Valley of Peace

Wadi-al-Salaam is an Islamic cemetery, located in the Shia holy city of Najaf, Iraq. It is the largest cemetery in the world. The cemetery covers 1,485.5 acres and contains more than 8 million bodies. It also attracts millions of pilgrims annually.The cemetery is located near the shrine of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the first Shia Imam, as well as the fourth Sunni Caliph. 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 buried in the cemetery. However, burial at the cemetery "means being placed in one of the cemetery's many catacombs." According to an undertaker at the cemetery, each crypt can hold up to 50 bodies. The burial plots are controlled by Marja'.