Khan Al Shaylan

Khan Al Shaylan was built in the late Ottoman era in 1899 CE on Al Khurnaq Street in the heart of old Najaf Al Ashraf, specifically in the Al Buraq neighborhood at the end of its eastern edge. It was built by Hajj Mu'in, a prosperous merchant, as a guesthouse to accommodate visitors of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), before the Ottoman state took it over and made it an administration for governing Najaf. It was then used as headquarters for the city's local government between 1915 and 1917.

After the outbreak of the 1920 Revolution on the thirtieth of June 1920, the khan became a detention center for British prisoners who fell into the hands of the revolutionaries, making it one of the most prominent historical witnesses to that great national epic that liberated Iraq from British occupation.

The khan, built on land covering 1,500 square meters, consists of a basement and two upper floors with many interconnected rooms preceded by arched iwans built in a beautiful architectural style. Its walls bear Islamic engravings and ornamentations, while the ceilings are built in the form of brick arches. The total height of the building is 12 meters.

The khan has been rehabilitated as a heritage museum for the 1920 Revolution and the heritage of Najaf al Ashraf city. It houses diverse heritage collections of weapons, jewelry, and copper household utensils, and contains a special panorama hall embodying the Battle of the 1920 Revolution. Its first floor is dedicated to Najaf heritage and its second floor to important documents related to the 1920 Revolution.

This monument is considered one of the important institutions not only in Najaf, but in Iraq and the Arab and Islamic world, due to the momentous events it witnessed.