammad and is revered for his devotion to his mother and to the Prophet, whom tradition says he never met. It is one of the best-known shrines associated with him in Anatolia.

The shrine stands in Ziyaret village (the name means “pilgrimage”) on the main road from Diyarbakır to Bitlis. The 2002 provincial inventory describes it as a stopping place for every vehicle passing on the highway, and says that in spring, and especially in May, it receives crowds of visitors from every corner of the country. The 2002 Batman inventory records that it is known as “the Eyüp Sultan of the East”, comparing it with the great shrine in Istanbul.

How do you get to the Veysel Karani Shrine?

The shrine is in Baykan district in the north of Siirt province, directly on the Diyarbakır–Bitlis road, so intercity buses and minibuses on that route pass it. From Diyarbakır the drive runs east through Silvan and past Malabadi Bridge. From Siirt city, minibuses run to Baykan. The nearest airports are Siirt, Batman and Diyarbakır.

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When is the best time to visit the Veysel Karani Shrine?

For atmosphere, come in May, when the inventory records the annual commemoration days on 16–17 May and the greatest number of pilgrims. For a quieter visit, come on a weekday morning outside the spring season. Dress modestly; women should cover their hair in the mosque and tomb.

What is the history of the Veysel Karani Shrine?

Uwais al-Qarani lived in Yemen in the 7th century. The provincial culture and tourism directorate dates his death to 37 AH (657 CE) and explains that his burial place is not known. One account says he was killed fighting on the side of Ali at the Battle of Siffin, near Raqqa in Syria; other sources say he died on a campaign to Azerbaijan or at the Battle of Deylem.

Shrines dedicated to him therefore exist in many places. In Anatolia, the directorate lists the one near Baykan as one of the best known, alongside others near Manisa, Mardin, Kurtalan, Atıcılar on the Bursa–Gemlik road and Lice in Diyarbakır; beyond Türkiye there are shrines associated with him in Yemen, Iran, Uzbekistan and Syria.

According to the 2002 inventory, the Baykan tomb was built with the local mortar called cas and covered with a dome; the mosque dates from 1887 and the tomb from 1901. The tomb was transferred to the General Directorate of Foundations in 1974. In 1996 and again in 2000 the Ministry of Culture and Tourism funded landscaping around the shrine under its faith tourism programme.

What is the Veysel Karani Shrine famous for?

• Pilgrimage. Visitors come from across Türkiye, especially in spring.
• The May commemoration. Veysel Karani is remembered each year in May.
• A roadside landmark. Travellers on the Diyarbakır–Bitlis road traditionally stop to pray.
• The “Eyüp Sultan of the East”. The comparison with Istanbul’s holiest shrine shows its standing in the region.

What can you see at the Veysel Karani Shrine?

The tomb. The domed tomb chamber with the cenotaph, where visitors pray quietly.

The mosque. Next to the tomb, dated by the inventory to 1887.

The village. Ziyaret, whose name means “pilgrimage”, takes its identity from the shrine. Combine the visit with Malabadi Bridge and Silvan on the road from Diyarbakır, or continue east towards Bitlis.

Common misconceptions about the Veysel Karani Shrine

Is Veysel Karani buried at Baykan?

What people often assume: That the Baykan tomb is his grave.

What the record says: His burial place is not known. The Siirt Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism describes Baykan as one of several makam (commemorative shrines) attributed to him, and notes that because the Battle of Siffin took place near Raqqa, his actual tomb may be there (Siirt Culture and Tourism Directorate).

Frequently asked questions about the Veysel Karani Shrine

What do the official records say about the Veysel Karani Shrine?

It is on the Diyarbakır–Bitlis highway in Ziyaret village, Baykan district. The tomb, built with the region’s mortar called cas and covered with a dome, was handed over to the General Directorate of Foundations in 1974. Every year, 16–17 May are celebrated as the days commemorating Veysel Karani.

Just as the tomb is a stopping place for all vehicles passing on the highway, in the spring months, and especially in May, it is flooded with visitors coming from every corner of the country. The tomb was built in 1901 and the mosque in 1887. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Siirt Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)