The place of pilgrimage is in the natural cave, between the Ilandagh and Nahajir mountain at about 12 km distance from Nakhchivan. It has the meaning “the cave possessers” in Arabic. The 9th-27th sentences of the chapter “al-kahf” of the “Gurani-Karim” deal with the adventure of seven young people, who ran away from those, who trusted not in God but another thing (Tamlikha, Barnush, Sarnush, Maksilma, Maslina, Sazanush, Kaftantush (Shepherd) and their devoted dog by name Gitmir who awoke after sleeping over 300 years. The event existed in “Gurani-Karim” found its relation with the stories of some changes about the “Ashabi-Kahf” situated in Nakhchivan. For long years, according to the wrong thought existing in some literatures, the event was related with the Christianity and even the cave place named in “Gurani-Karim” was expected to be either in the Lesser Asia or in the territory of Palestin and even in other countries of the world. Unfortunately, in those literatures were not spoken (written) about the Ashabi-Kahf situated in Nakhchivan and the stories about the event. But later years investigations prove that the very Ashabi-Kahf cave named in “Gurani-Karim” is situated in the territory of Nakhchivan and it has no any relation with the Christianity. There is an inscription in the alter of the mosque at the far end of the cave. In the central part of the inscription on the big sized marble (145x35 cm) the sentences 9-12, 17-18 of the “al-Kahf” chapter in the frames dealt with the Ashabi-Kahf event of “Gurani-Karim”. The context of the inscription written in a ribbon like starting from top to left on the right side around the plate is: “Since the weathering the handwritings written here were obliterated. In connection with this Shukrulla Khan Kangarli, the ruler of the Nakhchivan land, the follower of Heydargulu Khan, the founder of blested deeds and the former ruler of the country gave a decision stating that to copy the very plate of the inscription in another stone plate and arrange in the place of the former as a present”.

According to this order, Mahammad Khatib Nakhchivani, the son of Molla Mustafa, a devout person, began working and completed the plate in Safar al-Muzaffar, 1190 (22.03-20.04.1176). As you see, before in the place of this inscription there was another inscription in which the sentences of Gurani-Karim were engraved but from time to time it was weathered and then by the order of Shukrulla Khan Kangarli, the ruler of Nakhchivan land, the text was written in another marble plate and arranged in the place of the former.

But the task and initiative of Heydar Aliyev, national leader, the construction works were held in Ashabi-Kahf.

The inscription, dealing with this was arranged at the entrance of the place of pilgrimage. The inscription says: “The restoration and construction works in the place of pilgrimage were carried out by the task and initiative of Heydar Aliyev, president of the Azerbaijan Republic”. Later years around the Ashabi-Kahf place of pilgrimage restoration, restoration-construction works were carried out. Very good condition was created for the pilgrimagers during restoration and construction works in Ashabi-Kahf, a very comfortable road of 13km distance was constructed, the planting works along the road were held and a mosque was built. Today the pilgrimagers, tourists and guests from the other regions of Azerbaijan and foreign countries visit here.