Hazratbal Shrine

Hazratbal, also called Dargah Sharif, Assar-e-Sharief and Madinat-us-Sani, is a white marble shrine with a dome on the shore of Dal Lake in Srinagar. It holds the Moi-e-Muqqadas, believed to be a hair from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad, which is shown to the faithful on special days.

In the 17th century the site was Ishrat Mahal, a palace put up by Sadiq Khan, a governor under Shah Jahan, and the emperor later had it turned into a house of prayer. It became a major pilgrimage place once the relic, first kept at Naqashband Sahib, was moved here. The current building was begun in 1968 under Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah with the Muslim Auqaf Trust and took eleven years to finish.