hello everybody this is Doug and I am
here in najaf Iraq that is right I'm
back in Iraq which is one of my favorite
countries one of my favorite places that
I've ever visited I was here just about
a year ago in August of last year and
now I'm back for the second time I'm
here in Naja it's a very important city
we're going to talk about that very soon
I'm also here for a very important event
which is the arbain pilgrimage but more
on that soon as well everybody say hello
to Hussein hello guys how you doing my
Iraqi friend you guys might remember him
from a lot of the videos actually from
last time yeah there's a carbala video
yeah right now we are walking towards
the Imam Ali Shrine here in Naja so we
are going to walk like you literally
can't even really take vehicles that
close because there are so many people
here there are a ton of people from Iraq
obviously and a ton of people from Iran
yeah I run even some Arabic countries
Pakistan too some also Muslims that come
from like Europe and from the West also
so technically you can see a lot of
different countries here not just Iraqis
I'm excited I love that let's go meet
some people we'll probably try some food
yeah it's gonna be fun
my friend hello
my family
[Music]
nice to meet you okay so we're here at
the uh Zane SIM card Booth they're just
selling SIM cards at the side of the
road here as people walk by hello hello
hello hello hello
a bunch of Iranian people someone from
Bahrain a lot of Iraqi people Okay so
we've just gotten the SIM card I'm now
good to go
and we're meeting lots of friendly
people I think the U.S passport at the
SIM card station was quite the novelty
you know it's so interesting meeting
Iranian people out in you know in the
world because the political situation
between our countries is so rough but
then you meet the people and it's just
like oh hey it's really nice to like
actually meet people that you really
don't have an opportunity to meet back
home or like in most places we're
continuing on towards the shrine stay
tuned now before we continue I'm want to
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back to the video all right guys so we
are getting closer but we are actually
heading right now into the not Jeff
Market yeah this is like the big Ninja
Market okay it's actually very old and
we have to go through it so we can go to
the shrine it has a good vibe everything
here feels very old and an authentic
dude yeah the gate is beautiful wow good
is really beautiful it has a really nice
Islamic design all right let's do it
here we go we are slowly making our way
through the market it gets very crowded
as we get closer to the shrine we're
getting close although I can't see the
end yet on either direction so it's a
very very big Market they're selling all
sorts of sweets here jewelry everything
you need all right we're gonna grab some
juice
how are you YouTube
what's their best one what's the best
cocktail mix
what a production a lot of people want
juice
all right so I got the cocktail which is
like a little bit of everything let's
give it a shot foreign
oh that's so good
very very good very refreshing I love
places that sell fresh juice so many
countries do this like with all the
tropical fruits and it's just so nice
like you can just get it wherever you
wherever you are yeah the food is right
here everywhere it's amazing thank you
guys
oh wait I have their glass oh yeah wait
I have your glass
thank you shukran bye-bye okay that
juice was amazing but we need more sugar
so we're gonna have some tahin is this
from Naja yeah it is originally from
here that's why when you go to Carolina
you can find so many shops that sells
the hand it's a local Suite A local
sweet and very very sugary very sugary
very buttery and it's everywhere and
they serve it in these massive pans and
there's kinds with nuts and with
pistachios and cream in the middle I've
actually had this before outside karbala
last time where it's also popular look
how big these pans are
here's my hand for reference it's huge
wow see here's one with walnuts
this one has some kind of cream layer on
the inside and then is this coconut I
think so oh
thank you so what is in this one is it
just like the original
yeah
okay look at that it's it's like shiny
with the butter and the grease looks so
good I gotta heat it quickly a lot of
fat and oil here we go
oh my God is it warm right
it's thick and chewy and buttery and
sweet
it's so good a lot of calories a lot of
calories
I have another one this one has cream in
the middle I think last time this one
was my favorite so I'm very excited
oh yeah and there's some like candied
coconut on the top I love the one with
the cream this one's my favorite it's so
good
I could eat a lot of this thank you
thank you so no no please please no
please
thank you thank you
YouTube say hello to YouTube YouTube
where in Iran are you from oh nice nice
the big group selfie nice one nice one
nice to meet you
alrighty guys so we are getting very
close to the Imam Ali Shrine but before
we do I just want to talk to Hussein
here about who Imam Ali was who he is
what he represents and why millions of
people around the globe come here
especially right now yeah we're in najaf
in the uh it's actually one of the most
important figures in Islam is he cousin
and the southern law of the Prophet
Muhammad millions of people come here to
visit their Imam and we can find the
Iraqis Iranians Arab people basically
Millions tens of millions every year
it's actually one of the most holy sites
in Iraq it is a pretty amazing scene
here there's like I've said a million
times just so many people here but this
is really just the beginning of the
journey because tomorrow so Hussein and
I are going to be embarking on the
arbain pilgrimage which is a walk from
here in Naja all the way to karbala
which is a pretty long walk like two
days yeah it depends how fast I guess 80
to 90 kilometers however they get to be
a lot of people and a lot of food a lot
of rituals so you're probably you're not
gonna feel it we've actually seen a lot
of that already here in the walk that we
took just now to the shrine there's
people giving out all sorts of things a
lot of water stations food so it's just
really generous and it's a very positive
atmosphere a lot of people all banding
together more on the arbaine pilgrimage
coming up in the next video that's just
a little explanation of why we're here
now let's continue on and head inside
the shrine
we're going in we're not sure about the
camera situation so I'm gonna put it
away wish us luck
in reference to the inside of the shrine
now we're on like kind of the outside
Pavilion lots and lots of people here
and uh hello
thank you okay guys so I might have
spoken a bit too soon we got in and they
took my camera so this is now from the
iPhone we have made it into the shrine
shoes are off and it is still very
crowded but uh it's very beautiful as
well
see if we can get inside a little
further
and check it out
okay guys so we just saw the spot of the
tomb of Imam Ali that was where you can
see all the people reaching to touch the
bars surrounding the tomb and now we've
come into this space that is kind of
like a rest space I guess it's much more
calm out here and you can see people all
over the place taking a little snooze so
it still has a really good architecture
yeah it's just beautiful this is like
very similar to Imam Hussein Shrine and
karbala but this one is all like silver
mirrors yeah millions of pieces it's
amazing it's like you can't the video
definitely does not do it justice it's
one of those kind of places you have to
see in person
so beautiful and by the way for anyone
that is wondering obviously I'm in the
men's section but there is the women's
section on the other side of the shrine
which is right behind those wooden walls
right there so it's basically split half
and half
alrighty guys so we just came out of the
Imam Ali Shrine oh and I want to say a
big thanks to that dahin salesman who
gave us the sweets earlier because once
they wouldn't let me take the camera in
we actually left my bag with my camera
in it with him and he took care of it
for us so thank you very much for that
the shrine was absolutely incredible as
you guys can see from the videos it's
covered in millions and millions of
pieces of that kind of silver mirror
tiled design which is just breathtaking
and overwhelming and it's it's just
amazing to look at because everything is
reflecting and shimmering and it's very
very beautiful I would argue and say
that the Imam Ali Shrine could be one of
the most beautiful mosque that you can
see in the world the marble the golden
dome there's a huge golden dome and you
can see that the gold is on why while
you're approaching the shrine from a
distance if you come like my sunset or
at the daylight you will see they go
holding on like kind of reflecting the
Sun so it will be a really nice scene
the whole thing is just like so
immaculate and and just pristine and
decorated it's it's it's it's wild you
really have to see it in person to fully
appreciate it because the camera just
cannot do it justice but anyway we're
heading out of here so I'll catch up
with you guys in a few all right hello
guys it's the next day we're just about
to begin our long walk to karbala but
first met some nice guys on the street
say hello guys hello
so you saw the video before yes okay
you're gonna be on it now it'll be on
YouTube
Hey so we're walking now to karbala
Yellow Cabo yeah
more thank you yeah uh no we're
walking
bye okay so we're starting the journey
here we go
[Music]
alrighty guys so here we are it's the
next day as I said with Hussein again
and uh it started the walk has started
we are on the road from now Jeff to
karbala but that is the story for the
next video so we're gonna end this video
here hope you guys enjoyed just a little
bit of a taste of najaf with us we're
gonna start the next video very very
soon so look out for that coming up but
other than that thank you guys so much
for watching and I'll see you in the
next one
[Music]