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

Born in Najaf, Iraq in 1957 to a prominent Shia cleric who was close to the Islamic Republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Larijani's family has been influential within Iran's political system for decades.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

Khamenei left Mashhad in 1957 to attend seminary in the Shiite holy city of Najaf in Iraq.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

The authorities were forced to shut down airports in the provinces of Najaf and Basra.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2025

He then traveled to a seminary in Najaf, Iraq, for religious studies, but two years later he and other Shiite students and clerics were expelled by Saddam Hussein’s government.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2024

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)