Najaf

An Najaf النجف
Immam Ali's Shrine.
An Najaf
Coordinates: 33°20′00″N 44°26′00″E / 33.33333°N 44.43333°E / 33.33333; 44.43333
Country	Iraq
Province	Najaf province
Elevation	34 m (112 ft)
Population  (2008)
• Total	900.583
	Approximate figures
Time zone	GMT +3
• Summer (DST)	+4

Najaf (Arabic: النجف; Transliterated: An Najaf; Persian: نجف) is a city in Iraq. It is about 160 km south of Baghdad. In 2008, about 900.583 people lived there. The city is the capital of Najaf province. It is one of the seven holy cities of Shi'a Islam. It is the center of Shia political power in Iraq.

The city is home to the Imam Ali Mosque, where Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, the fourth caliph is buried. Shia Muslims consider the mosque to be the third holiest Islamic site.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]}

Hārūn ar-Rashīd founded the city on the site of Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib's grave in the 8th century.

Najaf was badly damaged during the Iran-Iraq War and the Gulf War. In 1991, there was a Shiite uprising in Najaf, which was suppressed by Saddam Hussein. This conflict caused many deaths, there are mass graves around the city. In 2003, a suicide bombing caused widespread damage. 120 people died, including the moderate imam Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim.

In April 2004, forces of Muqtada as-Sadr captured the city, as well as the city of Kut. Before the 2004 elections, a part of the occupying forces left the city.

1. ↑ Cite error: The named reference Never Again! was used but no text was provided for refs named (see the help page).
2. ↑ Iran Diary, Part 2: Knocking on heaven's door Archived 2010-09-04 at the Wayback Machine Asia Times Online
3. ↑ Muslim Shia's Saint Imam Ali Holy Shrine - 16 Images Archived 2010-09-05 at the Wayback Machine Cultural Heritage Photo Agency
4. ↑ The tragic martyrdom of Ayatollah Al Hakim calls for a stance Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Modarresi News, September 4, 2003
5. ↑ "Zaman Online, August 13, 2004". Archived from the original on October 28, 2006. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
6. ↑ Why 2003 is not 1991 The Guardian, April 1, 2003
7. ↑ Iraqi forces in Najaf take cover in important Shia shrine, The Boston Globe, April 2, 2003. "For the world's nearly 120 million Muslim Shias, Najaf is the third holiest city behind Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia."
8. ↑ Religious rivalries and political overtones in Iraq Archived 2009-06-11 at the Wayback Machine CNN.com, April 23, 2003]
9. ↑ "Miscellaneous Relevant Links" Muslims, Islam, and Iraq