Thousands of Muslims on Sunday walked through legendary canyon during a march to commemorate Bosnian spiritual leader on the 500th anniversary of his arrival to Bosnia.
The march saw thousands of Bosnian men, women and children, including some 500 men on horseback, climb a seven-kilometre (four-mile) path leading to a site on Mount Ajvatovica, sacred to Bosnian Muslims for more than five centuries.
Walking up the hill, the pilgrims waved green Islamic flags with white crescents, before stopping in a ravine, which was created by God.
At the site they chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’, God is Great, and prayed.
Dating back to the mid-15th century when Bosnia was within the Ottoman State, the village of Prusac had a water supply problem. However, an abundant spring was blocked in a rocky hill.
Local Imam Ajvaz-Dedo found a powerful spring of water near Prusac. The spring had been shut off by a rock 74 meters long and 30 meters wide, which obstructed the construction of a running water system. Ajvaz-Dedo spent 40 days praying to God to split the rock. On the fortieth morning, following his prayers, Ajvaz-Dedo dreamt that two white rams collided and split the rock. When he awoke, he saw the rock split in half. Wooden pipes were placed along the newly formed canyon to take water into Prusac.
Seeing it as a sign of God’s blessing, people began going on journey to the place where the rock had split.
This year’s pilgrimage continues tradition of 498 years of Bosnian Muslims visiting Ajvatovica to honor Ajvaz-Dedo and this God’s miracle. From that spot water continues to flow and Bosnian Muslims and even some Christians come here every year to give thanks to God.
“Introducing Islam to Bosnia”
Turkish researcher-author Yusuf Armagan talked with World Bulletin about the importance of Ajvaz Dedo who introduced Islam to Bosnia.
Armagan said Ajvaz Dedo came to Bosnia with a group known as Khorasan Saints, where he introduced Islam to Bosnian people. As every year, tens of thousands of Muslims commemorated Ajvaz Dedo on the 500th anniversary of his arrival to Bosnia, Armagan said.
Underlining that there has been no official ceremony held, Armagan stated Bosnian Muslim leader Mustafa Ceric lead the event that started with prayers from Friday night, and many participants came from Turkey.
Yusuf Armagan also said that Ajvaz Dedo who is one of the religious figures of Bosnia represented by many Bosnians attended to the ceremony. While emphasizing the solid contributions to the activities especially by people from Turkey and Iran, Armagan said the Turkish delegation took part in the ceremony with the ‘mehteran’. Turkish musicians’ performance of the “Departure of the Martyrs”, which is a very important anthem for Bosnians, brought tears, Armagan said.
Mohammed Abbasi 