Baghdad

Baghdad (Arabic: بغداد‎‎) is the capital and largest city in Iraq. It covers 2,260 sq km (872.7 sq mi) and has a population of 7.2 million people (2012 estimate). The city is the second largest city in the Arab World after Cairo, and second largest city in Western Asia after Tehran.

Baghdad is located on the Tigris River. It was founded in the 8th century. By the High Middle Ages (11-13th centuries), it was already among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 1.2 million people. The Mongol invasion of the 13th century almost wiped out the city.

Baghdad was captured by the Ottomans in 1534. It was a period of decline. In addition to foreign occupation, it was also subjected to the plague and cholera which shaved off two-thirds of its population. However by the 18th century the city saw a revival under the rule of the Mamluk government. Ottoman rule was reimposed by Ali Ridha Pasha in 1831.

At the turn of the 20th century, the population of Baghdad stood at around 180,000 people. By then, the influence of the Ottomans was waning, and in 1920, Baghdad became the capital of the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. In 1932, it became the capital of the independent Kingdom of Iraq.

The monarchy was deposed in a military coup of 1958, where the king, prime minister and several members of the royal family were brutally killed and their bodies dragged through the streets. Baghdad enjoyed a period of prosperity in the 1970s, but the 1980s began a long period of turbulence beginning with the rule of Saddam Hussein, the Gulf War and the 2003 US-led invasion. Since then, Baghdad has become one of the most volatile places on earth, with insurgency activities continuing to erupt an frequent regularity today.


A mosque in the Green Zone of Baghdad
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Zone_Mosque.jpg
Author: Robert Smith

Visiting Baghdad

Baghdad is one of the most dangerous destinations. It is not yet a tourist destinations. Those planning to visit it should seek (and heed) the advice of their own government, and should have armed escort at all times.

The Baghdad Al Muthana International Airport receives flights from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Istanbul, Munich, Tehran and Vienna, among others.


Market in Baghdad, Iraq
Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_vendor_at_a_market_in_Baghdad,_Iraq.jpg
Author: James (Jim) Gordon

Places of Interest in Baghdad

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Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

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Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

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