An elderly gentleman's voice chokes with emotion as he prays. The pleading and emploring in his voice makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable. It is like witnessing someone's distress. This is the same yearning that comes across in some of the music we have heard here, especially maqam. Jan sits on the wish tree People bring their children here and walk three times around the tomb for luck.
Women kiss and stroke the old mulberry tree.
Whether or not any of those people maintain a practical connection with the Sufi tradition is unclear. Long before the revolution the Naqsbandi Order travelled to Turkey and India. There are now branches of the order all over the world. It is undergoing a revival, instigated by influences from outside. I do not know if I have discovered anything new today, but I have gained an insight into the devotion that people here have for this great Sufi teacher.