Al-Kifl
Al-Kifl
الكفل | |
|---|---|
City | |
Vendors line the main road through Kifl. | |
Al-Kifl Location within Iraq | |
| Coordinates: 32°13′27″N 44°22′36″E / 32.22417°N 44.37667°E | |
| Country | Iraq |
| Province | Babylon |
| District | Al-Hillah |
| Named after | Dhul-Kifl |
| Area | |
• Total | 439 sq mi (1,137 km2) |
| Elevation | 115 ft (35 m) |
| Population (2018) | |
• Total | 22,800 |
| • Density | 51.9/sq mi (20.1/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 |
| Postal code | 50006 |
Al-Kifl (Arabic: الكفل; also known as Kifl) is a town in southeastern Iraq on the Euphrates River, between Najaf and Hillah. The population in and near the town is about 15,000. Al-Kifl is the location of al-Nukhailah Mosque, containing the tomb of Dhu al-Kifl who is believed to be the biblical prophet Ezekiel. A project to renovate the tomb and develop it as a tourist attraction has proven controversial. The town was once a significant Jewish pilgrimage site and home to a community of Iraqi Jews until the late 1940s.
Despite being an ordinary town in the present day, al-Kifl is recognized as a historically important town in Iraq due to its history of coexistence between the three major Abrahamic religions, mainly Islam and Judaism, who collectively give respect to the main city's entombed prophet. The town and its landmarks are also listed on a tentative world heritage list by UNESCO due to its historical and religious importance.