It is a historical city, established at (17 A. H. – 638 A. D.). Then, it became the capital of the Islamic State in the reign of Al – Imam Ali at (35 A.H.). A lot of Mohammad’s companions, sciences, princes, poets, and men of literature lived near the holly shrine of Al – Imam Ali.
In Kufa, there are a lot of holly places and Sharif locations. In the speech of the prophet (PBUH) “Kufa is the sanctum of Allah, his prophet, and Al – Imam Ali Bin Abi Talib; and in its big mosque many prophets, testamentary men, and the good people.
The traveler Ibn Jibair described Kufa in his journey, he had entered the city in Friday, the twenty – eighth of Moharam Al – Haram at (580 A. H.) and said: “it is a big city with old building … it was built with brick and it has no walls… the old mosque is at the end of the city in the east side and there is no building behind this mosque from the east side’. The traveler Ibn Batuta described it in his journey at the end of (725 A. H.) and said: “it is one of the Iraqi mothers lands and it is distinguish because of the cemetery of the prophet companion and the settlement of the scientists and Al – Imam Ali Holly Shrine, but the ruination covered it”.
It was narrated that Imam Ali Said” It is the essence of believing and the top of Islam and it is the sword and the spear of Allah; put it when ever he wants…”. The old Kufa was too large and it had sixty miles and third. In Mujam Al – Buldan For Al – Yaqoot: it had fifty thousands home for Arabs from Rabi’a and Mudhar and there were twenty thousands houses for other Arabs and six thousands house for Yemen.
According to the estimations of 2006 the population of Kufa is (129.464) persons and this represent about (12%) of the total portion of Najaf citizens