Description : Kufa (Arabic: الْكُوفَة al-Kūfah), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about 170 kilometres (110 mi) south of Baghdad, and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Currently, Kufa and Najaf are joined into a single urban area that is mostly commonly known to the outside world as 'Najaf'. Along with Samarra, Karbala, Kadhimiya and Najaf, Kufa is one of five Iraqi cities that are of great importance to Shi'ite Muslims. The city was the final capital of the fourth Rashidun Caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and was founded during 639 CE (17 Hijrah) by the second Rashidun Caliph, Umar ibn Al-Khattab. It is also related that Muslims after the conquest of Al-Madain were searching for a suitable place for habitation. Likewise, Salman and Hudhayfa bin al-Yamman were also looking for a place to reside. After choosing the land, they offered prayers there, thus marking the day of the foundation of Kufa.
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