Baghdad

Lore & Background

Founded in 762 AD by al-Mansur on a site whose settlement history is not clearly attested before the early Islamic period, Baghdad became the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and its most notable development project. The city evolved into an intellectual and cultural center. This, in addition to housing several key academic institutions, including the House of Wisdom, as well as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious environment, garnered it a worldwide reputation as the 'Center of Learning'. For much of the Abbasid era, during the Islamic Golden Age, Baghdad was one of the largest cities in the world and rivaled Chang'an, as the population peaked at more than one million. It was largely destroyed at the hands of the Mongol Empire in 1258, resulting in a decline that would linger for many centuries due to frequent plagues and shifts in power between multiple successive empires. Later, under the Ottoman Empire, Baghdad was the capital of the Baghdad Eyalet, while Basra, Mosul, and Shahrizor were separate provinces. During the First World War, Baghdad was made the capital of Mandatory Iraq. With the recognition of Iraq as an independent monarchy in 1932, it gradually regained some of its former prominence as a significant center of Arab culture. During the Ba'ath Party rule, the city experienced a period of relative prosperity and growth. However, it faced severe infrastructural damage due to the Iraq War, which began with the invasion of Iraq in 2003, resulting in a substantial loss of cultural heritage and historical artifacts. During the insurgency and renewed war from 2013 to 2017, it had one of the highest rates of terrorist attacks in the world. However, these attacks have gradually declined since the territorial defeat of the Islamic State militant group in Iraq in 2017, and are now rare. Since the end of the war, numerous reconstruction projects have been underway to induce stability.

In Their Own Story

On Al-Mutanabbi Street, the air hangs heavy with the scent of old paper and dust settling on worn manuscript pages. An elderly bookseller pauses, his eyes tracing the fading light against minarets that have witnessed empires crumble into ash. He speaks not of ruins, but of a living flame—the House of Wisdom—that once turned the entire known world to gold in its glow. Around him, the call to prayer weaves through the market's hum, while the Tigris flows on, indifferent to the wars fought upon its banks, carrying only the ghost-whispers of poets long turned to dust.

Reader's Guide

Iraq's largest city, Baghdad is the seat of government. It generates 40% of the economy of Iraq. A major center of Islamic history, Baghdad is home to numerous historic mosques, as well as churches, mandis and synagogues, highlighting the city's historical diversity. Religious sites such as Masjid al-Kadhimayn, Buratha Mosque, the Shrine of Abdul-Qadir Gilani and Abu Hanifa Mosque are visited by millions of people annually. It was once home to a large Jewish community and was regularly visited by Sikh pilgrims from India. Baghdad is a regional cultural hub. The city is well known for its coffeehouses.

Did You Know?

• The name Baghdad is pre-Islamic and its origin is disputed; modern scholars generally favor a Persian etymology meaning 'bestowed by God'.
• The site of Baghdad was occupied long before the Arab conquest of Mesopotamia in 637 CE, though clear archaeological evidence of settlement before the early Islamic period is lacking.
• The Round City of Baghdad was designed to symbolize paradise as described in the Qur'an and took about four years (762–766) to build with over 100,000 workers.
• Baghdad's circular design reflected ancient Near Eastern urban planning, similar to the Sasanian city of Gur and older Mesopotamian cities like Mari.