Muhammad Ali: Funeral, prayer service open to public this week ; Thursday in Louisville

[R.B]

• All are welcome to a Muslim funeral prayer service Thursday in Louisville
• Turkey's President and Jordan's King will speak at Ali's public funeral Friday

(CNN)For a man who preached inclusiveness and reached millions around the world, it's a fitting way to let his fans say goodbye.

Muhammad Ali's funeral and jenazah -- or Muslim funeral prayer service -- will be open to the public, his spokesman Bob Gunnell said.
And one of the venues will be the site of Ali's last hometown fight in Louisville, Kentucky.
The jenazah will take place at noon Thursday at Freedom Hall -- where Ali defeated Willi Besmanoff on November 29, 1961.
A total of 14,000 tickets will be available on a first come, first service basis, starting at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Gunnell said. Four tickets maximum per request will be available from the Freedom Hall box office.


All faiths are welcome.
"Ali spoke of inclusiveness his entire life," Gunnell said. "We want this to be inclusive of everyone."
The final public goodbye will come Friday, with Ali's funeral.
All about Muhammad Ali
His body will be driven through the streets of Louisville, the city where the three-time heavyweight champion grew up and began his amateur career at age 12.
The funeral will take place at 2 p.m. Friday at the KFC Yum! Center -- a 22,000-seat basketball arena in Louisville. Tickets will be available at the center box office starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday; fans can start lining up at 6 a.m. As Gunnell said, tickets will be limited to four per person on a first come, first serve basis until the box office closes at 8 p.m. or sellout, whichever comes first.
The eight pallbearers include Will Smith, who played Ali in the biopic "Ali," and former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, along with family friends and relatives.

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Former President Bill Clinton, longtime sportscaster Bryant Gumbel and comedian and close Ali friend Billy Crystal will be among those delivering eulogies, Ali's spokesman said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and King Abdullah II of Jordan will also speak, Gunnell said.


Louisville welcomes the world
Throngs of fans have descended on Louisville to pay their respects and learn more about Ali's hometown.
People started lining up at 2 a.m. Saturday to see his childhood home on Grand Avenue, which opened as a museum in early May.
The flood of interest in Louisville prompted the city to create a website -- AliLouisville.com. It guides fans to landmarks inspired by Ali and describes the icon's impact on the community.
The city will celebrate the legend Wednesday with a free "I Am Ali" festival featuring music and other live entertainment. Children can write on a wall and describe what they want to be "the greatest" in.