Najaf
| Najaf | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| location | |||
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| Coordinates | 31 ° 59 ′ N , 44 ° 19 ′ E | ||
| Country |
 Iraq
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| Governorate | Najaf | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Residents | 900,583 (2008) | ||
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Najaf (also Nedschef ; Arabic النجف an-Najaf , Persian نجف) is a city in Iraq and the capital of Najaf Province . It is located south of Baghdad and has 900,583 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2008). It is one of the seven holy cities of Shiite Islam .
Almost 100% of the population are Arabs . 99.99% of the population are Muslim . Over 95% of them are Shiites and 5% Sunnis .
For Shiites, especially the Twelve Shiites , Najaf is considered sacred: In the city stands the Imam Ali Mosque , the burial mosque of the Imam ʿAlī ibn Abī Tālib , the son-in-law and successor of the Prophet Mohammed, who is very important for the Shiites . The mosque is considered the most important Islamic sanctuary in Iraq.
In the metropolitan area is the Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery, the largest cemetery in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records .
All the main streets of Najaf run towards him in a star shape and end in front of the high walls that protect the mosque. This attracts pilgrims day and night . The deceased are brought here by their relatives in simple wooden coffins so that the blessing of Imam Ali can be requested before the burial on the outskirts of the city.
Najaf is also a center of political power, mainly because of the seat of the Hawza , the association of influential Shiite scholars.
history
The city was founded in the 8th century by the caliph Hārūn ar-Raschīd , on the supposed site of the tomb of ʿAlī ibn Abī Tālib , a cousin of Mohammed .
In 1978, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini prepared the revolution in Iran from Najaf, where he had fled in 1965.
Najaf was badly damaged in the first and second Gulf War . The Shiite population suffered long and hard under Saddam Hussein's rule. In 1991 she dared to riot after the US promised her help. However, when the aid failed to materialize, the uprising was brutally suppressed by Saddam's troops. Thousands of Shiites were killed, many of them buried in mass graves.
The battle for Najaf ended in April 2003 with the victory of the attacking Americans. In August 2003 opponents of the Iraqi reorganization carried out a devastating bomb attack on the Imam Ali mosque. 120 people were killed, including the moderate Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim .
In April 2004, supporters of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr conquered Najaf as well as the city of Kut . A partial withdrawal took place in May 2004 before the election of the new state leadership.
climate
In Najaf there are hot and dry summers with temperatures up to over 50 ° C and mild winters with temperatures not below 20 ° C.
traffic
Al Najaf International Airport (IATA: NJF; ICAO: ORNI) is located southeast of the city .
sons and daughters of the town
- Hassan Tabatabaei Qomi (1912-2007), Iranian Shiite clergyman
- Muhammad Bahr al-Ulum (1927-2015), Shiite clergyman
- Mohammad Husseini Shirazi (1928-2001), cleric (Grand Ayatollah)
- Muhammad Said al-Hakim (* 1934), Twelve Shiite clergyman
- Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah (1935–2010), leading Shiite clergyman in Lebanon and spiritual leader of Hezbollah
- Muhammad Baqir al-Hakim (1939–2003), Grand Ayatollah and opposition leader
- Mohammad Ali Taschiri (1944-2020), Iranian Shiite clergyman
- Mahmud Haschemi Schahrudi (1948–2018), politician and Chief Justice of Iran (1999–2009)
- Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim (1950 / 53–2009), clergyman and politician
- Mohamed Ali Alhakim (* 1952), diplomat and politician
- Mohsen Araki (* 1955), Iranian Shiite clergyman
- Ali Larijani (* 1958), Iranian politician
- Sadegh Larijani (* 1961), Shiite clergyman, head of the judiciary of Iran since 2009
- Abd al-Madschid al-Khoei (1962-2003), Shiite cleric
- Jawad Al-Khoei (* 1980), Shiite clergyman
See also
- Wadi as-Salam (Najaf cemetery; largest cemetery in the world)
- Najaf Theological College
