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Najaf, Iraq: Serious Sightseeing

September 17, 2025

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It was halftime in my trip to Iraq. Now, the serious sightseeing would begin. The next stop on the trip was the city of Najaf, the holiest city for Shiite Muslims.

Lunch

Before setting off on the long drive from Mosul, a full meal was required. a group of vehicles parked in front of a building

a plate of food on a table a plate of food with meat and vegetables

a small plastic wrapper with red and white text — If you’re Iraqi, you either love or hate this gum. I hate it.

a view from a car window of a gas station

Hotel

We checked into the hotel, which, consistent with others, looked like a SE Asian guesthouse. a building with cars parked in front of it a bed with red pillows and a red and gold blanket

Wadi al-Salam Cemetery

From there, we went to our second cemetery of the trip (see Telkaif, Iraq: No Need for 23andMe). This one was unlike anything I had seen before. It holds the Guinness World Records for the largest cemetery at 1,485 acres. There are 6 million people buried here. The place is so big that it has its own parking lot. a city with many buildings a large city with many buildings

TPOL’s Tip: It’s strange to talk about great views and cemeteries in the same sentence, but the best view of the cemetery is from the top floor of the parking lot.

Imam Ali Shrine

Every year, millions of Shiite Muslims make the pilgrimage to the Imam Ali Shrine. I have mixed feelings about going. On the one hand, it is a beautiful architectural structure that is truly impressive to see in person. On the other hand, it is awkward to visit a solemn place as a tourist. a chandelier in a dome a group of people in a room with a gold structure a large chandelier with lights a large room with many people standing in front of a large chandelier

a group of people outside a building people inside a building a group of people in a large building a group of people in a courtyard

a group of people sitting on the ground in a courtyard a group of people outside a building

a building with a tall tower a large crowd of people outside a building a group of people in front of a building

Food

Around the mosque, there are plenty of vendors selling treats. Our first stop was the falafel man. The falafel was ok, but the real treat was finally finding a Diet Coke. The vendor was so surprised I was buying it, he made a point to confirm that it was diet, not regular, “But this is diet”.

a bowl of soup with vegetables and spices a hand holding a sandwich a hand holding a bottle of soda a group of bottles with labels

TPOL’s Tip: Women visiting the mosque must wear the abaya. Ms. TPOL had hers from visiting in Iraq. It cost 5k.

Dessert

Najaf is famous for its desserts. While samples are free, it is considered impolite not to purchase a small amount afterward. Please do your best to give it away before finishing it all yourself.

a large display of food a large round dish with a pile of pecan pie a plate of food on a table

a man in a head scarf eating food — The look of when are you going to buy something.

a group of men standing around a large tray of food — Pressured.

Spot Ms. TPOL

Where is she? a group of people walking in a market

Dinner

For dinner, we went to a restaurant that provided great food and entertainment called Al Agid. Without a guide, there’s no way we would have found this fun place that featured waiters fighting waiters.

The usual, phenomenal food was served: hummus, fattoush, mixed meats, followed by reggi (watermelon for dessert).

a building with palm trees and lights