

Najaf — Iraq
Home to the Mausoleum of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.), the Commander of the Faithful, and the vast Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery.
Imam Ali (a.s.) was martyred in Kufa in 40 AH (661 CE) and, on his own instruction, was buried in secret to protect his grave from desecration by his enemies. The location remained concealed for over a century until it was revealed by his descendant, Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.), the sixth Imam.
The first shrine over the grave was commissioned around 171 AH (786 CE) by the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid, after he came across the site during a hunting expedition in the area. The city of Najaf itself grew up around the shrine shortly after, founded under the Buyid ruler Adud al-Dawla, who carried out the most significant medieval reconstruction of the shrine in the 10th century and became the first ruler to be buried within its walls.
Najaf's importance grew beyond the shrine itself in 1055 CE (447 AH), when the great scholar Shaykh al-Tusi fled sectarian violence in Baghdad and settled in the city. He founded what is regarded as the first Islamic seminary (Hawza) in Najaf, and his prolific scholarship — including two of the four foundational hadith collections relied upon by Shia Muslims — laid the foundation for Najaf's rise as the leading centre of Shia religious learning, a status it holds to this day.
The shrine has been rebuilt and expanded many times since — including after a major fire in 1354 CE — with successive dynasties adding to its grandeur. The Safavid king Shah Ismail I began a major restoration in the early 1500s, and the surrounding courtyard was completed under Shah Abbas the Great. In 1743, Nader Shah Afshar had the dome and twin minarets gilded with gold, replacing the earlier green tiles and giving the shrine the golden appearance it is recognised by today. The dome now holds over 3,400 gold-plated panels.
In the modern era, the shrine survived bombings during the 1991 uprising and a devastating 2003 car bombing that killed dozens, including a prominent religious scholar. Since then it has undergone extensive restoration and expansion, including the construction of the Lady Fatimah Courtyard — one of the largest shrine expansion projects undertaken in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime — alongside continued work restoring its historic tilework and architecture.
The grave itself is protected by a Zarih — a lattice-work enclosure, traditionally of silver and gold, that lets pilgrims approach and see the resting place while keeping it safe from harm. The current Zarih was installed in 2013, replacing one that had stood for around 70 years, and contains roughly 100kg of silver and 552kg of gold, inscribed with Quranic verses, the names of the Fourteen Infallibles, and Persian poetry in fine Thulth and Nasta'liq calligraphy. The project was funded by Iran's Centre for Reconstruction of the Holy Shrines.
- Mausoleum of Imam Ali (a.s.), the Commander of the Faithful — also containing the graves of Prophet Adam (a.s.) and Prophet Nuh (a.s.)
- Also resting within the shrine precincts — noted Shia scholars including Al-'Allama al-Hilli and Grand Ayatollah Abu'l-Qasim al-Khoei
- Wadi-us-Salaam — tombs of Prophet Hud (a.s.) and Prophet Saleh (a.s.), and the Maqam of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.) and Imam al-Mahdi (a.s.)

Wadi-us-Salaam Cemetery
Wadi-us-Salaam ('the Valley of Peace') is the largest cemetery in the world, stretching for miles beside the shrine of Imam Ali (a.s.). Its sanctity in Shia tradition traces back to before the creation of humankind: narrations describe it as ground where the angels prostrated to Adam, and a hadith from Imam Ali (a.s.) himself declares that the soul of every righteous believer who dies anywhere on earth is brought to Wadi-us-Salaam — calling it 'a part of Heaven'. Tradition also holds that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) prayed at this very site alongside the Angel Jibra'eel during the night of Mi'raj (Ascension). Because of its closeness to Imam Ali (a.s.), it has been the resting place of choice for Shia Muslims — scholars and ordinary believers alike — from Iraq and around the world for well over a thousand years, and continues to be so today. Among the many great scholars buried here in modern times are Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, Shaykh Muhammad Husayn Kashif al-Ghita, and Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim.
Grave of Prophet Hud (a.s.)
Prophet Hud (a.s.) was sent by Allah to the people of 'Ad, an ancient and powerful tribe who were destroyed for their arrogance and disbelief. His grave lies within Wadi-us-Salaam and is a regular stop for pilgrims visiting the cemetery.
Grave of Prophet Saleh (a.s.)
Prophet Saleh (a.s.) was sent to the people of Thamud, famously associated with the miracle of the she-camel sent as a sign from Allah. His grave lies alongside that of Prophet Hud (a.s.) within Wadi-us-Salaam.
Maqam of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.)
A station within Wadi-us-Salaam associated with the sixth Imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq (a.s.) — the same Imam who, according to tradition, first revealed the concealed location of Imam Ali's (a.s.) grave. Pilgrims visit this Maqam to offer salaam and prayers.
Maqam of Imam al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s.)
A station within Wadi-us-Salaam associated with Imam al-Mahdi (a.t.f.s.), the awaited twelfth Imam. It is a place where pilgrims stand and send their salaam to the Living Imam, and offer supplications for his reappearance.






















