The Ancient City Of Baghdad

Baghdad Geography and Historical Significance

Baghdad is a city in Western Asia which is the second largest city in the Arab World and the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran. It is a middle eastern city and is the largest city of Iraq. It is located along the Tigris River. It was founded in the 8th century by Al-Mansur, who was well known as the Caliph of Baghdad. It has a vast history and was a center of Islamic civilization between Asia and Europe. Earlier, Baghdad was known as Madinat al-Salaam or or the City of Peace. As it is located in the middle east, it usually has quite hot weather. The famous One Thousand and One Nights tales or the Arabian Nights was set in the city of Baghdad.

Baghdad has a population of around 77 Lakh Iraqi Sunni and Shia Muslims. It has played a significant role in the culture of the Arab World. The city gave rise to several Arab writers and Poets. In Baghdad, more of the nomadic Arabic Dialect is spoken which is quite different from the other cities of Iraq. The city of Baghdad was significantly damaged during the Iraq War which began in 2003. The war led to the bombing and damaging of many historical sites including the Baghdad Zoo, The Al-Askari Mosque and The National Museum of Iraq. Baghdad is quite an attractive city for its famous Abbasid Architecture which shows the reflection of the old city of Baghdad.

Is Baghdad safe to visit

Most of the people of the world do not consider it to be much safe to visit the middle eastern cities due to the high rate of terrorism in that area. It is true that it is not very safe for tourists considering their security concerns. Also, tourists from the west are quite likely to be targeted by militants and extremists there. But it is a place worth visiting if you are fascinated by the Arab World and the Arab culture and have the dare to put yourself to risk for some adventure and beating the heat in the desert.

The Famous Places of Baghdad

The Al-Shaheed Monument

The Al-Shaheed Monument of Baghdad is a very famous monument and attracts many tourists due to its unique dome-shaped architecture. It was designed by an Iraqi sculptor Ismail Fateh Al Turk and built by the architect Saman Kamal. A badge with the monument designed on it with a flower in it is worn on Martyr's Day as a tribute to the Martyrs of the Iran-Iraq war.

Qushla

Qushla is a historic Ottoman site located on one of the oldest streets of Baghdad. Its building was started by an Ottoman Governor Namiq Pasha in 1881 and was finished building by his successors. In the present day, this monument is considered as the only one of the few places where the Iraqi citizens are free to protest against corruption and unemployment in their cities and fight for their rights. People visit this place mostly on Fridays to enjoy music and art and indulge in political conversations.