Armed men from Ahrar Al-Sharqiya battalion of Turkey looted and destroyed “Mazar-Af-Giri” located in Mubata district of Afrin area, by digging up the shrine and the site in search of gold and antiquities, and destroying it against the backdrop of sectarian retaliation.
“Mazar-Af-Giri” dates back more than 160 years and was a religious destination for Al-Alawis in Afrin.
Most of the sacred shrines in the area were vandalized, destroyed and looted, most prominent shrines are: “Yagmur Daddah, Aslan Daddah, Ali Daddah, Mariam Daddah”, where the word “Daddah” refers to the large sect in that particular geographical area, in addition to three of the most famous shrines in Afrin, the “Shrine of Sultan Burush Shrine of Sheikh Hammou, Mazar—Sheikh Ma’amo.”
A few thousand Alawites live in Afrin, with most of them in Mubata district centre and most of the historical researches indicate that they came to the area during the Ottoman massacres and the extermination that targeted them.
