2025 Iraq Ziyarat Tour: A Journey of Spiritual Significance

Iraq is home to some of the most sacred Islamic sites, especially for Shia Muslims. It holds immense religious, historical, and cultural significance as the resting place of several revered prophets, Imams, and companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Each city visited during this tour offers deep spiritual value and an opportunity to connect with Islamic history.

Najaf is the holy city that houses the shrine of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (A.S) — the first Imam of Shia Islam and the fourth caliph of Islam. Known as the “Gateway to Knowledge,” Najaf is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world.

Karbala, the land of sacrifice, is the site of the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S) — the beloved grandson of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The shrine of Imam Hussain and his loyal brother Hazrat Abbas (A.S) stands as a symbol of resistance, justice, and devotion.

Baghdad, the capital city, is a center of learning and spirituality. It is home to the shrines of many great Islamic scholars and saints, including Imam Musa al-Kadhim (A.S) and Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (A.S) in the district of Kadhimayn. The city also hosts the annual Geyarwein Shareef event, celebrating the legacy of Hazrat Ghaus-e-Azam Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (R.A).

This mosque was initially a small prayer house built by caliph Umar (R.A) but was reconstructed and expanded by the Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik and completed by his son al-Walid in 705 CE. During 746, an earthquake hit the mosque and was completely destroyed and reconstructed by the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur in the year 754, and again renovated in 780 by his successor al-Mahdi. Another earthquake in 1033 destroyed most of al-Aqsa mosque, but within two years the Fatimid caliph Ali az-Zahir constructed another mosque that has stood till the present-day. The periodic renovations were undertaken by the various Islamic Caliphs. They did additions to the mosque and its boundaries; the renovations were made to domes, minbar, facade, minarets and also including the interior structure. When the Christian captured Jerusalem in 1099, they altered the mosque to palace and church, but it was restored as a mosque after the recapture by Saladin Ayyubi in 1187. Some more renovations, repairs, maintenance and additions, were taken in the later centuries by the Mamluks, Ayyubids, Ottomans, Jordan and the Supreme Muslim Council. At the present, the Old City is under the control of Israel, but this mosque is under the administration of the Islamic Waqf led by Jordanian/Palestinian.