Najaf

American  

[naj-af] / ˈnædʒ æf /

Also An-Najaf

noun

1. a city in central Iraq: holy city of the Shiʿites; shrine contains tomb of Ali (around a.d. 600–661), founder of the Shiʿite sect.

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Najaf British  

/ ˈnædʒæf /

noun

1. a holy city in central Iraq, near the River Euphrates; burial place of the Caliph Ali and a centre of the Shiite faith. Pop: 639 000 (2005 est)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Najaf

Crowds thronged the streets of Najaf on Wednesday as the coffin of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei moved through the holy city in a procession devoted to Iraq, home to Shia Islam's most sacred shrines.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Huge crowds filled the city of Najaf for a procession that ended at the mausoleum of Imam Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law and first Shia Imam.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

The commemorations now move to some of the most sacred sites for Shia Muslims, including in Qom, south of Tehran, on Tuesday, and then to Najaf and Karbala in neighbouring Iraq.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

On Wednesday, Khamenei’s casket will be transported to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, where Iran supports numerous armed groups, and where many among the Shia majority population regard Khamenei as a religious authority.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

On the way it appeared well to take the opportunity of reducing Najaf Kuli, who, confident in his stronghold of Gokalgarh, would make no submission unless he were appointed premier.

From Fall of the Moghul Empire of Hindustan by Keene, H. G. (Henry George)