City Guide: Baghdad

Things that Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq, brings into mind:  Arabian Nights (One Thousand and One Nights), sultans, and their harems... Throughout its history, the city has been one of the most important educational centers of the Islamic religion and its culture. From the Gulf War to our time, it has been the capital of war and destruction. These two images are more or less combined in Baghdad.

The capital city of the Abbasid caliphs at one time, was destroyed during the 1258 Mongolian attack, similar to today. Although it was rebuilt then as well, it never could regain its status as the most beautiful city in the Middle East. The city, which reached its peak in terms of wealth during the time of caliph Harun Al-Rashid, gradually increased its wealth due to agriculture. When no city in the world exceeded a population of 100 thousand, Baghdad shone with a population of 1 million. Baghdad, which came under a Mongolian invasion, the rule of the Ilkhanates, Timurids, the Kara Koyunlu (Black Sheep Turkomans), the Ak Koyunlu (White Sheep Turkomans), and Safavids; was annexed into the Ottoman Empire by Suleiman I the Magnificient in 1534.

Today, the city is ranked last in terms of quality of life among 215 residential areas.

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• Tourist Attractions

  As widely known, Iraq has been under the governance of the Coalition Provisional Authority led by the United States of America and the United Kingdom since April 15, 2003. During this governance, bombings by groups in opposition have increased. Because of this, except the International Zone of Iraq-also known as the Green Zone- the city quite risky and dangerous. Baghdad’s cultural and historical structures have suffered as much from these operations and pre-invasion bombings as the Iraqi people.
  
  Despite this pessimistic outlook, the number of visitors flooding into the region for religious reasons every year exceeds 350 thousand. Important visitor locations are the tomb of Husayn ibn Ali in Karbala and Ali ibn Abi Talib in Necef; both of whom are prominent figures in the Shi’ite faith.
  
  Tigris River, which runs right through the city, is the point where land and water transportation intersect Two regions separated by the river, Rusafa and Karkh, are connected via bridges. Al-Rasheed Street, located in Rusafa, can be thought of as the main street of the city. This street, which stretches from the Northern Gate to the Southern Gate, used to be a very busy one for commerce before the war.
  
  Caliph Street is another parallel...Historical mosques and churches are located on this street. All kinds of architectural structures, from old eastern bazaars to buildings made of glass and, can be seen in Baghdad. One of the more than one hundred mosques of the city, is the magnificient mosque with a golden dome located in Kazımeyn which dates back from the 19th century.
  
  The train station and Zawra Park can be found on Damascus Street, which stretches from Damascus Square to the International Airport; within the Karkh region in the western part of the city. The International Baghdad Fair is also organized in this vast area.
  

• Culture & Entertainment

  The only Abbasid Palace that survived in the city is located next to the Northern Gate. The palace, which gazes over the Tigris river, is believed to have been built during the rule of the Caliph Al-Nasir (1179-1225).
  
  Due to the fact that its design resembles the Al Mustansiriyah University, some researchers believe that the structure is, in fact, Madrasa Sharabia where Islamic theology was taught in the 12th century as mentioned by old Arabic historians.
  
  Iraq National Museum, located in the Karkh region, is one of the locations most affected by the 2003 invasion. From the wealth of the museum encompassing 28 galleries and approximately 100 thousand years of Mesopotamian history, only 30% is believed to have survived the raid. Nearly all of the more than 700 animals in the zoo, which used to be the largest one in the Middle East before the attacks, were destroyed during the air bombing.
  

• Food & Drink

  You can find restaurants of various world cuisines in the International Zone of Iraq, also known as the Green Zone. Cafes and fast food locations are also located here.

• Shopping

  The Ministry of Tourism organizes expositions in major hotels. In these expositions, handcrafted carpets and similar works of art gathered from all four corners of Iraq and of course Baghdad are displayed and sold.

   

Ticket Sales Offices: Baghdad

• Baghdad: Airport Map Information

  Baghdad Airport

  Address	:	Baghdad International Airport Baghdad IZ, C0790-140-3537
  Phone	:	+ 964 1 537 2002

• Baghdad: Airport Map Information