Baghdad (/ˈbæɡdæd, bəɡˈdæd/; Arabic: ‫ب َْغدَ اد‬ [baɣˈdaːd] ( listen), Syriac: ‫[)ܒܓܕܕ‬2] is the

capital of Iraq and the third-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo and Riyadh. Located

along the Tigris River, the city was founded in the 8th century, and became the capital of
the Abbasid Caliphate. Within a short time of its inception, Baghdad evolved into a
significant cultural, commercial, and intellectual center of the Muslim world. This, in
addition to housing several key academic institutions, including the House of Wisdom, as
well as hosting a multiethnic and multireligious environment, garnered the city a
worldwide reputation as the "Centre of Learning".
Baghdad was the largest city in the world for much of the Abbasid era during the Islamic
Golden Age, peaking at a population of more than a million.[3] The city was
largely destroyed at the hands of the Mongol Empire in 1258, resulting in a decline that
would linger through many centuries due to frequent plagues and multiple successive
empires. With the recognition of Iraq as an independent state (formerly the British
Mandate of Mesopotamia) in 1932, Baghdad gradually regained some of its former
prominence as a significant center of Arabic culture, with a population variously
estimated at 6 or over 7 million.[note 1]
In contemporary times, the city has often faced severe infrastructural damage, most
recently due to the United States-led 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the subsequent Iraq
War that lasted until December 2011. In recent years, the city has been frequently
subjected to insurgent attacks, resulting in a substantial loss of cultural heritage and
historical artifacts as well. As of 2018, Baghdad was listed as one of the least hospitable
places in the world to live, ranked by Mercer as the worst major city for quality of life in
the world.[8]

Name[edit]
The name Baghdad is pre-Islamic, and its origin is disputed.[9] The site where the city of
Baghdad developed has been populated for millennia. By the 8th century AD, several
villages had developed there, including a Persian[10][11] hamlet called Baghdad, the name
which would come to be used for the Abbasid metropolis.[12]
Arab authors, realizing the pre-Islamic origins of Baghdad's name, generally looked for its
roots in Middle Persian.[9] They suggested various meanings, the most common of which
was "bestowed by God".[9] Modern scholars generally tend to favor this etymology,[9] which

views the word as a compound of bagh ( ) "god" and dād ( ) "given",[13][14] In Old

Persian this can be traced to Sanskrit bhag (भग) which means "god" and dātta (दत्त) which
means "given" or bhagdatta (भगदत्त) which would mean "god given, the first element can be
traced to boghu and is related to bog, a Slavic word for "god".[9][15] A similar term in Middle
Persian is the name Mithradāt (Mihrdād in New Persian), known in English by its
Hellenistic form Mithridates, meaning "gift of Mithra" (dāt is the more archaic form of dād,
related to Latin dat and English donor[9]). There are a number of other locations in the
wider region whose names are compounds of the word bagh,
including Baghlan and Bagram in Afghanistan, Baghshan in Iran,
[16]
 and Baghdati in Georgia, which likely share the same etymological origins.[17][18]
A few authors have suggested older origins for the name, in particular the
name Bagdadu or Hudadu that existed in Old Babylonian (spelled with a sign that can
represent both bag and hu), and the Babylonian Talmudic name of a place called
"Baghdatha".[9][19][20] Some scholars suggested Aramaic derivations.[9]
When the Abbasid caliph, Al-Mansur, founded a completely new city for his capital, he
chose the name Madinat al-Salaam or City of Peace. This was the official name on coins,
weights, and other official usage, although the common people continued to use the old
name.[21][22][unreliable source?] By the 11th century, "Baghdad" became almost the exclusive name
for the world-renowned metropolis.
History[edit]
Main articles: History of Baghdad and Timeline of Baghdad

Foundation[edit]

A view of Baghdad from the print collection in Travels in Asia and Africa, etc. (ed. J. P. Berjew,
British Library)

After the fall of the Umayyads, the first Muslim dynasty, the victorious Abbasid rulers
wanted their own capital from which they could rule. They chose a site north of
the Sassanid capital of Ctesiphon (and also just north of where ancient Babylon had once
stood), and on 30 July 762[23] the caliph Al-Mansur commissioned the construction of the
city. It was built under the supervision of the Barmakids.[24] Mansur believed that Baghdad
was the perfect city to be the capital of the Islamic empire under the Abbasids. Mansur
loved the site so much he is quoted saying: "This is indeed the city that I am to found,
where I am to live, and where my descendants will reign afterward".[25]
The city's growth was helped by its excellent location, based on at least two factors: it
had control over strategic and trading routes along the Tigris, and it had an abundance of
water in a dry climate. Water exists on both the north and south ends of the city, allowing
all households to have a plentiful supply, which was very uncommon during this time.
The city of Baghdad soon became so large that it had to be divided into three judicial
districts: Madinat al-Mansur (the Round City), al-Sharqiyya (Karkh) and Askar al-Mahdi
(on the West Bank).[26]
Baghdad eclipsed Ctesiphon, the capital of the Sassanians, which was located some
30 km (19 mi) to the southeast. Today, all that remains of Ctesiphon is the shrine town
of Salman Pak, just to the south of Greater Baghdad. Ctesiphon itself had replaced and
absorbed Seleucia, the first capital of the Seleucid Empire, which had earlier replaced the
city of Babylon.
According to the traveler Ibn Battuta, Baghdad was one of the largest cities, not including
the damage it has received. The residents are mostly Hanbal. Baghdad is also home to
the grave of Abu Hanifa where there is a cell and a mosque above it. The Sultan of
Baghdad, Abu Said Bahadur Khan, was a Tatar king who embraced Islam.[27]
In its early years, the city was known as a deliberate reminder of an expression in
the Qur'an, when it refers to Paradise.[28] It took four years to build (764–768). Mansur
assembled engineers, surveyors, and art constructionists from around the world to come
together and draw up plans for the city. Over 100,000 construction workers came to
survey the plans; many were distributed salaries to start the building of the city.[29] July
was chosen as the starting time because two astrologers, Naubakht
Ahvazi and Mashallah, believed that the city should be built under the sign of
the lion, Leo.[30] Leo is associated with fire and symbolises productivity, pride, and
expansion.
The bricks used to make the city were 18 inches (460 mm) on all four sides. Abu
Hanifah was the counter of the bricks and he developed a canal, which brought water to
the work site for both human consumption and the manufacture of the bricks. Marble was
also used to make buildings throughout the city, and marble steps led down to the river's
edge.

The Round city of Baghdad between 767 and 912 AD

This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. In

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The basic framework of the city consists of two large semicircles about 19 km (12 mi) in
diameter. The city was designed as a circle about 2 km (1.2 mi) in diameter, leading it to
be known as the "Round City". The original design shows a single ring of residential and
commercial structures along the inside of the city walls, but the final construction added
another ring inside the first.[31] Within the city there were many parks, gardens, villas, and
promenades.[32] In the center of the city lay the mosque, as well as headquarters for
guards. The purpose or use of the remaining space in the center is unknown. The circular
design of the city was a direct reflection of the traditional Persian Sasanian urban design.
The Sasanian city of Gur in Fars, built 500 years before Baghdad, is nearly identical in its
general circular design, radiating avenues, and the government buildings and temples at
the centre of the city. This style of urban planning contrasted with
Ancient Greek and Roman urban planning, in which cities are designed as squares or
rectangles with streets intersecting each other at right angles.
Surrounding walls
See also: Gates of Baghdad
The four surrounding walls of Baghdad were named Kufa, Basra, Khurasan, and Syria;
named because their gates pointed in the directions of these destinations. The distance
between these gates was a little less than 2.4 km (1.5 mi). Each gate had double doors
that were made of iron; the doors were so heavy it took several men to open and close
them. The wall itself was about 44 m thick at the base and about 12 m thick at the top.
Also, the wall was 30 m high, which included merlons, a solid part of an embattled
parapet usually pierced by embrasures. This wall was surrounded by another wall with a
thickness of 50 m. The second wall had towers and rounded merlons, which surrounded
the towers. This outer wall was protected by a solid glacis, which is made out of bricks
and quicklime. Beyond the outer wall was a water-filled moat.[citation needed]
Golden Gate Palace
The Golden Gate Palace, the residence of the caliph and his family, was in the middle of
Baghdad, in the central square. In the central part of the building, there was a green
dome that was 39 m high. Surrounding the palace was an esplanade, a waterside
building, in which only the caliph could come riding on horseback. In addition, the palace
was near other mansions and officer's residences. Near the Gate of Syria, a building
served as the home for the guards. It was made of brick and marble. The palace
governor lived in the latter part of the building and the commander of the guards in the
front. In 813, after the death of caliph Al-Amin, the palace was no longer used as the
home for the caliph and his family.[33] The roundness points to the fact that it was based
on Arabic script.[34][35] The two designers who were hired by Al-Mansur to plan the city's
design were Naubakht, a Zoroastrian who also determined that the date of the foundation
of the city would be astrologically auspicious, and Mashallah, a Jew from Khorasan, Iran.
[36]

Center of learning (8th to 9th centuries)[edit]

Further information: Islamic Golden Age

Courtyard of Mustansiriya madrasa, established by Al-Mustansir in 1227

Within a generation of its founding, Baghdad became a hub of learning and commerce.

The city flourished into an unrivaled intellectual center of science, medicine, philosophy,
and education, especially with the Abbasid Translation Movement began under the
second caliph Al-Mansur and thrived under the seventh caliph Al-Ma'mun.[37] Baytul-
Hikmah or the "House of Wisdom" was among the most well known academies,[38] and
had the largest selection of books in the world by the middle of the 9th century.[citation
needed]
 Notable scholars based in Baghdad during this time include translator Hunayn ibn
Ishaq, mathematician al-Khwarizmi, and philosopher Al-Kindi.[38] Although Arabic was
used as the international language of science, the scholarship involved not only Arabs,
but also Persians, Syriacs,[39] Nestorians, Jews, Arab Christians,[40][41] and people from
other ethnic and religious groups native to the region.[42][43][44][45][46] These are considered
among the fundamental elements that contributed to the flourishing of scholarship in the
Medieval Islamic world.[47][48][49] Baghdad was also a significant center of Islamic religious
learning, with Al-Jahiz contributing to the formation of Mu'tazili theology, as well as Al-
Tabari culminating the scholarship on the Quranic exegesis.[37] Baghdad was likely
the largest city in the world from shortly after its foundation until the 930s, when it tied
with Córdoba.[50] Several estimates suggest that the city contained over a million
inhabitants at its peak.[51] Many of the One Thousand and One Nights tales, widely known
as the Arabian Nights, are set in Baghdad during this period.
Among the notable features of Baghdad during this period were its exceptional libraries.
Many of the Abbasid caliphs were patrons of learning and enjoyed collecting both ancient
and contemporary literature. Although some of the princes of the previous Umayyad
dynasty had begun to gather and translate Greek scientific literature, the Abbasids were
the first to foster Greek learning on a large scale. Many of these libraries were private
collections intended only for the use of the owners and their immediate friends, but the
libraries of the caliphs and other officials soon took on a public or a semi-public
character.[52] Four great libraries were established in Baghdad during this period. The
earliest was that of the famous Al-Ma'mun, who was caliph from 813 to 833. Another was
established by Sabur ibn Ardashir in 991 or 993 for the literary men and scholars who
frequented his academy.[52] Unfortunately, this second library was plundered and burned
by the Seljuks only seventy years after it was established. This was a good example of
the sort of library built up out of the needs and interests of a literary society.[52] The last
two were examples of madrasa or theological college libraries. The Nezamiyeh was
founded by the Persian Nizam al-Mulk, who was vizier of two early Seljuk sultans.[52] It
continued to operate even after the coming of the Mongols in 1258.
The Mustansiriyah  madrasa, which owned an exceedingly rich library, was founded
by Al-Mustansir, the second last Abbasid caliph, who died in 1242.[52] This would prove to
be the last great library built by the caliphs of Baghdad.

Stagnation and invasions (10th to 16th centuries)[edit]

Al Khulafa mosque retains an Abbasid-era minaret

Zumurrud Khaton Tomb in Baghdad (built in 1202 AD), photo of 1932

By the 10th century, the city's population was between 1.2 million[53] and 2 million.
[54]
 Baghdad's early meteoric growth eventually slowed due to troubles within
the Caliphate, including relocations of the capital to Samarra (during 808–819 and 836–
892), the loss of the western and easternmost provinces, and periods of political
domination by the Iranian Buwayhids (945–1055) and Seljuk Turks (1055–1135).
The Seljuks were a clan of the Oghuz Turks from Central Asia that converted to
the Sunni branch of Islam. In 1040, they destroyed the Ghaznavids, taking over their land
and in 1055, Tughril Beg, the leader of the Seljuks, took over Baghdad. The Seljuks
expelled the Buyid dynasty of Shiites that had ruled for some time and took over power
and control of Baghdad. They ruled as Sultans in the name of the Abbasid caliphs (they
saw themselves as being part of the Abbasid regime). Tughril Beg saw himself as the
protector of the Abbasid Caliphs.[55]
Sieges and wars in which Baghdad was involved are listed below:

 Siege of Baghdad (812–813), Fourth Fitna (Caliphal Civil War)

 Siege of Baghdad (865), Abbasid Civil War (865–866)
 Battle of Baghdad (946), Buyid–Hamdanid War
 Siege of Baghdad (1157), Abbasid–Seljuq Wars
 Siege of Baghdad (1258), Mongol conquest of Baghdad
 Siege of Baghdad (1393), by Tamerlane
 Siege of Baghdad (1401), by Tamerlane
 Capture of Baghdad (1534), Ottoman–Safavid Wars
 Capture of Baghdad (1623), Ottoman–Safavid Wars
 Siege of Baghdad (1625), Ottoman–Safavid Wars
 Capture of Baghdad (1638), Ottoman–Safavid Wars
In 1058, Baghdad was captured by the Fatimids under the Turkish general Abu'l-Ḥārith
Arslān al-Basasiri, an adherent of the Ismailis along with the 'Uqaylid Quraysh.[56] Not long
before the arrival of the Saljuqs in Baghdad, al-Basasiri petitioned to the Fatimid Imam-
Caliph al-Mustansir to support him in conquering Baghdad on the Ismaili Imam's behalf. It
has recently come to light that the famed Fatimid da'i, al-Mu'ayyad al-Shirazi, had a direct
role in supporting al-Basasiri and helped the general to succeed in
taking Mawṣil, Wāsit and Kufa. Soon after,[57] by December 1058, a Shi'i adhān (call to
prayer) was implemented in Baghdad and a khutbah (sermon) was delivered in the name
of the Fatimid Imam-Caliph.[57] Despite his Shi'i inclinations, Al-Basasiri received support
from Sunnis and Shi'is alike, for whom opposition to the Saljuq power was a common
factor.[58]

Conquest of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258 CE

On 10 February 1258, Baghdad was captured by the Mongols led by Hulegu, a grandson

of Chingiz Khan (Genghis Khan), during the siege of Baghdad.[59] Many quarters were
ruined by fire, siege, or looting. The Mongols massacred most of the city's inhabitants,
including the caliph Al-Musta'sim, and destroyed large sections of the city.
The canals and dykes forming the city's irrigation system were also destroyed. During
this time, in Baghdad, Christians and Shia were tolerated, while Sunnis were treated as
enemies.[60] The sack of Baghdad put an end to the Abbasid Caliphate.[61] It has been
argued that this marked an end to the Islamic Golden Age and served a blow from which
Islamic civilisation never fully recovered.[62]

Central Asian Turko-Mongol conqueror Timur sacked the city and spared almost no one

At this point, Baghdad was ruled by the Ilkhanate, a breakaway state of the Mongol
Empire, ruling from Iran. In August 1393, Baghdad was occupied by the Central Asian
Turkic conqueror Timur ("Tamerlane"),[63] by marching there in only eight days
from Shiraz. Sultan Ahmad Jalayir fled to Syria, where the Mamluk
Sultan Barquq protected him and killed Timur's envoys. Timur left the Sarbadar prince
Khwaja Mas'ud to govern Baghdad, but he was driven out when Ahmad Jalayir returned.
In 1401, Baghdad was again sacked, by Timur.[64] When his forces took Baghdad, he
spared almost no one, and ordered that each of his soldiers bring back two severed
human heads.[65] Baghdad became a provincial capital controlled by the
Mongol Jalayirid (1400–1411), Turkic Kara Koyunlu (1411–1469), Turkic Ak
Koyunlu (1469–1508), and the Iranian Safavid (1508–1534) dynasties.

Ottoman era (16th to 19th centuries)[edit]

See also: Baghdad Eyalet and Baghdad Vilayet
In 1534, Baghdad was captured by the Ottoman Turks. Under the Ottomans, Baghdad
continued into a period of decline, partially as a result of the enmity between its rulers
and Iranian Safavids, which did not accept the Sunni control of the city. Between 1623
and 1638, it returned to Iranian rule before falling back into Ottoman hands. Baghdad has
suffered severely from visitations of the plague and cholera,[66] and sometimes two-thirds
of its population has been wiped out.[67]
For a time, Baghdad had been the largest city in the Middle East. The city saw relative
revival in the latter part of the 18th century, under a Mamluk government. Direct Ottoman
rule was reimposed by Ali Rıza Pasha in 1831. From 1851 to 1852 and from 1861 to
1867, Baghdad was governed, under the Ottoman Empire by Mehmed Namık Pasha.
[68]
 The Nuttall Encyclopedia reports the 1907 population of Baghdad as 185,000.

Baghdad Eyalet in 1609 CE.

 

Baghdad Vilayet in 1900 CE.

 
 

Souk in Baghdad, 1876 CE.

20th and 21st centuries[edit]

See also: Mandatory Iraq and Kingdom of Iraq

The Shabandar Café in Baghdad, 1923

Baghdad and southern Iraq remained under Ottoman rule until 1917, when captured by
the British during World War I. In 1920, Baghdad became the capital of the British
Mandate of Mesopotamia with several architectural and planning projects commissioned
to reinforce this administration.[69] After receiving independence in 1932, the capital of
the Kingdom of Iraq. The city's population grew from an estimated 145,000 in 1900 to
580,000 in 1950. During the Mandate, Baghdad's substantial Jewish
community comprised a quarter of the city's population.[70] On 1 April 1941, members of
the "Golden Square" and Rashid Ali staged a coup in Baghdad. Rashid Ali installed a
pro-German and pro-Italian government to replace the pro-British government
of Regent Abdul Ilah. On 31 May, after the resulting Anglo-Iraqi War and after Rashid Ali
and his government had fled, the Mayor of Baghdad surrendered to British and
Commonwealth forces. On 14 July 1958, members of the Iraqi Army, under Abd al-Karim
Qasim, staged a coup to topple the Kingdom of Iraq. King Faisal II, former Prime
Minister Nuri as-Said, former Regent Prince 'Abd al-Ilah, members of the royal family,
and others were brutally killed during the coup. Many of the victim's bodies were then
dragged through the streets of Baghdad.

Freedom Monument,  Tahrir square in Downtown Baghdad

During the 1970s, Baghdad experienced a period of prosperity and growth because of a
sharp increase in the price of petroleum, Iraq's main export. New infrastructure including
modern sewerage, water, and highway facilities were built during this period. The
masterplans of the city (1967, 1973) were delivered by the Polish planning office
Miastoprojekt-Kraków, mediated by Polservice.[71] However, the Iran–Iraq War of the
1980s was a difficult time for the city, as money was diverted by Saddam Hussein to the
army and thousands of residents were killed. Iran launched a number of missile attacks
against Baghdad in retaliation for Saddam Hussein's continuous bombardments of
Tehran's residential districts. In 1991 and 2003, the Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of
Iraq caused significant damage to Baghdad's transportation, power, and sanitary
infrastructure as the US-led coalition forces launched massive aerial assaults in the city
in the two wars. Also in 2003, the minor riot in the city (which took place on 21 July)
caused some disturbance in the population. The historic "Assyrian Quarter" of the
city, Dora, which boasted a population of 150,000 Assyrians in 2003, made up over 3%
of the capital's Assyrian population then. The community has been subject to
kidnappings, death threats, vandalism, and house burnings by Al-Qaeda and other
insurgent groups. As of the end of 2014, only 1,500 Assyrians remained in Dora.[72]

Main sights[edit]

Al-Mutanabbi Statue at the end of Mutanabbi Street beside the Tigris

Points of interest include the National Museum of Iraq whose collection of artifacts was

looted during the 2003 invasion, and the iconic Hands of Victory arches. Multiple Iraqi
parties are in discussions as to whether the arches should remain as historical
monuments or be dismantled. Thousands of ancient manuscripts in the National
Library were destroyed under Saddam's command.

Mutanabbi Street[edit]
Main article: Mutanabbi Street
Mutanabbi Street is located near the old quarter of Baghdad; at Al Rasheed Street. It is
the historic center of Baghdadi book-selling, a street filled with bookstores and outdoor
book stalls. It was named after the 10th-century classical Iraqi poet Al-Mutanabbi.[73] This
street is well established for bookselling and has often been referred to as the heart and
soul of the Baghdad literacy and intellectual community.

Baghdad Zoo[edit]
Main article: Baghdad Zoo
The zoological park used to be the largest in the Middle East. Within eight days following
the 2003 invasion, however, only 35 of the 650 animals in the facility survived. This was a
result of theft of some animals for human food, and starvation of caged animals that had
no food. South African Lawrence Anthony and some of the zoo keepers cared for the
animals and fed the carnivores with donkeys they had bought locally.[74][75] Eventually, Paul
Bremer, Director of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq from 11 May 2003 to 28
June 2004 ordered protection of the zoo and U.S. engineers helped to reopen the facility.
[74]

Grand Festivities Square[edit]

Grand Festivities Square is the main square where public celebrations are held and is
also the home to three important monuments commemorating Iraqi's fallen soldiers and
victories in war; namely Al-Shaheed Monument, the Victory Arch and the Unknown
Soldier's Monument.[76]

Al-Shaheed Monument[edit]
Al-Shaheed Monument, also known as the Martyr's Memorial, is a monument dedicated
to the Iraqi soldiers who died in the Iran–Iraq War. However, now it is generally
considered by Iraqis to be for all of the martyrs of Iraq, especially those allied with Iran
and Syria fighting ISIS, not just of the Iran–Iraq War. The monument was opened in
1983, and was designed by the Iraqi architect Saman Kamal and the Iraqi sculptor and
artist Ismail Fatah Al Turk. During the 1970s and 1980s, Saddam Hussein's government
spent a lot of money on new monuments, which included the al-Shaheed Monument.[77]

Al-Shaheed, (Martyr's Monument), Zawra Park, Baghdad

 

The Victory Arch (officially known as the Swords of Qādisīyah

Qushla[edit]
Qushla clock tower

Qushla or Qishla is a public square and the historical complex located

in Rusafa neighborhood at the riverbank of Tigris. Qushla and its surroundings is where
the historical features and cultural capitals of Baghdad are concentrated, from
the Mutanabbi Street, Abbasid-era palace and bridges, Ottoman-era mosques to the
Mustansariyah Madrasa. The square developed during the Ottoman era as a military
barracks. Today, it is a place where the citizens of Baghdad find leisure such as reading
poetry in gazebos.[78] It is characterized by the iconic clock tower which was donated
by George V. The entire area is submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tentative
list.[79]

Mosques[edit]
Main article: List of mosques in Baghdad
See also: List of mosques in Iraq

 Masjid Al-Kadhimain is a shrine that is located in the Kādhimayn suburb of

Baghdad. It contains the tombs of the seventh and ninth Twelver Shi'ite
Imams, Musa al-Kadhim and Muhammad at-Taqi respectively, upon whom the title
of Kāẓimayn ("Two who swallow their anger") was bestowed.[80][81][82] Many Shi'ites
travel to the mosque from far away places to commemorate.

 A'dhamiyyah is a predominantly Sunni area with a Masjid that is associated with

the Sunni Imam Abu Hanifah. The name of Al-Aʿẓamiyyah is derived from Abu
Hanifah's title, al-Imām al-Aʿẓam (the Great Imam).[83][84]
Firdos Square[edit]
Firdos Square is a public open space in Baghdad and the location of two of the best-
known hotels, the Palestine Hotel and the Sheraton Ishtar, which are both also the tallest
buildings in Baghdad.[85] The square was the site of the statue of Saddam Hussein that
was pulled down by U.S. coalition forces in a widely televised event during the 2003
invasion of Iraq.

Administrative divisions[edit]
See also: List of neighborhoods and districts in Baghdad
Baghdad as seen from the International Space Station

Administratively, Baghdad Governorate is divided into districts which are further divided

into sub-districts. Municipally, the governorate is divided into 9 municipalities, which have
responsibility for local issues. Regional services, however, are coordinated and carried
out by a mayor who oversees the municipalities. There is no single city council that
singularly governs Baghdad at a municipal level. The governorate council is responsible
for the governorate-wide policy. These official subdivisions of the city served as
administrative centres for the delivery of municipal services but until 2003 had no political
function. Beginning in April 2003, the U.S. controlled Coalition Provisional
Authority (CPA) began the process of creating new functions for these. The process
initially focused on the election of neighbourhood councils in the official neighbourhoods,
elected by neighbourhood caucuses. The CPA convened a series of meetings in each
neighbourhood to explain local government, to describe the caucus election process and
to encourage participants to spread the word and bring friends, relatives and neighbours
to subsequent meetings. Each neighbourhood process ultimately ended with a final
meeting where candidates for the new neighbourhood councils identified themselves and
asked their neighbours to vote for them. Once all 88 (later increased to 89)
neighbourhood councils were in place, each neighbourhood council elected
representatives from among their members to serve on one of the city's nine district
councils. The number of neighbourhood representatives on a district council is based
upon the neighbourhood's population. The next step was to have each of the nine district
councils elect representatives from their membership to serve on the 37 member
Baghdad City Council. This three tier system of local government connected the people
of Baghdad to the central government through their representatives from the
neighbourhood, through the district, and up to the city council. The same process was
used to provide representative councils for the other communities in Baghdad Province
outside of the city itself. There, local councils were elected from 20 neighbourhoods
(Nahia) and these councils elected representatives from their members to serve on six
district councils (Qada). As within the city, the district councils then elected
representatives from among their members to serve on the 35 member Baghdad
Regional Council. The first step in the establishment of the system of local government
for Baghdad Province was the election of the Baghdad Provincial Council. As before, the
representatives to the Provincial Council were elected by their peers from the lower
councils in numbers proportional to the population of the districts they represent. The 41
member Provincial Council took office in February 2004 and served until national
elections held in January 2005, when a new Provincial Council was elected. This system
of 127 separate councils may seem overly cumbersome; however, Baghdad Province is
home to approximately seven million people. At the lowest level, the neighbourhood
councils, each council represents an average of 75,000 people. The nine District
Advisory Councils (DAC) are as follows:[86]

 Adhamiyah
 Karkh (Green Zone)[87]
 Karrada[88][89]
 Kadhimiya[90]
 Mansour
 Sadr City (Thawra)[91]
 Al Rashid[92]
 Rusafa
 New Baghdad (Tisaa Nissan) (9 April)[93]
The nine districts are subdivided into 89 smaller neighborhoods which may make up
sectors of any of the districts above. The following is a selection (rather than a complete
list) of these neighborhoods:

 Al-Ghazaliya
 Al-A'amiriya
 Dora
 Karrada
 Al-Jadriya
 Al-Hebnaa
 Zayouna
 Al-Saydiya
 Al-Sa'adoon
 Al-Shu'ala
 Al-Mahmudiyah
 Bab Al-Moatham
o Al-Baya'
 Al-Za'franiya
 Hayy Ur
 Sha'ab
 Hayy Al-Jami'a
 Al-Adel
 Al Khadhraa
 Hayy Al-Jihad
 Hayy Al-A'amel
 Hayy Aoor
 Al-Hurriya
 Hayy Al-Shurtta
 Yarmouk
 Jesr Diyala
 Abu Disher
 Raghiba Khatoun
 Arab Jibor
 Al-Fathel
 Al-Ubedy
 Al-Washash
 Al-Wazireya

Geography[edit]
The city is located on a vast plain bisected by the Tigris river. The Tigris splits Baghdad
in half, with the eastern half being called "Risafa" and the Western half known as "Karkh".
The land on which the city is built is almost entirely flat and low-lying, being
of alluvial origin due to the periodic large floods which have occurred on the river.

Panoramic view of the Tigris as it flows through Baghdad

Climate[edit]
Baghdad has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh), featuring extremely hot, prolonged, dry
summers and mild to cool, slightly wet, short winters. In the summer, from June through
August, the average maximum temperature is as high as 44 °C (111 °F) and
accompanied by sunshine. Rainfall has been recorded on fewer than half a dozen
occasions at this time of year and has never exceeded 1 millimetre (0.04 in).[94] Even at
night, temperatures in summer are seldom below 24 °C (75 °F). Baghdad's record
highest temperature of 51.8 °C (125.2 °F) was reached on 28 July 2020.[95]
[96]
 The humidity is typically under 50% in summer due to Baghdad's distance from the
marshy southern Iraq and the coasts of Persian Gulf, and dust storms from the deserts to
the west are a normal occurrence during the summer.
Winter temperatures are typical of hot desert climates. From December through
February, Baghdad has maximum temperatures averaging 16 to 19 °C (61 to 66 °F),
though highs above 21 °C (70 °F) are not unheard of. Lows below freezing occur a
couple of times per year on average.[97]
Annual rainfall, almost entirely confined to the period from November through March,
averages approximately 150 mm (5.91 in), but has been as high as 338 mm (13.31 in)
and as low as 37 mm (1.46 in).[98] On 11 January 2008, light snow fell across Baghdad for
the first time in 100 years.[99] Snowfall was again reported on 11 February 2020, with
accumulations across the city.[100]

hideClimate data for Baghdad

Fe Ma Ap Ma No De Yea
Month Jan Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
b r r y v c r
15. 18. 23. 29. 36. 33. 23. 17.
41.3 44.0 43.5 40.2 30.6
Average 5 5 6 9 5 4 7 2
(106 (111 (110 (104 (87.
high °C (°F) (59 (65. (74 (85 (97 (92 (74 (63
.3) .2) .3) .4) 1)
.9) 3) .5) .8) .7) .1) .7) .0)
16. 22. 28. 24. 16. 11.
9.7 12 32.3 34.8 30.5 22.8
Daily mean 6 6 3 34 7 5 2
(49 (54 (90. (94. (86. (73.
°C (°F) (61 (72 (82 (93) (76 (61 (52
.5) ) 1) 6) 9) 0)
.9) .7) .9) .5) .7) .2)
Average low 3.8 5.5 9.6 15. 20. 23.3 25.5 24.5 20.7 15. 9.2 5.1 14.9
°C (°F) (38 (41. (49 2 1 (73. (77. (76. (69. 9 (48 (41 (58.
 (59 (68 (60
.8) 9) .3) 9) 9) 1) 3) .6) .2) 8)
.4) .2) .6)
Average 26 28 28 17 7 3 21 26
0 0 0 0 156
rainfall mm (1. (1.1 (1. (0. (0. (0. (0. (1.
(0) (0) (0) (0) (6.1)
(inches) 0) ) 1) 7) 3) 1) 8) 0)
Average
5 5 6 4 2 0 0 0 0 1 5 6 34
rainy days
Average rel
ative
71 61 53 43 30 21 22 22 26 34 54 71 42
humidity (
%)
Mean
192 203 244 255 300 348. 347. 353. 315. 272 213 195 3,24
monthly sun
.2 .4 .9 .0 .7 0 2 4 0 .8 .0 .3 0.9
shine hours
Average ult
raviolet 3 4 6 8 10 11 11 10 9 6 4 3 7
index
Source 1: World Meteorological Organization (UN)[101]
Source 2: Climate & Temperature[102][103]

Demographics[edit]

Guru Nanak Shrine in western Baghdad, Iraq

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Baghdad's population was estimated at 7.22 million in 2015. The city historically had a
predominantly Sunni population, but by the early 21st century around 82% of the city's
population were Iraqi Shi'ites. At the beginning of the 21st century, some 1.5 million
people migrated to Baghdad, most of them Shiites and a few Sunnis. Sunni Muslims
make up 23% of Iraq's population and they are still a majority in west and north Iraq. As
early as 2003, about 20 percent of the population of the city was the result of mixed
marriages between Shi'ites and Sunnis: they are often referred to as "Sushis".
[104]
 Following the sectarian violence in Iraq between the Sunni and Shia militia groups
during the U.S. occupation of Iraq, the city's population became overwhelmingly Shia.
Despite the government's promise to resettle Sunnis displaced by the violence, little has
been done to bring this about. The Iraqi Civil War following ISIS' invasion in 2014 caused
hundreds of thousands of Iraqi internally displaced people to flee to the city. The city has
Sunni, Shia, Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriacs, Armenians and mixed neighborhoods. The city
was also home to a large Jewish community and regularly visited by Sikh pilgrims.

Economy[edit]

Baghdad Tower, 2018

View of downtown Baghdad, March 2017

Al-Ma'mun's Telecommunication Center in downtown Baghdad

Baghdad accounts for 22.2 per cent of Iraq's population and 40 per cent of the country's
gross domestic product (PPP). Iraqi Airways, the national airline of Iraq, has its
headquarters on the grounds of Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad.[105]

Reconstruction efforts[edit]
Further information: Investment in post-invasion Iraq
Most Iraqi reconstruction efforts have been devoted to the restoration and repair of badly
damaged urban infrastructure. More visible efforts at reconstruction through private
development, like architect and urban designer Hisham N. Ashkouri's Baghdad
Renaissance Plan and the Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center have also
been made.[106] A plan was proposed by a Government agency to rebuild a tourist island
in 2008.[107] In late 2009, a construction plan was proposed to rebuild the heart of
Baghdad, but the plan was never realized because corruption was involved in it.[108]
The Baghdad Eye, a 198 m (650 ft) tall Ferris wheel, was proposed for Baghdad in
August 2008. At that time, three possible locations had been identified, but no estimates
of cost or completion date were given.[109][110][111][112] In October 2008, it was reported that Al-
Zawraa Park was expected to be the site,[113] and a 55 m (180 ft) wheel was installed
there in March 2011.[114]
Iraq's Tourism Board is also seeking investors to develop a "romantic" island on the River
Tigris in Baghdad that was once a popular honeymoon spot for newlywed Iraqis. The
project would include a six-star hotel, spa, an 18-hole golf course and a country club. In
addition, the go-ahead has been given to build numerous architecturally unique
skyscrapers along the Tigris that would develop the city's financial centre in
Kadhehemiah.[109]
In October 2008, the Baghdad Metro resumed service. It connects the center to the
southern neighborhood of Dora. In May 2010, a new residential and commercial project
nicknamed Baghdad Gate was announced.[115] This project not only addresses the urgent
need for new residential units in Baghdad but also acts as a real symbol of progress in
the war torn city, as Baghdad has not seen projects of this scale for decades.[116]

Education[edit]
The Mustansiriya Madrasah was established in 1227 by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir.
The name was changed to Al-Mustansiriya University in 1963. The University of
Baghdad is the largest university in Iraq and the second largest in the Arab world. Prior to
the Gulf War, multiple international schools operated in Baghdad, including:

 École française de Bagdad[117]

 Deutsche Schule Bagdad[118]
 Baghdad Japanese School (バグダッド日本人学校), a nihonjin gakko[119]
Universities[edit]
 University of Baghdad
 Al-Mustansiriya University
 Iraqi University
 Nahrain University
 Albayan University
 University of Technology, Iraq

Culture[edit]
See also: Baghdad Arabic and Culture of Iraq

The Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, officially founded in 1959, performing a concert in Iraq in
July 2007

Baghdad has always played a significant role in the broader Arab cultural sphere,
contributing several significant writers, musicians and visual artists. Famous Arab poets
and singers such as Nizar Qabbani, Umm Kulthum, Fairuz, Salah Al-Hamdani, Ilham al-
Madfai and others have performed for the city. The dialect of Arabic spoken in
Baghdad today differs from that of other large urban centres in Iraq, having features more
characteristic of nomadic Arabic dialects (Versteegh, The Arabic Language). It is possible
that this was caused by the repopulating of the city with rural residents after the multiple
sackings of the late Middle Ages. For poetry written about Baghdad, see Reuven
Snir (ed.), Baghdad: The City in Verse (Harvard, 2013)[120] Baghdad joined the UNESCO
Creative Cities Network as a City of Literature in December 2015.[121]

Institutions[edit]

Two ballet dancers of the Iraqi National Ballet (which is based in Baghdad) performing a ballet
show in Iraq in 2007.

Many events are hosted at the Baghdad Convention Center

Some of the important cultural institutions in the city include the National Theater, which
was looted during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but efforts are underway to restore the
theatre.[122] The live theatre scene received a boost during the 1990s, when
UN sanctions limited the import of foreign films. As many as 30 movie theatres were
reported to have been converted to live stages, producing a wide range of comedies and
dramatic productions.[123] Institutions offering cultural education in Baghdad include The
Music and Ballet School of Baghdad and the Institute of Fine Arts Baghdad. The Iraqi
National Symphony Orchestra is a government funded symphony orchestra in Baghdad.
The INSO plays primarily classical European music, as well as original compositions
based on Iraqi and Arab instruments and music. Baghdad is also home to a number of
museums which housed artifacts and relics of ancient civilization; many of these were
stolen, and the museums looted, during the widespread chaos immediately after United
States forces entered the city.
During the 2003 occupation of Iraq, AFN Iraq ("Freedom Radio") broadcast news and
entertainment within Baghdad, among other locations. There is also a private radio
station called "Dijlah" (named after the Arabic word for the Tigris River) that was created
in 2004 as Iraq's first independent talk radio station. Radio Dijlah offices, in
the Jamia neighborhood of Baghdad, have been attacked on several occasions.[124]

Destruction of cultural heritage[edit]

Priceless collection of artifacts in the National Museum of Iraq was looted during the
2003 US-led invasion. Thousands of ancient manuscripts in the National Library were
destroyed under Saddam's command and because of neglect by the occupying coalition
forces.[125]

Sport[edit]
Al-Shaab Stadium

Baghdad is home to some of the most successful football (soccer) teams in Iraq, the

biggest being Al-Shorta (Police), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Airforce club), Al-Zawra'a,
and Talaba (Students). The largest stadium in Baghdad is Al-Shaab Stadium, which was
opened in 1966. The city has also had a strong tradition of horse racing ever since World
War I, known to Baghdadis simply as 'Races'. There are reports of pressures by the
Islamists to stop this tradition due to the associated gambling.[citation needed]

Major streets[edit]

Haifa Street, as seen from the Medical City Hospital across the Tigris River

Palestine Meridian hotel and Ishtar Sheraton hotel

A street in Baghdad, 2015

 Haifa Street
 Salihiya Residential area - situated off Al Sinak bridge in central Baghdad,
surrounded by Al- Mansur Hotel in the north and Al-Rasheed hotel in the south
 Hilla Road – Runs from the south into Baghdad via Yarmouk (Baghdad)
  Caliphs Street – site of historical mosques and churches
 Sadoun Street – stretching from Liberation Square to Masbah
 Mohammed Al-Qassim highway near Adhamiyah
 Abu Nuwas Street – runs along the Tigris from the Jumhouriya Bridge to 14 July
Suspended Bridge
 Damascus Street – goes from Damascus Square to the Baghdad Airport Road
 Mutanabbi Street – A street with numerous bookshops, named after the 10th
century Iraqi poet Al-Mutanabbi
 Rabia Street
 Arbataash Tamuz (14th July) Street (Mosul Road)
 Muthana al-Shaibani Street
 Bor Saeed (Port Said) Street
 Thawra Street
 Al Qanat Street – runs through Baghdad north-south
 Al Khat al Sare'a – Mohammed al Qasim (high speed lane) – runs through
Baghdad, north–south
 Al Sinaa Street (Industry Street) runs by the University of Technology – centre of
the computer trade in Baghdad
 Al Nidhal Street
 Al Rasheed Street – city centre Baghdad
 Al Jamhuriah Street – city centre Baghdad
 Falastin Street
 Tariq el Muaskar – (Al Rasheed Camp Road)
 Akhrot street
 Baghdad Airport Road [126]

Twin towns/Sister cities[edit]

  Denver Regional Council of Governments, Colorado, United States.[127]
  Bogotá, Colombia.[127]
  State of Maryland, United States.[127]
  Pyongyang, North Korea[128]

See also[edit]
 Iraq portal

 Iraqi art
 List of places in Iraq
 List of mosques in Baghdad
 Damage to Baghdad during the Iraq War

Notes[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b Estimates of total population differ substantially. The CIA World
Factbook estimated the 2020 population of Baghdad at 7,144,000[4] The Encyclopedia
Britannica estimated the 2005 population at 5,904,000;[5] the 2006 Lancet Report states a
population of 7,216,050;[6] Mongabay gives a figure of 6,492,200 as of 2002.[7]
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Further reading[edit]
Articles[edit]
 By Desert Ways to Baghdad, by Louisa Jebb (Mrs. Roland Wilkins), 1908 (1909
ed) (a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries; DjVu & "layered
PDF"  (PDF). Archived from the original  (PDF) on 6 September
2005. (11.3 MB) format)
 A Dweller in Mesopotamia, being the adventures of an official artist in the Garden
of Eden, by Donald Maxwell, 1921 (a searchable facsimile at the University of
Georgia Libraries; DjVu & "layered PDF"  (PDF). Archived from the original  (PDF) on
6 September 2005. (7.53 MB) format)
 Miastoprojekt goes abroad: the transfer of architectural labour from socialist
Poland to Iraq (1958–1989) by Lukasz Stanek, The Journal of Architecture, Volume
17, Issue 3, 2012
Books[edit]
 Pieri, Caecilia (2011). Baghdad Arts Deco: Architectural Brickwork, 1920-
1950 (1st ed.). The American University in Cairo Press. p. 160. ISBN 978-
9774163562.
 "Travels in Asia and Africa 1325-135" by Ibn Battuta
 "Gertrude Bell: the Arabian diaries,1913–1914." by Bell Gertrude Lowthian, and
O'Brien, Rosemary.
 "Historic cities of the Islamic world."by Bosworth, Clifford Edmund.
 "Ottoman administration of Iraq, 1890–1908." by Cetinsaya, Gokhan.
 "Naked in Baghdad." by Garrels, Anne, and Lawrence, Vint.
 "A memoir of Major-General Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson." by Rawlinson,
George.

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related
to Baghdad.

Wikivoyage has a travel

guide for Baghdad.

Look up Baghdad in
Wiktionary, the free
dictionary.

Wikisource has the text of

the 1911  Encyclopædia
Britannica article Bagdad
(city).

 Amanat/Mayoralty of Baghdad
 Map of Baghdad
 Iraq Image - Baghdad Satellite Observation
 National Commission for Investment in Iraq
 Interactive map
 Iraq - Urban Society
 - Baghdad government websites
 Envisioning Reconstruction In Iraq
 Description of the original layout of Baghdad
 Ethnic and sectarian map of Baghdad - Healingiraq
 UAE Investors Keen On Taking Part In Baghdad Renaissance Project[permanent dead link]
 Man With A Plan: Hisham Ashkouri
 Behind Baghdad's 9/11
 Iraq Inter-Agency Information & Analysis Unit Reports, maps and assessments of
Iraq from the UN Inter-Agency Information & Analysis Unit
  Geographic data related to Baghdad at OpenStreetMap