"Despite all the politics, the shrine has the mystical aura of great
places of worship the world over. It is most unmistakable at dusk,
when the fading light reflects off the colored tiles, making the
whole place shimmer as if it were a jewel box. Even those who work
in the shrine every day occasionally stop as they walk through the
courtyards, struck by the way the light falls on a mosaic or a
doorway.
In
the minds of Najafis, their city is already a capital."
The
New York Times, December
16, 2007.