The mausoleum Xoja Orif Ar Revgariy

Bukhara is the most famous museum city, located on the crossroads of history, the center of the formation of Sufism on the territory of Uzbekistan, the birthplace of one of the most famous mystical currents of Sufism - Khajagan and the birthplace of seven pirs (world-famous Sufi teachers) in the Islamic world. The founder of the Khajagan doctrine is Abdulkhalik Gijduvani, and one of his most famous disciples, the most famous Sufi of Central Asia is Khoja Arif Revgary. People also called him Khoja Arif Mohi Tobbon, which translated as “moon-faced". 

Khoja Arif Revgary was born in 1165 in the village of Revgar, which is located 38 km from Bukhara. Like all the names of the great Sufi mystics, his name is shrouded in legends. According to one of them, Khoja Arif, at the very beginning of his path of formation, met Abdulkhalik Gijduvani at the market, who was walking with purchases in his hands. Khoja Arif, impressed by his dignity, offered Gijduvani his help, which he did not refuse. Having escorted the elder to Khoja's house, Arif found himself invited to dinner with Abdulkhalik Gijduvani, and out of respect for the elder, he could not refuse such an offer. During dinner, talking with Abdulkhalik Gijduvani, Khoja Arif realized that he wanted to study with him. Thus began the path of Khoja Arif Revgary in the order of Khajagan. 

Despite his young age, Khoja Arif very soon became a teacher of the order, and after the death of his mentor Abdulkhalik Gijduvani, at the age of 35 he became the head of the order and the second of the seven feasts of Bukhara. According to contemporaries, he led a modest lifestyle and was distinguished by a sympathetic disposition. Outwardly, according to descriptions, he was of medium height, moon-faced (since ancient times in the East the moon was considered the ideal of beauty for both men and women), large eyes and thin eyebrows stood out on his face. Khoja Arif was also the most God-fearing of all Sufi sheikhs. He did not leave any records during his life. However, in his works “Nafahat ul-uns” and “Arifnoma”, the Persian mystic poet, Sufi Sheikh Abdurrahman Jami describes the life of Khoja Arif Revgari and his contribution to the development of the Hajagan Order. Khoja Arif was an adherent of loud dhikr, which allowed him to attract attention to dhikr from other believers.

According to legend, during the invasion of Genghis Khan, Khoja Arif was one of those who did not leave the city in a panic, but remained engaged in his craft on a loom. Genghis Khan went into the house of the Revgary and was surprised at the imperturbable calmness with which he was busy with his work. To Genghis Khan's question about how he does it, Revgary replied: “My external attention is focused on the work, and my internal attention is focused on the Truth. I don't waste my energy worrying about what's going on around me.” Genghis Khan was taken by surprise by such an answer and decided not to touch the inhabitants of the village, and after that they began to call Khoja Arif the Head of Those who Knew “Pishuva-i-Arifon”, since he repeatedly saved the population of Bukhara from imminent death at the hands of Genghis Khan.

Khoja Arif Ar Revgary died in 1262 and was buried in Shafirkan, 40 km from Bukhara.

To date, a courtyard with aivans is located around the tombstone of the second feast of Bukhara. In 1977, a mosque was built here, and in the years of independence, the complex was landscaped. Next to the mausoleum there is a high pillar with a silhouette of a five on top and a triangular flag, which is a sign of the burial of the saint on the territory of Uzbekistan. The mausoleum is very simple, there is only burnt brick in the decoration, which ambiguously characterizes Khoja Arif himself, who did not strive for luxury, but only for the knowledge of the Truth. One of his sayings: “It is folly to look for something where an ill–mannered imagination hopes to find it. In fact, it's everywhere you can extract it.”