An ancient structure on a mountain top in the Chatkal district is known as the mausoleum of the prophet Idris and ranks among the sacred pilgrimage sites of Central Asia. Pilgrims come here not only from Kyrgyzstan but from Muslim countries across the region. Idris is the third prophet in the universe. He is said to have been the first among people to sew clothing, to take up a pen and to master writing. Religious books describe Idris as a person of pure heart and honest nature who knew the secrets of nature and plants. Legend says he grasped the secrets of the eighteen thousand worlds and learned the mysteries of the heavens from the Almighty himself. He was therefore permitted to wander the earth and travel the universe. It is still told among the people that, out of all lands, the prophet Idris was drawn to Chatkal with its clean air and abundant water, and stayed there. Inside the mausoleum there is a place built to resemble a resting place for a coffin. But it is open, which indicates that while there is a grave here, the prophet's remains are not. Pilgrims regard the mausoleum as a sacred place that binds the human soul to the Creator and opens the road to paradise.
History
