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The Iraq Portal

A view of the former Republican Palace, Baghdad, Iraq

Flag of Iraq	Coat of Arms of Iraq

Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. Located within the Middle East, it is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and Kuwait to the southeast, Jordan to the southwest, and Syria to the west. The country covers an area of 438,317 square kilometres (169,235 sq mi) and has a population of over 46 million, making it the 58th largest country by area and the 31st most populous in the world. Baghdad, home to over 8 million people, is the capital city and the largest in the country.

Since independence in 1932 after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, Iraq has experienced spells of significant economic and military growth alongside periods of instability and conflict. Iraq emerged as a hashemite monarchy after centuries of Ottoman rule and a period under British administration. In 1958, a military coup led by Abdul Karim Qasim overthrew the monarchy and established a republic. Later, the Ba’ath Party took power in 1968, establishing a one-party state under Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and later Saddam Hussein, who presided over war against Iran from 1980 to 1988 and then invaded Kuwait in 1990. In 2003, U.S.-led coalition forces invaded and occupied Iraq, overthrowing the government and triggering an insurgency and sectarian violence during the Iraq War, which ended in 2011. From 2013 to 2017, Iraq faced another major conflict with the rise and defeat of the Islamic State. Today post-war conflict continues at a lower scale, hampering stability alongside the rising influence of Iran. (Full article…)

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Karbala is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With an estimated population of 691,100 people in 2024, Karbala is the second-largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located about a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is one of the main political, spiritual, and cultural hubs of Shi’a Islam.

The city, best known as the location of the battle of Karbala in 680 AD between Husayn ibn Ali and his band of several dozen followers, including some armed women, and several thousand soldiers led by General Umar ibn Sa’d on behalf of Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, the local governor who was acting on the orders of Yazid ibn Mu’awiya. Soon, Karbala emerged as an important center of pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims across the world. After the fall of Baghdad in 1258, Karbala came under the control of the Mongolian Empire led by Hulegu Khan. The city continued to be under multiple successive empires. Karbala enjoyed the status of semi-autonomy after the First Saudi State invasion. In 1843, Karbala was besieged by Ottoman troops. In 1915, Karbala was site of an uprising, which drove the Ottomans out of the city. (Full article…)

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The Euphrates run through Iraq

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Did you know…

…that the oldest known writing system, known as cuneiform, was developed in southern Iraq during the Sumerian civilization.
…that the oldest laws were written in Iraq by the Sumerian King Ur-Nammu.
…that Iraq is second only to Saudi Arabia in oil reserves.
…that the national soccer team of Iraq won the AFC Asian Cup in 2007.
…the wheel was invented in the southern Iraqi city of Ur.
…that Iraq is the largest producer of dates with more than 400 types and more than 22 million date palms.
…that Iraq’s national dish is Masgouf (impaled fish) and its national cookie is Kleicha (meaning circle or wheel), both of which can be traced back to antiquity.
…in the 1940s and 1950s, Iraq had 4/5 of the world’s Arecaceae population, these numbers have drastically decreased in the last few decades.

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Kadim Jabbar Al Samarai (Arabic: كاظم جبار إبراهيم السامرائي; born 12 September 1957), better known by his stage name Kadim Al Sahir (Arabic: كاظم الساهر), is an Iraqi singer and composer. Dubbed The Caesar, he has earned numerous local, regional, and international awards. One of the most famous singers in the Arab world, Al-Sahir has sold more than 100 million albums and written more than 40 hit songs, including “Ana Wa Layla” (Me and Layla), “Salamtak Men Al Ah” (Get Well Soon) and “La Titnahad” (Don’t Sigh).

By 1988, he gained popularity in many Arab countries with compositions such as “Ladghat El-Hayya” and “Abart El-Shat”. His musical career was hindered by the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1990. After leaving Iraq, his songs and titles championed the Iraqi people while they lived under Saddam Hussein‘s rule and Western sanctions. In 2011, he was named a goodwill ambassador by the UNICEF. (Full article…)

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General images

The following are images from various Iraq-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Iraqi music group led by Yusuf Za’arur in Baghdad, wearing the sidara, ca 1930. (from Music of Iraq)
Image 2Saddam Hussein, a leading member of the revolutionary Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. (from History of Iraq)
Image 3The Queen’s gold lyre from the Royal Cemetery at Ur. Iraq Museum, Baghdad (from Music of Iraq)
Image 4A partial view of the ruins of Babylon (from History of Iraq)
Image 5Younis Mahmoud is Iraq’s all-time most capped player in international matches, having played in 148 official games. (from Sport in Iraq)
Image 6Saddam Hussein promoting women’s education in the 1970s (from History of Iraq)
Image 7The Lion of Babylon of The Ishtar Gate has remained a prominent symbol of Iraqi culture throughout history. (from Culture of Iraq)
Image 8Map of the Safavid Iran. The area of Mesopotamia, permanently lost to the Ottomans in 1639 is shaded. (from History of Iraq)
Image 9Bronze head of an Akkadian ruler from Nineveh, presumably depicting either Sargon of Akkad, or Sargon’s grandson Naram-Sin. The Akkadian Empire was the first ancient empire of Mesopotamia after the long-lived civilization of Sumer. (from History of Iraq)
Image 10Munir Bashir, an Iraqi musician. (from Music of Iraq)
Image 117th-century BC relief depicting Ashurbanipal (r. 669–631 BC) and three royal attendants in a chariot. Ashurbanipal was the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire which was the largest empire in history up to that point. (from History of Iraq)
Image 12Occupation zones in Iraq in September 2003 (from History of Iraq)
Image 13The Age of the Caliphs
  Muhammad, 622–632

  Rashidun Caliphate, 632–661

  Umayyad Caliphate, 661–750
(from History of Iraq)
Image 14Muhammad al-Qubbanchi performing Maqam (from Culture of Iraq)
Image 15The Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nabonidus (r. 626–539 BC) (from History of Iraq)
Image 16Seleucia was the capital of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire (from History of Iraq)
Image 17U.S. Army soldier searches an Iraqi boy, March 2011. (from History of Iraq)
Image 18Pro-independence rally in Iraqi Kurdistan in 2017. The Kurdistan Regional Government announced it would respect the Supreme Federal Court’s ruling that no Iraqi province is allowed to secede. (from History of Iraq)
Image 19Nazem Ghazali was one of the most popular singers in the history of Iraq and in the Arab world. His songs are still heard by many in the Arab world. He was known by his maqam songs. (from Music of Iraq)
Image 20Conquest of Mosul (Nineveh) by Mustafa Pasha in 1631, a Turkish soldier in the foreground holding a severed head. L., C. (Stecher), 1631–1650. (from History of Iraq)
Image 21The Assyrian Empire at its greatest extent (from History of Iraq)
Image 22Iraq state emblem under nationalist Qasim was mostly based on Mesopotamian symbol of Shamash, and avoided pan-Arab symbolism by incorporating elements of Socialist heraldry. (from History of Iraq)
Image 23Ilham Madfai, “The Baghdad Beatle“. Madfai’s synthesis of Western guitar stylings with traditional Iraqi music has made him a popular performer in his native country and throughout the Middle East. (from Music of Iraq)
Image 24“Entry of Alexander into Babylon”, a 1665 painting by Charles LeBrun, depicts Alexander the Great’s uncontested entry into the city of Babylon, envisioned with pre-existing Hellenistic architecture. (from History of Iraq)
Image 25Nuri Said (1888 – 1958) contributed to the establishment of the Kingdom of Iraq and the armed forces while also serving as Prime minister. (from History of Iraq)
Image 26Flood Tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh (from Culture of Iraq)
Image 27The Sasanian Empire at its greatest extent in c. 620 under Khosrow II (from History of Iraq)
Image 28Kadim Al Sahir known as “The Caesar” of Arabic songs. Considered as one of the most successful singers in the history of the Arab World. (from Music of Iraq)
Image 29Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Iraq 1932–1959 (from History of Iraq)
Image 30Inside the Shanidar Cave where the remains of eight adults and two infant Neanderthals, dating from around 65,000–35,000 years ago were found. (from History of Iraq)
Image 31Masghouf fish, one of Iraq’s national dishes, a Mesopotamian cuisine dating back to ancient times, typically fish caught from the rivers of Euphrates and Tigris, and grilled near the river bed (from Culture of Iraq)
Image 32Conquest of Baghdad by the Mongols in 1258 (from History of Iraq)
Image 33The Mongol Empire’s expansion (from History of Iraq)
Image 34Al-Mutanabi, regarded as one of the greatest, most prominent and influential poets in the Arabic language; much of his work has been translated into over 20 languages worldwide. (from Culture of Iraq)
Image 35This earthenware dish was made in 9th-century Iraq. It is housed in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. (from History of Iraq)
Image 36Zaha Hadid was an Iraqi architect, artist and designer, recognised as a major figure in architecture of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. She is known for being influenced by Sumerian ancient cities. (from Culture of Iraq)
Image 377th-century BC relief depicting Ashurbanipal (r. 669–631 BC) and three royal attendants in a chariot (from Culture of Iraq)
Image 38British ruled Mesopotamia in pink (from History of Iraq)
Image 39Kuwait became a Governorate of Iraq. (from History of Iraq)
Image 40Al-Azzawi fighting for his seventh world heavyweight kickboxing title in his hometown of Baghdad, Iraq. (from Sport in Iraq)
Image 41Iraq Museum (from Culture of Iraq)