Popularly known as the Blue Mosque, the Hazrat Ali Mazar is located in Mazār-e Sharīf, the fourth largest city of Afghanistan, not far from the border of Uzbekistan. Dominating the skyline of the city, the mosque is believed to contain the tomb of Ali bin Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, regarded by the Sunni Muslims as their Fourth Rightly Guided Caliph. It is said that shortly after the murder of Ali and the burial of his body in Najaf, near the current city of Baghdad in Iraq, some of his intimate followers apprehended that his enemies might desecrate his body. Consequently, they decided to shift his mortal remains to a secret location and placed the same on a white camel, which after wandering eastward for several weeks got completely exhausted and fell to the ground. It is believed that the body was buried on that spot and ultimately lost in the wilderness.

Although the Shia Muslims believe that Ali is buried in the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf in Iraq, it is believed by the Sunnis that a scholar of Islam, a Mulla of the Middle East, dreamt that the mortal remains of Ali bin Abi Talib are lying somewhere in the current northwest Afghanistan. On hearing about the dream, Ahmad Sanjar, the reigning Sultan of the Seljuq Empire, constructed the first known Shrine of Ali at the location.

The shrine stood on the site for almost a century, till the invasion of Genghis Khan, when the shrine was hidden some under earthen embankment or destroyed around 1220. Subsequently, after more than two centuries, a mosque was built over the so-called tomb of Ali by the Timurid Sultan Baiqara Mirza in 1481, followed by the gradual development of an urban area around the shrine. It is believed that the name of the city, Mazār-e Sharīf, originates from this noble shrine, the Hazrat Ali Mazar,the large, blue-tiled sanctuary and the mosque in the center of the city.

Later, tombs of various shapes and sizes, belonging to different Afghan rulers and religious leaders, were constructed gradually over the years near the Timurid shrine, developing its current irregular dimensions.These subsequent constructions include, among others, the tomb of Emir Dost Muhammad Khan, the founder of the Barakzai dynasty in Afghanistan, Wazir Akbar Khan, an Afghan Prince and general and finally emir for about three years until his death and Emir Sher Ali, one of the sons of Dost Muhammad Khan.

Hazrat Ali Lazar is roughly rectangular in plan, measuring 174 by 124 feet (53 by 38 m) at the largest, aligned northwest-southeast and is within a fence, built in the mid-twentieth century. The large mosque is enclosed in a public space, covered with white tiles and slabs. Several minarets, towers and two arches stand at the east and the west entrance of the shrine complex. The exterior of the shrine is entirely covered with polychrome tile mosaic and painted tile panels, dominated by shades of blue, arranged in geometric patterns, for which it is popularly known as the Blue Mosque of Afghanistan, However, many of the original tiles were later replaced during the 20th-century renovation.

Apart from that, the tiles need to be replaced from time to time due to exposure to harsh weather conditions. Moreover, many of them, especially the corners of some stones, are often stolen by the pilgrims as religious mementos. Hazrat Ali Mazar is crowned with two magnificent blue domes, the largest one is around 50 feet (15 m) in width, and there is a spectacular tomb chamber, located directly under it.

Hazrat Ali Mazar is appropriately described as an oasis of peace as the mosque is always surrounded by thousands of white doves. They flock on the trees in the complex of the shrine, the sidewalks and even on the roof of the holy shrine. According to a local legendary tale, any dove with a speck of colour on its feather will instantly become pure white after entering the complex of the holy mosque.

The shrine is visited by thousands of pilgrims throughout the year, especially during the celebration of Nawroz, the New Year in Kurdish culture.

At the annual celebration of the Jahenda Bala, also known as the Farmer’s Day, a holy flag is hoisted in honour of Ali and people touch it for luck. However, the celebration of Nawroz was banned in the country during the Taliban rule between 1996 and 2001, as it was considered as an ancient pagan holiday centred on fire worship.