Imam Ali Shrine

The shrine holds the tomb of Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet and the first imam of Shia Islam, and it is the centre of Najaf and of Shia scholarship: the hawza, the network of religious seminaries around the shrine, has taught here for a thousand years. The building is a large courtyard of iwans faced in glazed tile, with a gold dome and two gold minarets above the tomb, mirrored interiors, and a silver grille that pilgrims crowd to touch. Around it the old city of narrow lanes holds bookshops, the libraries of the seminaries and workshops making prayer stones and rosaries. The Wadi al-Salam cemetery spreads away to the north.

History

Ali died in 661 CE, two days after he was struck while leading the dawn prayer in the Great Mosque of Kufa, and on his instructions his grave was kept secret. It stayed hidden for over a century, until the sixth Shia imam, Sadiq, revealed it in the 8th century, and it became publicly known in the reign of the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid (Wikipedia, Imam Ali Shrine).

What to look for

• The gold dome - gilded dome and minarets over the tomb of Ali.
• Tiled iwans - the glazed courtyard facades around the sanctuary.
• Mirrorwork and grille - the interior and the silver enclosure at the tomb.
• The seminary quarter - bookshops and religious schools around the shrine.

When to go

November to March; Najaf is fiercely hot from May to September. Arbaeen and other pilgrimage dates bring immense crowds. Evenings are cooler and the shrine is at its most atmospheric lit up.

Before you go

Dress codes are strict and enforced, women must be fully covered, and cameras and phones are usually deposited at the gate. Non-Muslim access to the inner areas varies and may be refused. Security screening is thorough and queues are long on busy days.

Nearby

Wadi al-Salam cemetery lies north; Kufa is northeast.

Key facts