Sheikh Çoban Tomb

It is generally accepted that Sheikh Çoban lived in the 12th century. His real name was Sheikh Hüseyin Raî. It is noted that he was the seventh successor of the great Sufi master Abu’l-Wafâ and was counted among the Wafâ’i sheikhs. It is said that he spent many years with Abu’l-Wafa, receiving Sufi training, and later began his spiritual guidance activities with Abu’l-Wafa’s permission.

Sheikh Çoban, said to be one of the alperen warriors who came from Khorasan to Sivas to spread Islam and win over hearts, holds an important place in the spiritual history of Sivas. According to tradition, Sheikh Çoban and his brother Sheikh Merzuban are buried in the village of Tekke in Zara. When they set out from Khorasan, Sheikh Çoban chose Sivas as his home from among the places where their camels stopped, while Sheikh Merzuban chose the village of Tekke.

The mausoleum is a structure with a square plan and an octagonal drum. Built of cut stone, it contains two sarcophagi believed to belong to Sheikh Hüseyin and his wife. Although the exact date of the mausoleum’s construction is unknown, an inscription dated 1323 found on the fountain next to it provides an important clue regarding the structure’s history. The mausoleum was renovated by Yusuf bin Abdullah in 1457–1458. Considering the inscription dated 1323 on the fountain in front of the mausoleum, it is believed that the structure may have been built in the 14th century. The building underwent restoration in 1902.

The Sheikh Çoban Mausoleum is one of Sivas’s historical and spiritual pilgrimage sites, notable not only for its architectural features but also for the legends passed down among the local people.