Imam Ali Shrine

Najaf, Iraq

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The Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, Iraq, is the holiest site for Shia Muslims, housing the tomb of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, who died in 661 CE after being struck by a poisoned sword in nearby Kufa.

First built over the grave in 786 CE by Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid with a simple dome, it was expanded by Buyid ruler Adud al-Dawla in 979-980 CE adding a cenotaph and protective walls, then rebuilt multiple times through Hamdanid, Safavid, and other eras, with the current golden-domed structure largely from 1622 under Shah Abbas I via architect Baha' al-Din al-Amili. 

Featuring a vast courtyard, towering minarets gilded in 1743 by Nader Shah, intricate muqarnas iwans, and Safavid-style blue tiles over a 42-meter-high inner dome, it draws millions of pilgrims annually despite damages from invasions, floods, and modern conflicts, symbolizing Shia devotion and architectural splendor.