Al-Kofa, where al-Mutanabi, al-Kindi and Jaber bin Hayan were born
Celebrations started on Thursday in the city of al-Kofa, 150 Km to the south of Baghdad to mark the 14th centuries of the city's foundation at the hands of the Muslim Arab leader Saad Bin Abi Waqqas.
The building of this second Islamic city goes back to the era of the second Muslim Khaleifa Omar Bin al-Khattab who ordered at the 7th Hijra year the building of a city to be a headquarters for Arab and Muslim armies instead of the al-Madaain city which was then crowded by the Persians.
The Iraqi dailies issued on Thursday quoted the head of al-Kofa university Khalil Ibrahim saying that the celebration which is being held for the first time includes delivery of poems and speeches commemorating the occasion and discussions on 30 researches in two sessions the first session will be held at Saddam's great Hall at the university's presidium headquarters and the second at the courtyard of al-Kofa mosque.
The researches will deal with the position of al-Kofa, its schools and archaeological and architectural designs. And the participants will pay fields visits to the archaeological, tourism and religious sites at al-Najaf province.
History books say that the city of al-Kofa won the most interest when it was chosen by the fourth Muslim Khaleifa Imam Ali Bin Abi Taleb as a capital for the Muslim state in the 36th Hijra year, where the Khelapha headquarters was transferred, after which the city attracted thousands of intellectuals, high ranking men of religion and its religious, history, poetry and history schools flourished.
Al-Kofa which during the two past years witnessed re-building and renovation operations, is characterized by several monuments. One of the most beautiful Arabic calligraphy derived its name from its ( al-Kofi calligraphy). Great men were also born in he city including Imam Abu Hanifah al-Nu’man; the renowned chemist Jaber Bin Hayan and the greatest Arab poet al-Mutanabi and the musician, doctor and scientist Abu Youssef Yaqoub al-Knidi.
The Islamic sources said that the Muslim leader Saad Bin Abi Waqqa first started the building of the city's mosque after he had chosen the site of the new city on the western side of the Euphrates and that mosque was enough to contain 50,000 men in their prayers.
Al-Kofa is situated at 10 Km from al-Najaf which contains the tomb of Imam Ali Bin Abi Taleb. It receives thousands of Muslim visitors from Iraq and various Muslim states all over the year.
The " A.B" ( Aleph Baa) weekly which prepared a detailed report on this anniversary in its Wednesday's issue said that the foundation date of the city which falls on Thursday coincides with the birthday of Imam Ali.
The Iraqi dailies said the celebrations which are organized by al-Kofa university are held under the patronage of resident Saddam Hussein and with the participation of several officials and scholars. Tomader.