Jump to content

Najaf

Coordinates:32°00′N44°20′E/ 32.00°N 44.33°E/32.00; 44.33
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, seeNajaf (disambiguation).
Al-Najaf
ٱلنَّجَف
an-Najaf al-Ashraf, Baniqia
City
Imam Ali Shrine
Aerial view of Najaf
Imam Ali Shrinein Najaf, among the holiest sites for Shia Muslims
Map
Al-Najaf is located in Iraq
Al-Najaf
Al-Najaf
Location of Najaf within Iraq
Coordinates:32°00′00″N44°20′00″E/ 32.00000°N 44.33333°E/32.00000; 44.33333
CountryIraq
GovernorateNajaf
Elevation
60 m (200 ft)
Population
• Estimate
(2018)[1]
747,261
Time zoneUTC+3

NajaforAn-NajaforAl-Najaf(Arabic:ٱلنَّجَف) orAn-Najaf al-Ashraf(Arabic:ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), is the capital city ofNajaf Governoratein centralIraqabout 160 km (99 mi) south ofBaghdad.Its estimated population in 2024 is about 1.41 million people.[1]It is widely considered amongst the holiest cities ofShia Islamand one of its spiritual capitals, as well as the center of Shia political power in Iraq.[7]It is the burial place ofMuhammad's son in law and cousin,‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib.It is a major pilgrimage destination for Shia Muslims. The largest cemetery in the world (Wadi-us-Salaam) and the oldest Shi'a Islamic seminary in the world (Hawza of Najaf) are located in Najaf.

Etymology

[edit]

According toIbn al-Manzur,the word, "najaf" (نجف), literally means a high and rectangular place around which water is accumulated, although the water does not go above its level.[8]Al-Shaykh al-Saduqappeals to a hadith fromJa'far al-Sadiq,claiming that "Najaf" comes from the phrase, "nay jaff" which means "the nay sea has dried" which gradually changed into "Najaf".[9]

"Najaf" is usually accompanied with the adjective "al-Ashraf" (dignified).[full citation needed]According to the author ofal-Hawza al-'ilmiyya fi l-Najaf al-ashraf,this is because 'Ali, one of the most dignified persons, is buried in the city.

Al-Ghari or al-Ghariyyan, Hadd al-'Adhra', al-Hiwar, al-Judi, Wadi l-Salam, al-Zahr, Zahr al-Kufa (behind Kufa), al-Rabwa, Baniqiya, and Mashhad are other names for this land.[citation needed]

History

[edit]

The area of An-Najaf is located 30 km (19 mi) south of the ancient city ofBabylon,and 400 km (248 mi) north of the ancient city ofUr.The city itself was founded in 791 [AD], by theAbbasidCaliphHarūn ar-Rashīd,as a shrine to ‘Alī bin Abī Ṭālib.[10]

Prehistoric and ancient times

[edit]
View of the city of Najaf, ca. 1914
Men at Najaf during a religious festival, ca. 1914
Masjid al-Imam ‘Aliin 1932.

Archaeological discoveries show the existence of a populace dating back to the 1st century BC. Najaf possesses one of the largest burial grounds in the vicinity for Christians. The centuries following have proven this to also be a city with a multicultural and religious people. Mohammed al-Mayali, director of Inspectorate Effects of the province of Najaf, states "the excavation on the graves, which we have been working on for years, confirm that" Najaf "contains the largest Christian cemetery in Iraq, with a cemetery area of 1416 acres. We have found indications of Christianity on the graves through representations of crosses and stones with Christ-like engravings. There are also relics that date back to theSassanidperiod. Also discovered in the excavation was proof of a thriving glass industry. Pots were decorated with the cross. as well as Hebrew writings, indicating a community of religious coexistence. "[citation needed]

Wadi-us-Salaamin Najaf was a holy cemetery forJewishand was Najaf called at that time Baniqia, and could be this is the first name of Najaf area.[11] [12]

The name Baniqia also was found in some texts which tell that in one day Abraham visited this village and stayed couple of days, then he continued in his journey from Mesopotamia to Arabia. [13][14]

InIslam,the city is considered to have started with Ali who instructed that his burial place should remain a secret, as he had many enemies and he feared that his body might be subjected to some indignity. According to legend, the body of Ali was placed on acamelwhich was driven fromKufah.The camel stopped a few miles west of the city where the body was secretly buried.[15]No tomb was raised and nobody knew of the burial place except for a few trusted people. It is narrated that more than a hundred years later the Abbasid Caliph,Harun al-Rashid,wentdeer huntingoutside Kufah, and thedeersought sanctuary at a place where the hounds would not pursue it. On inquiry as to why the place was a sanctuary, he was told that it was the burial place of ‘Ali. Harūn ar-Rashīd ordered a mausoleum to be built on the spot and in due course the town of Najaf grew around the mausoleum.[citation needed]

Medieval and modern history

[edit]
Shoppers in Najaf, 2017
A shop in Najaf, 2017

In early 14th century SheikhIbn Battutavisited the burial site ofAli ibn Abi Talibduring his travels in Iraq after his pilgrimage to Mecca. During this period Najaf was called Meshhed Ali. As Translated bySamuel Lee,Ibn Battuta in his ArabicRihlarelates:[16]

We next proceeded to the city of Meshhed Ali where the grave of Ali ibn Abu Talib is thought to be. It is a handsome place and well peopled. There is no governor here, except a sort of tribune. The inhabitants consist chiefly of rich and brave merchants. About the gardens are plastered walls adorned with paintings, and within them are carpets, couches and lamps of gold and silver. Within the city is a large treasury kept by the tribune, which arises from the votive offerings arrived from different parts: for when anyone happens to be ill, or suffer under any infirmity, he will make a vow, and thence receive relief. The garden is also famous for its miracles; and hence its believed that the grave of Ali is there. Of these miracles the "night of revival" is one: for, on the 17th day of the month Rejeb, cripples come from different parts of Fars, Room, Khorasaan, Irak, and other places, assemble in companies from twenty to thirty in number. They are placed over the grave soon after sun-set. People then, some praying, some reciting the Quran, and others prostrating themselves, wait expecting their recovery and rising, when about night, they all get up sound and right. This is a matter well known among them: I heard it from a creditable person, but was not present at one of those nights. I saw, however, several such afflicted persons, who had not yet received, but were looking forwards for the advantages of this "night of revival".

In the 16th century, Najaf was conquered by theOttoman Empire.TheSafavid dynastyof Iran maintained continuous interest to this Shia site. During theOttoman–Safavid War (1623–1639),they were twice able to capture the city, but lost it again to the Ottomans in 1638.

Under the rule of theOttoman Empire,Najaf experienced severe difficulties as the result of repeated raids by Arab desert tribes and the Persian army with acute water shortages causing lack of a reliable water supply. The number of inhabited houses in the city had plummeted from 3,000 to just 30 by the start of the 16th century.[citation needed]

When the Portuguese travellerPedro Texeirapassed through Najaf in 1604, he found the city in ruins, inhabited by little more than 500 people.[17]This was largely the result of a change in the course of theEuphratesriver eastwards in the direction ofHilla,leaving Najaf andKufahigh and dry, leading to the destruction of the local formerly rich agriculture, demise of the palm groves and orchards, followed by the salinization of the underground water due to evaporation.

During the 18th century the scholarly life of Najaf came to be dominated byFarsi-speaking ‘Ulema’ (Arabic:عُلُمَاء,Scholars) fromIran.[18]

The water shortages were finally resolved in 1803 when the Euphrates made its way to the city once again. The shift in the river's flow was the product of a century-long effort by the Ottomans to shift the flow of the river, so as to deprive marsh-dwelling tribes like the Khaza'il of the watery environment that allowed them to evade state control. These long-term efforts rendered successful the construction of the Hindiyya Canal in 1793, which further shifted the flow of the Euphrates. These hydrological shifts were to have religious implications. Most notable was the consolidation and spread of Shi'ism. As the shrine city of Najaf gained access to water again, its notables and holy men began to wield considerable power in the area.[19]In 1811, the lastcity wallwas rebuilt.[20]

The Ottomans were expelled in an uprising in 1915, following which the city fell under the rule of theBritish Empire.The sheikhs of Najaf rebelled in 1918, killing the British governor of the city, Sayyed Mahdi Al-Awadi, and cutting off grain supplies to theAnazzah,a tribe allied with the British. In retaliation the Britishbesieged the city and cut off its water supply.The rebellion was put down and the rule of the sheikhs was forcibly ended. A great number of the Shi‘i ‘Ulema’ were expelled intoPersia,where they set the foundations for the rise of the city ofQomas the center of the Shi‘ite learning and authority, in lieu of Najaf. Najaf lost its religious primacy to Qom, and was not to regain it until the 21st century, during the establishment of aShī‘ī-majority government in Iraq after 2003.

In the 20th century, much of the Old City was rebuilt in a series of modernization initiatives. Beginning in the 1950s, many historic buildings and monuments, including those adjoining the shrine, were demolished for the construction of Sadeq, Zainulabidin, Rasool and Tousi streets. In 1958, the city wall was torn down and replaced with aring road.In the 1980s, the entire area between the shrine and the city's western edge was demolished, and the residents resettled outside the city, in what locals perceived as a government reprisal for theShia uprisingunder the leadership ofMuhammad Baqir al-Sadr,who was based in the neighborhood.[20]

Post-Ba'athist period

[edit]

During the2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq,Najaf was a key target of the invadingUnited States Forces.The city was encircled during heavy fighting on 26 March 2003 and was captured on 3 April 2003 (Battle of Najaf).

The clerical authorities of the Shī‘ī enclave ofSadr CityinBaghdad,which claimed autonomy in April 2003, after thefall of Baghdad,claimed to be taking their orders from senior clerics in Najaf.

On 4 April 2004, theMahdi Armyattacked the Spanish-Salvadoran-ALARNG base (Camp Golf, later renamed Camp Baker) in An Najaf, part of a coordinated uprising across central and southern Iraq in an apparent attempt to seize control of the country ahead of the 30 June 2004 handover of power to a new Iraqi government. This uprising led to the American troops arriving in the city in the wake of the Spanish withdrawal. In August 2004, heavy fighting broke out again between U.S. forces and Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army.[21]The battle lasted three weeks and ended when senior Iraqi cleric Grand AyatollahAli al-Sistaninegotiated an end to the fighting.[22]

The fall of the Ba'athist regime ended restrictions on Shi'ite pilgrimage, which led to a pilgrimage boom in Najaf and increased demand for facilities and infrastructure. In 2006, thegovernmentsponsored reconstruction of the previously demolished western area of the city as the City of Pilgrims project.[20]

In 2012 Najaf was named the Cultural Centre of the Arab World.[23]

On 6 March 2021,Pope Francisvisited the city during his historicpapal visit to Iraqand held an interfaith dialogue with al-Sistani, where he expressed a message of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in the country.[24]

Geography

[edit]

Climate

[edit]

Najaf has ahot desert climate,BWhin theKöppen climate classification,with long, very hot summers and mild winters. The average annual temperature is 23.6 °C (74.5 °F). The rainfall averages 69 mm (2.71 in).

Climate data for Najaf (1991–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 26.0
(78.8) 		32.5
(90.5) 		41.7
(107.1) 		43.0
(109.4) 		48.3
(118.9) 		51.4
(124.5) 		51.5
(124.7) 		51.0
(123.8) 		48.7
(119.7) 		43.7
(110.7) 		34.5
(94.1) 		29.4
(84.9) 		51.5
(124.7)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 17.1
(62.8) 		20.2
(68.4) 		25.6
(78.1) 		31.6
(88.9) 		38.5
(101.3) 		43.2
(109.8) 		45.4
(113.7) 		45.2
(113.4) 		41.4
(106.5) 		34.8
(94.6) 		24.6
(76.3) 		18.7
(65.7) 		32.2
(90.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 11.2
(52.2) 		14.0
(57.2) 		18.8
(65.8) 		24.9
(76.8) 		31.3
(88.3) 		35.8
(96.4) 		38.1
(100.6) 		37.6
(99.7) 		33.4
(92.1) 		28.5
(83.3) 		18.0
(64.4) 		12.8
(55.0) 		25.4
(77.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 6.3
(43.3) 		8.3
(46.9) 		12.6
(54.7) 		18.2
(64.8) 		23.9
(75.0) 		27.7
(81.9) 		29.9
(85.8) 		29.4
(84.9) 		25.8
(78.4) 		20.4
(68.7) 		12.6
(54.7) 		7.8
(46.0) 		18.6
(65.5)
Record low °C (°F) −7.2
(19.0) 		−4.5
(23.9) 		2.2
(36.0) 		7.0
(44.6) 		13.0
(55.4) 		17.0
(62.6) 		19.4
(66.9) 		22.2
(72.0) 		18.3
(64.9) 		7.0
(44.6) 		0.2
(32.4) 		−2.5
(27.5) 		−7.2
(19.0)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 16.4
(0.65) 		10.7
(0.42) 		9.1
(0.36) 		14.4
(0.57) 		3.4
(0.13) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		6.3
(0.25) 		19.6
(0.77) 		12.9
(0.51) 		92.8
(3.65)
Averagerelative humidity(%) 67.0 57.6 47.4 41.1 31.4 24.5 22.6 23.7 28.8 39.9 56.5 65.3 42.2
Source:NOAA,[25][26]Meteomanz(record high since 2009[27])

Religious significance

[edit]
Further information:Iraq in the Qur’an

An-Najaf is considered sacred by Shi'a Muslims. An-Najaf is renowned as the site of the burial place of Muhammad's son in law and cousin,‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib.The city is now a center ofpilgrimagethroughout the Shi'iteIslamicworld. It is estimated that onlyMeccaandMedinareceive more Muslim pilgrims. As the burial site of one of Shi'a Islam's most important figure,[28]theImam Ali Mosqueis considered by Shiites as the third holiest Islamic site.[37]

The Imam ‘Ali Mosque is housed in a grand structure with a gold gilded dome and many precious objects in the walls. Nearby is theWadi-us-Salaamcemetery, the largest in the world.[38]It contains the tombs of several prophets and many of the devout from around the world aspire to be buried there, to be raised from the dead with Imām ‘Alī onJudgement Day.Over the centuries, numerous hospices, schools, libraries and convents were built around the shrine to make the city the center of Shīʻa learning and theology.

The An-Najaf seminary, orHawza Najaf,is one of the most important teaching centres in the Islamic world.Ayatollah Khomeinilectured there from 1964 to 1978.[39]Many of the leading figures of the new Islamic movement that emerged in Iraq, Iran and Lebanon in the 1970s had studied at Najaf.[40]As of 2014, it was estimated to have about 13,000 students.[41]

Najaf, alongsideKarbala,is considered a thriving pilgrimage destination for Shia Muslims and the pilgrimage industry in the city boomed after the end of Saddam Hussein's rule.[42]However, due to theU.S. sanctions on Iran,the number of Iranian pilgrims dropped significantly.[43]


Culture

[edit]

Religious tourism

[edit]

Najaf being home to theSanctuary of Imam Ali(considered the first of theTwelve Imamsand the patriarch of the subsequent eleven Imams) is the destination of large numbers of Shi’i religious pilgrims annually hailing from around the world.

Sports

[edit]

The city of Najaf is home toAl-Najaf SCandNaft Al-Wasat SCthat play in the highest division in the Iraqi football league system, namelyIraq Stars League.

Najaf has two football stadiums, theAn-Najaf Stadium(also referred to as the old stadium) with a capacity of 12,000 spectators, and the newAl-Najaf International Stadiumwith a capacity of 30,000. The latter stadium is the home of the two Stars League clubs Al-Najaf and Naft Al-Wasat, whilst the former is the home stadium of the neighbouringAl-Kufa SC.

Najaf in other cultures

[edit]

The Iranian city ofNajafabadwas named by ShahAbbas Iin honour of Najaf. According to the legend, Shah Abbas wanted to send a gift containing jewellery and coins to the Shrine of Imam Ali, but as the caravan carrying the gift was traveling towards Najaf it stopped at an area calledDahannearIsfahan,Iran,and refused to move. Following this,Shaykh Baha al-Din,a prominent scholar close to the Shah, relayed to Shah Abbas thatImam Alihimself had manifested to him in a dream and ordered to use the gift to develop the area where the caravan had stopped. The Shah agreed and thus the city developed and came to be known as"Najaf Abad".The name literally translates to"City of Najaf"inPersian.

Education

[edit]

Universities

[edit]

Some of the universities located in Najaf include:

Hawza Seminary

[edit]
Main article:Hawza Najaf

Najaf in Iraq andQomin Iran are considered the two main centres of traditional Shia Islamic education, and both have their own separate administrations and curricula. The Najaf Seminary (Hawza) is the oldest Hawza in the world and was established by the well-known Shi'i scholarShaykh Tusi,who is referred to as"Shaykh al-Taifah"that literally translates to"The Elder of theSect".

Some of the prominent scholars that have graduated from the Najaf Seminary, includeMurtadha al-Ansari,Muhammad Kazim Khurasanialso known as"al-Akhund",Mohammed Kazem Yazdi,Abbas Qomialso known as"al-Muhaddith",Abu al-Qasim al-KhoeiandAli al-Sistani.

Infrastructure

[edit]

Airport

[edit]

Najaf International Airportis an important logistical hub that plays a pivotal role in facilitating transportation, particularly for religious tourism. Annually, it oversees the transit of over 3 million passengers, predominantly pilgrims visiting the holy sites in Najaf. It is situated in the eastern part of Najaf, approximately 6 kilometres from the city center.

Inter-city high-speed railway system

[edit]

In February 2024, the Iraqi National Investment Commission (NIC) unveiled a project to construct an inter-cityhigh-speed rail networkconnecting the cities of Najaf andKarbala.Once finished, it is set to accommodate up to 25,000 passengers per hour.[44][45]

International relations

[edit]

Sister cities

[edit]

As of 2024, Najaf has 3sister cities:

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ab"Iraq: Governorates & Cities".
  2. ^Cordesman, Anthony H.; Khazai, Sam (4 Jun 2014).Iraq in Crisis.Rowman & Littlefield. p. 319.ISBN9781442228566.
  3. ^Cockburn, Patrick (8 Apr 2008).Muqtada: Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Revival, and the Struggle for Iraq(illustrated ed.). Simon and Schuster. p. 146.ISBN9781416593744.
  4. ^Pollack, Kenneth M.; Alkadiri, Raad; J. Scott Carpenter; Kagan, Frederick W.; Kane, Sean (2011).Unfinished Business: An American Strategy for Iraq Moving Forward.Brookings Institution Press. p.103.ISBN9780815721666.
  5. ^Robinson, Linda (2005).Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces(illustrated, reprint ed.). PublicAffairs. p.260.ISBN9781586483524.
  6. ^"Ali al-Sistani is Iraq's best hope of curbing Iranian influence. But he is 85 and has no obvious successor".The Economist.5 December 2015.Retrieved6 December2015.
  7. ^[2][3][4][5][6]
  8. ^Ibn Manẓūr,Lisān al-ʿArab,under the word "Najaf".
  9. ^Ṣadūq,ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ,vol. 1, p. 31.
  10. ^Ring, Trudy (1996).International Dictionary of Historic Places: Middle East and Africa.Taylor & Francis.ISBN9781884964039.Retrieved2009-09-13.
  11. ^A'haron Oppenheimer; Oppenheimer, Nili (2005).Between Rome and Babylon: Studies in Jewish Leadership and Society.Mohr Siebeck. p. 351.ISBN9783161485145.
  12. ^Bryan Hill. [ "Wadi Al-Salam: Magnificent Ancient Cemetery in Iraq is Largest in the World" ],Ancient Origins,23 July 2018.
  13. ^Brendan Koerner. [ "Why Is Najaf So Holy?" ],Slate,27 April 2004.
  14. ^Imam Ali Holy Shrine. [ "Baniqia Article ID 4648" ],Imam Ali Network.
  15. ^Farag, George (2007).Diaspora and Transitional Administration: Shiite Iraqi Diaspora and the Administration of Post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.pp. 133–4.ISBN9780549410034.
  16. ^Batuta, Ibn;Lee, Samuel(1829).The travels of Ibn Batūta;.London, Printed for the Oriental translation committee, and sold by J. Murray [etc.] pp.31–33.Retrieved11 June2018– via Internet Archive.
  17. ^Nakash, Yitzhak (2003).The Shi'is of Iraq.Princeton University Press.ISBN0691115753.Retrieved2009-09-13.
  18. ^Yitzhak Nakash,The Shi'as of Iraq(Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994) p. 16
  19. ^Husain, Faisal (October 2014). "In the Bellies of the Marshes: Water and Power in the Countryside of Ottoman Baghdad".Environmental History.19(4): 638–664.doi:10.1093/envhis/emu067.
  20. ^abcFarhan, Sabeeh; Akef, Venus; Nasar, Zuhair (December 2020)."The transformation of the inherited historical urban and architectural characteristics of Al-Najaf's Old City and possible preservation insights".Frontiers of Architectural Research.9(4): 820–836.doi:10.1016/j.foar.2020.07.005.ISSN2095-2635.
  21. ^"US troops kill 300 in Najaf raid".TheGuardian.com.6 August 2004.
  22. ^"End of the siege: The smoke clears in Najaf".Christian Science Monitor.30 August 2004.
  23. ^"Najaf, Iraq".
  24. ^"Pope Francis meets Iraq's Shia leader al-Sistani".Al Jazeera.Al Jazeera Media Network. 6 March 2021.Retrieved31 March2021.
  25. ^"World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020 — Najaf".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedJanuary 1,2024.
  26. ^"Iraq Climatological Data - NOAA Central Library".Archived fromthe originalon 2017-10-10.Retrieved2016-01-03.
  27. ^"NAJAF - Weather data by month".meteomanz.Retrieved28 June2024.
  28. ^abNever Again!Archived2007-08-05 at theWayback MachineShiaNews.com
  29. ^Iran Diary, Part 2: Knocking on heaven's doorAsia Times Online
  30. ^Muslim Shiites Saint Imam Ali Holy Shrine - 16 ImagesArchived2010-09-05 at theWayback MachineCultural Heritage Photo Agency
  31. ^The tragic martyrdom of Ayatollah Al Hakim calls for a stanceArchived2010-09-18 at theWayback MachineModarresi News, September 4, 2003
  32. ^Zaman Online, August 13, 2004ArchivedOctober 28, 2006, at theWayback Machine
  33. ^Why 2003 is not 1991The Guardian, April 1, 2003
  34. ^Iraqi forces in Najaf take cover in important Shia shrine,The Boston Globe,April 2, 2003. "For the world's nearly 120 million Muslim Shiites, Najaf is the third holiest city behind Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia."
  35. ^Religious rivalries and political overtones in IraqCNN.com, April 23, 2003
  36. ^Godlas, Alan."Muslims, Islam, and Iraq".www.uga.edu.Archived fromthe originalon 2011-10-06.Retrieved2010-10-15.
  37. ^[28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36]
  38. ^Hala Mundhir Fattah; Caso, Frank (2009).A brief history of Iraq.Infobase Publishing. p. 140.ISBN978-0-8160-5767-2.Retrieved2010-10-18.
  39. ^Ring, Trudy (1996)."Najaf".Global Security.Retrieved2009-09-13.
  40. ^Mallat, Chibli (2004).The Renewal of Islamic Law: Muhammad Baqer As-Sadr, Najaf and the Shi'i International.Cambridge University Press.ISBN9780521531221.Retrieved2009-09-13.
  41. ^Mamouri, Ali (8 April 2014)."Najaf's Shiite seminaries enter 21st century".Al-Monitor.Retrieved18 July2023.
  42. ^"Iraq's holy cities enjoy boom in religious tourism".Al Arabiya. 4 April 2013.
  43. ^"Iraq's city of Najaf suffers as Iranian tourist numbers drop".The National. 20 February 2019.
  44. ^"Iraqi government opens two rail project tenders".Railway Technology.
  45. ^"Work on high-speed train project linking Holy Karbala to Holy Najaf to begin soon, ministry says".ShiaWaves.
  46. ^"Najaf, Iraq".minneapolis.org.City of Minneapolis.Retrieved2020-06-22.
  47. ^"خواهر خواندگی شهرهای نجف آباد ونجف اشرف".isfahan.irib.ir.Isfahan IRIB. 2015-04-02.Retrieved2020-06-22.
  48. ^"Sister cities of Mashhad".Sistercity.info.

Further reading

[edit]
Published in the 19th-20th centuries
Published in the 21st century
  • C. Edmund Bosworth, ed. (2007). "Najaf".Historic Cities of the Islamic World.Leiden: Koninklijke Brill.ISBN978-9004153882.
  • Michael R. T. Dumper; Bruce E. Stanley, eds. (2007), "Najaf",Cities of the Middle East and North Africa,Santa Barbara, Calif.:ABC-CLIO(published 2008),ISBN978-1576079195
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toNajaf.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide forNajaf.

32°00′N44°20′E/ 32.00°N 44.33°E/32.00; 44.33

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Najaf&oldid=1235473871"