Inside the Wadi al Salam cemetery in Iraq's holy city of Najaf - in pictures

Generations of the city's dead lie in the cemetery

Iraqi women visit the graves of their relatives in the Wadi al Salam cemetery, Arabic for 'peace valley', in Najaf, Iraq. All photos: Reuters

It is considered one of the world's largest cemeteries, according to Unesco.

Most of the city's dead have been buried in Wadi Al Salam for generations.

Families embellish graves to keep memories of their loved ones alive.

There are dozens of workers who looks after, build and design gravestones.

Iraqi workers say methods have changed over time, from simply plastering baked brick to close the grave, to using alabaster and granite to design a resting place.

The cemetery includes several styles of burials, including lower graves and tower-like graves that reflect status and respect.

Some of the deceased are buried inside tombs allocated to families, while others are buried inside vaults underground.

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