1. IRAQ The historical name for the region is Mesopotamia, the land between two rivers (Tigres & Euphrates), and thought to be the cradle of civilization

2. Visiting Iraq  The best time to visit Iraq is in the Spring or Winter. Traveling to Iraq in the summer is not recommended because temperatures reach as high as 118.4°F (48° C).  Most Iraqi people speak little English but are exceptionally helpful to foreigners.  Iraq is full of ancient sites that have existed since the dawn of civilization  Be sure to try a wide variety of Iraqi food, including fruits, as they can be delicious.  SPECIAL NOTE: Every visitor to Iraq is tested for AIDS. The fee for the test is $50 (USD)

3. TRAVEL WARNING: It is still not recommended to travel to Iraq. The threat to foreigners, in particular British and Americans, remains very high. Travelers should visit one of the following government websites for the latest risk assessment: British Foreign and Commonwealth Office Website: www.fco.gov.uk/travel Tel: +44 (0)870 606 0290. US Department of State Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Website: http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/sos/warnings-en.asp

4. PLACES TO VISIT IN IRAQ  Najaf  Kufa  Karbala  Moosayab  Kadhmayn  Baghdad  Madain/Salman Pak  Samarra  Balad  Hillah  Basra

5. Najaf 1.Mausoleum of 1 st Imam Ali b. Abi Taalib: there are three graves in one darih  Grave of Imam Ali  Grave of Prophet Adam- 1 st prophet and man on earth  Grave of Prophet Nuh 2.Wadi-us Salaam  Tomb of Prophet Hud  Tomb of Prophet Saleh  Maqam of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq  Maqam of Saheb al-Asr, Imam al-Mahdi  Mosalla of Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin 3. Tomb of Hadrat Kumayl, companion of Imam Ali

6. Najaf 4. Tomb of Rashid Hijri, companion of Imam Ali 5.Masjid Hannana  This mosque is between Kufa and Najaf. The significance of this mosque is that when Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn were carrying the janaza of Imam Ali from Kufa to Najaf, they passed near this mosque, and as they were passing, the pillars of the mosque inclined towards Imam Ali as if paying its last respects. It is also believed that some of the skin from Imam Husayn's head (that came off when Khul Mal'un was disrespecting the head of Imam Husayn with a knife) is buried here. 6.Grave of Sayyid al-Khui  Grand-mujtahid to 450 million Muslims since 1970

7. KUFA 1.Masjid Kufa  Mehrab-e-Ibadat. The place where Imam Ali was martyred  Courtroom of Imam Ali  Mausoleum of Muslim ibn Aqil, cousin and ambassador of Imam Husayn to Kufa  Mausoleum of Mukhtar, the avenger of Imam Husayn who was killed by Ubaydullah Ibn Ziyad for sheltering and supporting Muslim ibn Aqil  Mosalla of several prophets 2. House of Imam Ali 3. Mausoleum of Sayyida Khadijatul Sughra daughter of Imam Ali 4. Mausoleum of Prophet Yunus, near the river 5. Kooba of Ebrahim ibn Hasan al-Muthanna ibn Imam Hasan

8. KUFA 6.Masjid Sahla  Mosalla of 6 th Imanm Ja’far l-Sadiq  Mosalla of Prophet Ibrahim  Mosalla of Prophet Idris  Mosalla of Prophet Khidr, also called Maqam al- Saleheen  Maqam of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq 7. Mausoleum of Maytham al-Tammar, companion of Imam Ali 8. Mosque of Zaid, near Masjid Sahla 9. Mosque of Sa’asa ibn Sauhan, companion of Imam Ali

9. KARBALA 1.Mausoleum of 3 rd Imam al-Husayn. There are three graves in darih:  Grave of Imam Husayn  Grave of Ali Akbar, son of Imam Husayn  Grave of Ali Asgher, son of Imam Husayn 2. Mausoleum of Hadrat Abbas b. Ali, brother and standard bearer of Imam Husayn 3. Grave of Habib ibn Madhaher 4. Ganj-e-Shohada, graves of the rest of the martyrs of Karbala 5. Qatl- ghah 6. Grave of Ibrahim, son of 7 th Imam Musa al-Kadhim

10. KARBALA 7. Til-e-Zaynabiya 8. Khaimaghah 9. Garden of 6 th Imam Ja’far al- Sadiq 10. Gerden of 12 th Imam Sahib al-Asr, Al-Mahdi 11. Mausoleum of Hur, companion of Imam Hasayn of Karbala, 3 miles from Karbala 12. Mausoleum of Aun, son of Sayyida Zaynab

11. moosayab Moosayab is on the way to Kadhmayn while going from Karbala 1.Mausoleum of the two sons of Muslim ibn Aqil  Muhammed ibn Muslim ibn  Ibrahim ibn Muslim Aqil They are also known as Tiflan-e-Muslim

12. kadhmayn 1.Mausoleum of the 7 th and 9 th Imams, Imam Musa al-Kadhim and Imam Muhammed al-Jaweed 2. Grave of Shaykh al-Mufid 3. Grave of Sayyid Ismail Safrudin 4. Grave of Khwaja Nasirudin Tusi 5. Grave of Sayyid Murtada 6. Grave of Sayyid Razi

13. Baghdad 1.The four representatives of the 12 th Imam during the minor occulation (ghabat al-sughra) are buried here  Uthman b. Sayeed  Muhammed b. Uthman  Ali b. Muhammad Foor  Husayn b. Rooh 2. Tomb of Qambar the slave of Imam Ali 3. Tomb of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Kulayni, the compiler of Al-Kafi 4. Masjid Boorasa. This mosque is on the way to Baghdad from Kadhmayn

14. madain/salman pak 1.Tomb of Salman Farsi, companion of the Holy Prophets 2. Tomb of Hudhaifa al-Yamani, companion of the Holy Prophets 3. Tomb of Jabir b. Abdullah al-Ansari, companion of the Holy Prophets 4. Masjid Jum’a, near the tomb of Salman Farsi 5. Tak-e-Kisra, the palace of Nausherwan- part of the ancient Babylonian civilization. When the holy prophets were born in Makkah, this huge edifice is said to have developed cracks on its walls. * Note: on 26 March 1934, King Faisal I of Iraq supervised the transfer of the remains of Hudhaifa al-Yamani and Jabir b. Abdullah al-Ansari, the two trusted companions of the Holy Prophets from their resting place in Madain which were endangered with water from the Tigres River to a new site at Salman Pak near the resting place og Salman Farsi

15. samarra 1.Mausoleum of the 10 th and 11th Imams, Imam Ali al-Naqi and Imam Hasan al- Askari. The main darih has four graves  Grave of 10 th Imam Ali al-Naqi  Grave of 11 th Imam Hasan al-Askari  Grave of Sayyida Halima Khatoon, daughter of Imam Ali al-Naqi and sister of Imam Hasan al- Askari. Her nararation of the birth of the 12 th Imam is reported extensively as she was a mid- wife to Sayyida Nargis Khatoon, the mother of the 12 th Imam.  Grave of Sayyida Nargis Khatoon, mother of the 12 th Imam Al-Mahdi 2.Cellar of 12 th Imam Al-Mahdi, where he was last seen. Also called Maqam Ghaybat. 3. Masjid Jamia 4. Mosque built during the time of Mutawakkil, which was at one point the largest mosque in the world.

16. Balad 1.Mausoleum of Muhammad ibn Imam Ali-Naqi

17. hillah 1.Tomb of Hazma 2. Tomb of Qasim b. Imam Musa Al-Kadhim 3. Tomb of Prophet Ayyub 4. Tomb of Prophet Daniel 5. Tomb of Prophet Dhul Kifl. Known as “Chifl” 6. Maqam Sahib al-Zamaan

18. basra 1.Masjid Ali