Wadi-us-Salaam
| Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery | |
|---|---|
وادي السلام (Valley of Peace) | |
Aerial photograph of most of the whole cemetery. | |
| Details | |
| Location | 2894+CR4, Najaf, Najaf Governorate, Iraq |
| Country | Iraq |
| Coordinates | 32°01′02″N 44°17′51″E / 32.01722°N 44.29750°E |
Wadi-us-Salaam (Arabic: وادي السلام, romanized: Wādī s-Salām, Arabic pronunciation: [ˈwaːdi‿s.saˈlaːm], lit. 'Valley of Peace') is an Islamic cemetery, located in the holy city of Najaf, Iraq. It is the largest cemetery in the world. The cemetery covers 1,485.5 acres (601.16 ha; 6.01 km2; 2.32 sq mi) and contains more than 6 million bodies. It also attracts millions of pilgrims annually.
The cemetery is located near the shrine of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Sunni Caliph, as well as the first Shia Imam. Thus, many Shi'ites in Iraq request that they be buried in this cemetery. As a result of improved transportation methods, Shi'ites from across the globe are (or seek to be) buried in the cemetery. Modern burials are interred inside shared crypts.