Based on close readings of three Persian-language pilgrimage narratives by Shi’i pilgrims to the shrine of Ali ibn Abi Talib in Najaf, this paper argues that pre-modern pilgrimage narratives were not primarily journals of spiritual awakening. Whereas modern pilgrimage stories often consist of an intimate look at the spiritual transformation of the author, in pre-modern pilgrimage writings, pilgrims narrated their journeys in a more stylistic and formal manner, adhering to the norms of the literary genre. These narratives offer a multivalent and nuanced perspective on pilgrims’ perception and experience of the sacred space of Ali’s shrine and the city of Najaf. It is often the impressive material aspects of the shrine coupled with the presence of `Ali’s body that captured the pilgrims’ literary imagination. I survey three narratives by pilgrims–Mirza Abu Taleb? (d. 1806), Abd al-Ali Khan Adib al-Molk (d. 1885), and the king of Iran, Nasir al-Din Shah (d. 1896)–who traveled to Najaf and analyze their narratives, which offer insight into their perception of the sacred space of the shrine and the pilgrimage experience. I consider the encounters of pilgrims and travelers with the material culture of the shrine of `Ali by taking into account their impressions of its architectural and artistic characteristics and the impact of the material culture of the shrine upon the experience of the visitors. In the pilgrimage narratives, all three of the pilgrims meticulously list the opulent decorations and furnishings in the shrine and describe in detail the gilded minarets and dome. The presence of charisma and power of `Ali can be communicated through the opulent beauty of the shrine. While `Ali may have preferred a simple, aesthetic life, his followers sought to express their devotion and piety through their material signifiers. Modern-day custodians of the shrine argue that despite `Ali’s preference for poverty, devotees of `Ali feel that by spending exorbitant sums on renovating and beautifying the shrine, they are able to materialize the charisma and power of `Ali and to show their love for him. The narratives reflect how pilgrims would have viewed the sacred nature of the shrine. For pilgrims, the shrine was part of a larger sacred Islamic landscape that expanded to include Karbala, the other shrines of the Imams, Medina, Mecca, and Jerusalem.