The Maqam Nabi Dhul Kifl (مقام نبي ذو الكفل) is revered by the locals as the burial place of prophet Dhul Kifl. Prophet Dhu'l Kifl is mentioned in the Quran (21:85). According to most researchers he is the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel. And according to T. Canaan the shrine of nabi Kifl was known as an important shrine and traditionally had a festival on the 14th day of the Islamic month of Sha‘ban. Another tomb in al-Kifl, in Iraq, is also believed to be the burial of prophet Ezekiel.
The low rectangular door, partially visible here through the tall grass, allows entry into the structure (8.85 x 10.05 x 3.15 m) with two domes. The building itself is divided into two adjacent vaulted chambers, or iwans, separated by two arches and each chamber is crowned by a dome. Impressive structure is called the tomb of Prophet Kifl. The north side of the building is adjacent to the large courtyard with a wall and ruins of some other structures. A stone staircase attached laterally leads to the roof of the building.
circa
Exterior
To enter the sanctuary one has to walk through a low rectangular door on the north side. As A. Petersen noted, it seems, however, that the doorway is a later insertion and that originally there was a wide-open arch (2001, 228). In 1994, A. Petersen saw in the chamber on the left-hand side (east) the broken remains of a cenotaph. Not a trace of them remained.Interior, the mehrab looking towards the southern wall.
circa
interior
In the south wall of the second room there is a mihrab, which, according to the same researchers, is entirely covered with symbolic paintings in red henna. The motifs used include crescent moons, stars, suns, triangular latticework, and forms resembling the finials used on domes or banners (Ar. ‘alani) (Petersen 2001, 228). Now most of those drawings are erased, and the mihrab current Arab pilgrim have left their own inscriptions.
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The Madain Project is an online archive of Abrahamic History and Archaeology.
Abrahamic History & Archaeology is the study of history and archaeology with respect to the three Abrahamic Faiths without considering the religious and theological aspects. The goal of Abrahamic History is to understand how and why the religious doctrines and behaviours have evlovled and changed over time. Searching for patterns in the evolution of significant cultural events such as the development of farming, the emergence of cities, or the collapse of major civilizations for clues of why and how these have influenced the three major Abrahamic religions.
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