User:Abutalub/Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process

Terminology
Azerbaijanis call sacred places by the name “pir” or “ojag”.

The word "Pir" used for pilgrimage sites is of Persian origin. It means both sacred place and person (Auliya) depending on the context. In Azerbaijani literature, it is identified both as the founder/leader of Tariqa and the belief system.

Beliefs
Pir beliefs can be divided to two parts: pre-Islamic and Islamic. Pre-Islamic beliefs include mountain, stone, fire, plants, etc. These beliefs continued to exist by addition of Islamic motives.

During Soviet times, the Bolsheviks "turned a blind eye" to numerous cases of pir worshiping. Salah and religious holidays took place secretly at home or in pirs in Masally, Bilasuvar, Jalilabad and Lankaran districts, where the population was highly religious,. In addition to pirs, believers also visit the imamzadehs, where the descendants of the Prophet Muhammad from Ali and Fatima are buried according to legend. The most famous one is Imamzade (Goy-Imam), located 7 km from Ganja. The inscription with the date 1878-1879 has been preserved on the mausoleum, indicating that the structure was built over the grave of Ibrahim, the son of the fifth Shiite imam Muhammad al-Bagir, who died in VIII century. Moreover, there are the graves of two sons of the seventh imam, Musa al-Kazim: imamzade Agil (also Seid-Aazam) in the village Nehram (Babek district) and imamzade Sultan Ibrahim near the village Khanukhlar (Sharur district). Another imamzadeh of unknown origin is located in the old cemetery of the village Zeive-Dudenge, Sharur district.

Shared sites
Udis and Azerbaijanis, despite the differences in religion, worshiped the same ancient sanctuaries (ojags, pirs).