Kirkuk's historic Necip Tekke draws visitors during Mawlid

KIRKUK, Iraq — A historic tekke dating to the Ottoman era inside Kirkuk's Citadel has become a focal point for residents and visitors from other cities marking the Mawlid, the observance of the Prophet Muhammad's birthday. The site, known as Necip Tekke, is kept by the Necip family, which preserves a single strand of hair believed to belong to the Prophet Muhammad in a special case. The tekke is open to visitors only on religious occasions. Fikret Necip, who inherited the custodianship from his forebears, said family tradition holds that the relic was brought from Ottoman-era territories to Kirkuk and has been carefully preserved across generations. Necip said people from across the city streamed to the tekke throughout the Mawlid, calling the experience a sacred trust for the family. Salim Majid, director of the Kirkuk Sunni Endowment Office, noted the city's rich religious heritage, which includes its mosques, tekkes and historic shrines. History researcher Abdulkerim Khalifa said Kirkuk's tekkes functioned as more than places of worship, also serving as centers of education and social solidarity. No additional details on visitation figures or further events were immediately available.