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

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 ceremonies will then move to the Iraqi shrine cities of Karbala and Najaf on Wednesday.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 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

Saeb Abu Ghneim, head of the hotel association in Najaf, told AFP that 80 percent of the city's 250 hotels had closed, with more than 2,000 employees laid off or on unpaid leave.

From Barron's ● May 4, 2026

These Guebres, amongst other sacred spots, claim Meccah, where they say Saturn and the Moon were conjointly venerated; Jerusalem, the Tomb of Ali at Najaf, that of Hosayn at Kerbela, and others.

From Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah — Volume 1 by Sir Richard Francis Burton

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