The capital and largest city of Iraq is Baghdad. Located along historic trade routes, it has been an important city in the Middle East for thousands of years. It is famous also as the setting for many of the stories in the collection Thousand and One Nights, or Arabian Nights. In 1991 and again in 2003 it was the scene of heavy fighting during U.S.–led attacks on Iraq. Parts of the city were destroyed, and the lives of its people were greatly disrupted.

Geography

Baghdad is situated near the center of Iraq, about 330 miles (530 kilometers) from the Persian Gulf. It lies on a level plain at a point where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are only about 25 miles (40 kilometers) apart. The city covers about 250 square miles (650 square kilometers) along both the banks of the Tigris.

Cultural life

Baghdad has historically been a center of Islamic culture, but fighting has damaged some of its landmarks. Several centuries-old mosques still stand in the city, as does the Iraq Museum, known for its archaeological collection. During the fighting in 2003, however, important items in the museum were stolen though some were later returned. The al-Awqaf Library and the Central Library of the University of Baghdad are resource centers for Arabic history and literature.

People

Baghdad's population grew rapidly from about 1.6 million in 1965 to more than 4 million in the late 1980s. The city lost population after the 1991 Persian Gulf War, however. Most of the people are Arabs and followers of Islam. Some Kurds, Afghans, Armenians, and members of other ethnic groups also live in the city.

Economy

Most of Iraq's industries are located in and around Baghdad. The city produces a variety of consumer and industrial goods, including processed foods and beverages, tobacco, textiles, leather goods, furniture, bricks, cement, chemicals, and electrical equipment. The country's financial services are also centered in Baghdad. Railroads, airlines, and bus lines link the city with other urban centers. These businesses and services have been disrupted during the many periods of unrest that the city has experienced.

History

People have lived on the site of Baghdad for some 4,000 years. A Persian village on the site became famous in AD 762 when the Arabs made it the capital of their empire. The population rapidly grew to 2 million, making it the largest city in the world at that time. Baghdad reached its greatest prosperity under the caliph (ruler) Harun ar-Rashid, who ruled from 786 to 809. The city became a center of learning, especially in the sciences.

In the centuries that followed, however, Baghdad slowly declined. It faced civil wars and foreign invasions. In 1258 the Mongols overran the city, massacred its inhabitants, and killed the caliph. The destruction begun by the Mongols was completed by the conquering Turks in 1534.

Baghdad was part of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire until World War I, when British troops captured the city. After the war, Great Britain was granted control of Iraq. In 1921 the British created the kingdom of Iraq, and Baghdad became the capital. In 1958 a group of Iraqi army officers overthrew the monarchy and established the Republic of Iraq. Baghdad gradually grew once again into a center of trade between East and West. Revenues from the oil industry were used to modernize the city.

Iraq's eight-year war with Iran in the 1980s hampered the development of Baghdad. During the Persian Gulf War of 1991, the United States and its allies dropped bombs on the city. Many buildings were destroyed. The city suffered further damage in 2003, when it once again came under attack by U.S.–led forces. Population (2003 estimate), 5,750,000.