The shrine of Bari Imam, a famous Sufi saint, is located at the foothills of Margallas in Islamabad.
Born in 1617 in the Jehlum area of Punjab, Bari Imam, whose real name was Syed Shah Abdul Latif, travelled to Iran, Iraq, Central Asian states and the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah to learn about the different disciplines of Islam and theology.
He settled in the Nur Pur Shahan area which is now a part of Pakistan. In the dangerous era of bandits and killers he taught people about love, peace and harmony and soon Syed Shah Abdul Latif came to be known as “Bari Imam” or the Leader of the Earth.
Bari Imam died in 1705, and it is said that his shrine was first built by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir before being renovated several times thereafter.
In 2005, 20 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a suicide attack on the premises of Bari Imam on May 27.
Presently, the whole shrine is going through massive restoration and redecoration.
