Najaf in the Writings of Persian Travelers during the Nineteenth Century AD - A Historical Study

Abstract

Najaf has been and continues to be a destination for tourists and visitors from all over the world due to its historical cultural and significance its ancient cultural monuments and the presence of the shrine of Imam Ali(peace be upon him)and the shrines of saints and righteous people scattered throughout it. Over  5^th century AH the city has been visited by numerous Arab and foreign travelers, who documented their observations and journeys through its Najaf and published their memoires in their original languages. These accounts thus have become an important reference relied upon by researchers to study the conditions of Najaf and its ancient and modern history.

Persian tourists who came to Iraq to visit the holy shrines or to study in the religious seminaries in Najaf al-Ashraf, severl many writings and observations about Najaf, which some of them have recorded and published in persian language. These are important memoires, like the rest of the observations, as they were not limited to external appearances, but rather conveyed deep impressions and observations that reflect the social and cultural life of the city. They are more important because they conveyed observations and impressions in depth. Because the Persians and because of the same sect, especially in the Shiite regions, found it easier for them to mix and mingle with the People   much more than other tourists who were conveying superficial observations without delving into the depths of Iraqi society. Therefore, this topic was chosen to study the documnts of persian alrahaala, with the aim of identifying the most prominent things they recorded about Najaf al-Ashraf, and exploring the comprehensive image of this ancient city as reflected in their writings and observations during the period in which they they had been visiting it.