Photos: Thousands Pay Tributes As Muhammad Ali Is Laid To Rest



Boxing Champion, Muhammed Ali has been laid to rest in his hometown in the US state of Kentucky, following a funeral procession attended by tens of thousands of fans.  

Ali's private burial ceremony on Friday at Louisville's Cave Hill Cemetery, was followed by a memorial, attended by world leaders including former US president Bill Clinton.

The service started with a scripture reading from the Quran and a translation in English before those selected to speak about Ali shared their stories.
Wife Lonnie, daughters Maryum and Rasheda, and friends Bryant Gumbel, Billy Crystal, and Bill Clinton were all among those reading eulogies to the man who spent the first half of his life fighting for sport, and the second fighting for justice, equality, and peace.

In his tribute, Clinton said Ali "is a truly free man of faith".
Lonnie Ali, widow of the boxing legend, said her husband was "proof that adversity can make you stronger", growing up in a segregated country.
Kevin Cosby, pastor of a Louisville church, said Ali "dared to love America's most unloved race", referring to African-Americans.

Lawrence Montgomery, a former neighbour of Ali, told Al Jazeera that he has "mixed emotions", knowing that Ali, who was suffering from the debilitating Parkinson's disease for decades, is no longer in pain.
"He was a marvelous young man. Very cordial and playful," Montgomery said, recalling that as a child Ali already wanted to be a boxer.

The funeral procession, which went down Muhammad Ali Boulevard, ended with a private burial ceremony before the public memorial service at a sports arena.

As the interfaith service got under way, the crowd of up to 15,000 burst into applause chanting, "Ali! Ali!" when a Muslim religious leader welcomed the audience to "the home of the people's champ". 

 Actor Will Smith, who played the three-time heavyweight world champion in the 2001 film "Ali", helped carry the coffin, along with former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and family members.

While the official list of pallbearers includes just 10 men, 12 were seen loading Ali's casket into a hearse with Myke Tyson as one of the last minute addition.
The 17-car motorcade set out for a Louisville cemetery on a 19-mile route that was expected to take Ali's body past his boyhood home, the gym where he first learned to box and the museum that bears his name, via Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

US President Barack Obama was represented by his aide,Valerie Jarrett,who read a letter on his behalf.

Ali died last week at the age of 74, after a long battle with Parkinson's disease at his home in Arizona after suffering for some 30 years from Parkinson's disease, which made it difficult for him to speak in recent decades.
More photos below: