Khalid Nabi Cemetery (fa. گورستان خالد نبی, nabi means "prophet") is a cemetery in northeastern
Iran's
Golestan province near the border with Turkmenistan, roughly 40 miles (64 km) northeast of Gonbad-e Kavous, in the hills of Turkmen Sahra.
The cemetery has over 600 standing stones which archaeologist David Stronach sees these as probably "highly stylized representations of people."1] The popular media describe the stones as examples of phallic architecture and a major tourist attraction.[2][3] The cemetery got its name from the nearby mausoleum of Khalid Nabi, believed to house the
tomb of a Yemeni prophet Khalid bin Sinan, who is revered as a preislamic prophet said to be born 40 years prior to the birth of Muhammad, in c.
530.[4.[3]
The cemetery first came into prominence after archaeologist David Stronach wrote an article, in 1981 noting the paucity of available research.
Stronach noted two types of gravestones on the site. Type 1 being of a cylindrical column type with a cap-like top with heights between 60 cm to 4 m.
Many of them have horizontal ribs on the
Shaft.
...see more Type 2 stones are generally smaller, have rectangular sections and two opposed high-set lobes.[5] Stronach interprets type 1 stones as depictions of men with their caps, helmets and in some case with clearly visible turbans, pointing to parallels in Turkic Ottoman gravemarkers.
Type 2 stones he interprets as human shapes with arms in akimbo position as visible in two elaborately carved stones on the site which clearly show the human shape.[6] He saw no indication for type 2 being female gravemarkers.
Stronach noted that the Khaled Nabi site is unique for stones of type 1, whereas he noted more recent stones of type 2 also in more distant locations along the so-called Alexander's Wall.[7] He estimated the majority of stones dating from 17-19th centuries.
He pointed to a possible identity of the present site with one described by James Baillie Fraser in early 19th century as belonging to the Turkoman Goklan tribe.
However it was only until several years later that the site received more publicity and people started visiting the place in spite of fear of moral policing by Iran's clergy.[3] Touristic visitors often have perceived the cylindrical shafts with the thicker top as depictions of male phalli.
This gave rise to popular guesses about preislamic fertility cults as background to such perceived depictions. Consequently the rounded type 2 stones were attributed to female forms and graves.
Such descriptions have added to the popularity of the site for visitors from distant parts of Iran.
The cemetery is now a national heritage site protected by the Iranian government.
In the graveyard of the 600 odd standing stones some are cylindrical in shape, height varying from 1–5 metres (3 ft 3 in–16 ft 5 in) and the others are of rectangular shape with two upper lobes.
There are no engravings marking the dates of these tomb stones. The mausoleum or tomb on the Gokjeh Mountain is believed to be that of Khaled Nabi.[citation needed] The cemetery according to legend contains stones of people who were cursed by god for their sins and belonged to people who believed in fetishism centuries ago.[citation needed] The tomb is a religious pilgrimage place where women pray seeking boons for their welfare, by way of tying ribbons in close by trees.
The isolated cemetery has become popular tourist attraction in Iran and a source of amusement amongst visitors.
Reference: www.panoramio.com
