The title translates to "The Village of Safed-Bulan."
Safed-Bulan – it has recently been returned to its historical name
According to legends, the last place that Alexander the Great managed to reach is the sacred mountain Archa-Mazar. To confirm this information, local residents show an ancient granite slab on which "Alexandria Eschata" is inscribed in Greek, which translates as "the last Alexandria." At the foot of the mountain lies the ancient village of Safed-Bulan ("White Bulan"). This name has been preserved since the times when the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad – Shah-Jarir came to these lands with a large army to preach Islam.
In ancient times, the settlement was called Dolona-Shakhar, (ir.) dolono – hawthorn + shahar — city. The name of the village changed several times, and only relatively recently was it returned to its historical name – Safed-Bulan. Under the name Isfid-Bulan, this area is mentioned by the Central Asian historian Jemal Karshi in a retelling of the legend about the conquest of Fergana by the Arabs and the Islamization of the local population in the 13th century; this is confirmed by epitaphs (tomb inscriptions) on qayraks (gravel-type stones) from the local cemetery, dated to the 12th-15th centuries. From the 16th century, this area is mentioned under the name Safid-Bulend.
These places were strategically important for conducting campaigns to Bukhara and Samarkand. The famous medieval Arab historian Ibn al-Assir was captivated by the beauty of these places and reflected this in his works. Later, according to legends, terrible events occurred here: a treacherous attack during prayer on defenseless people, resulting in the beheading of 2700 Arab warriors. A local girl named Bulan washed the severed heads to find among them the head of her beloved and buried them here. In memory of this, a mausoleum was built. The majestic building rises above the outskirts of the ancient kishlak Safed-Bulan (safed means holy and white), offering a picturesque view of the snowy peaks of the Fergana Range.
At the entrance to the mausoleum, near the irrigation canal, lies a huge stone. According to legend, it was there that Bulan washed the heads of the fallen warriors. To the left of the stone is a place called Kyrgyn-machet, where the heads of 2700 Arab warriors who were praying were cut off, and where a low mausoleum of Safed-Bulan now stands.
Only women can enter the mausoleum of Safed-Bulan, read the Quran, and ask for blessings from the saint. There is also a fertility stone in the courtyard, where women touch the stone with their hands to ask for the prosperity of their family, and childless women ask for children.
Undoubtedly, this is a landmark of Kyrgyzstan - an architectural-historical and spiritual value of the country.
The complex annually receives many pilgrims not only from Kyrgyzstan but also from other countries in Central Asia and Europe. In 1999, the historical and memorial complex "Safed-Bulan Shah-Fazl" was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
