Great Mosque of Kufa

Kufa, Najaf Governorate, Iraq

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The Great Mosque of Kufa in Kufa, Najaf Governorate, Iraq, is one of the oldest and most important mosques in the Islamic world. Originally founded in the 7th century, it played a major role in the early history of Islam and served as a religious, political, and administrative center for the city of Kufa. The mosque is especially significant in Shia Islam because it is closely associated with Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth caliph and first Imam in Shia tradition, who prayed and governed from there and was fatally wounded in the mosque in 661 CE. The complex also contains the shrines of Muslim ibn Aqeel, Hani ibn Urwa, and Al-Mukhtar, making it an important pilgrimage destination. Extensively restored over the centuries, the mosque remains one of Iraq’s most revered religious and historical landmarks.