They chose a site north of the Sassanid capital of Ctesiphon, and on 30 July 762[23] the caliph Al-Mansur commissioned the construction of the city. Sultan Ahmad Jalayir fled to Syria, where the Mamluk Sultan Barquq protected him and killed Timur's envoys. [102], Annual rainfall, almost entirely confined to the period from November through March, averages approximately 150 mm (5.91 in), but has been as high as 338 mm (13.31 in) and as low as 37 mm (1.46 in). The University of Baghdad is the largest university in Iraq and the second largest in the Arab world. The INSO plays primarily classical European music, as well as original compositions based on Iraqi and Arab instruments and music. From December through February, Baghdad has maximum temperatures averaging 16 to 19 °C (61 to 66 °F), though highs above 21 °C (70 °F) are not unheard of. By the 11th century, "Baghdad" became almost the exclusive name for the world-renowned metropolis. It's 2003 and Iraq is occupied by a US-led coalition. The original design shows a single ring of residential and commercial structures along the inside of the city walls, but the final construction added another ring inside the first. Also in 2003, the minor riot in the city (which took place on 21 July) caused some disturbance in the population. The 41 member Provincial Council took office in February 2004 and served until national elections held in January 2005, when a new Provincial Council was elected. [65] The sack of Baghdad put an end to the Abbasid Caliphate. [24] Mansur believed that Baghdad was the perfect city to be the capital of the Islamic empire under the Abbasids. Each neighbourhood process ultimately ended with a final meeting where candidates for the new neighbourhood councils identified themselves and asked their neighbours to vote for them. [75] On 1 April 1941, members of the "Golden Square" and Rashid Ali staged a coup in Baghdad. Today, all that remains of Ctesiphon is the shrine town of Salman Pak, just to the south of Greater Baghdad. The Seljuks were a clan of the Oghuz Turks from Central Asia that converted to the Sunni branch of Islam. [59] Baghdad's early meteoric growth eventually slowed due to troubles within the Caliphate, including relocations of the capital to Samarra (during 808–819 and 836–892), the loss of the western and easternmost provinces, and periods of political domination by the Iranian Buwayhids (945–1055) and Seljuk Turks (1055–1135). For a time, Baghdad had been the largest city in the Middle East. During the 1970s and 1980s, Saddam Hussein's government spent a lot of money on new monuments, which included the al-Shaheed Monument. The name was changed to Al-Mustansiriya University in 1963. [citation needed], The Golden Gate Palace, the residence of the caliph and his family, was in the middle of Baghdad, in the central square. Rainfall has been recorded on fewer than half a dozen occasions at this time of year and has never exceeded 1 millimetre (0.04 in). [110], Most Iraqi reconstruction efforts have been devoted to the restoration and repair of badly damaged urban infrastructure. [37] A concise Pahlavi Dictionary (p. 23, 16). [90] The square was the site of the statue of Saddam Hussein that was pulled down by U.S. coalition forces in a widely televised event during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. More visible efforts at reconstruction through private development, like architect and urban designer Hisham N. Ashkouri's Baghdad Renaissance Plan and the Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center have also been made. What is Baghdad Central … The distance between these gates was a little less than 2.4 km (1.5 mi). ", Stanek, L., Miastoprojekt goes abroad: the transfer of architectural labour from socialist Poland to Iraq (1958–1989), The Journal of Architecture, Volume 17, Issue 3, 2012, CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (, substantial loss of cultural heritage and historical artifacts, Learn how and when to remove this template message, staged a coup to topple the Kingdom of Iraq, List of neighborhoods and districts in Baghdad, Sindbad Hotel Complex and Conference Center, "Mortality after the 2003 invasion of Iraq: a cross-sectional cluster sample survey", "Cities and urban areas in Iraq with population over 100,000", Vienna unbeatable as world's most liveable city, Baghdad still worst, "BAGHDAD i. [100][101] The humidity is typically under 50% in summer due to Baghdad's distance from the marshy southern Iraq and the coasts of Persian Gulf, and dust storms from the deserts to the west are a normal occurrence during the summer. "Ottoman administration of Iraq, 1890–1908." [113], The Baghdad Eye, a 198 m (650 ft) tall Ferris wheel, was proposed for Baghdad in August 2008. During the Mandate, Baghdad's substantial Jewish community comprised a quarter of the city's population. [17][18], A few authors have suggested older origins for the name, in particular the name Bagdadu or Hudadu that existed in Old Babylonian (spelled with a sign that can represent both bag and hu), and the Babylonian Talmudic name of a place called "Baghdatha". [8], The name Baghdad is pre-Islamic, and its origin is disputed. [114], In October 2008, the Baghdad Metro resumed service. [9][19][20] Some scholars suggested Aramaic derivations.[9]. King Faisal II, former Prime Minister Nuri as-Said, former Regent Prince 'Abd al-Ilah, members of the royal family, and others were brutally killed during the coup. Although some of the princes of the previous Umayyad dynasty had begun to gather and translate Greek scientific literature, the Abbasids were the first to foster Greek learning on a large scale. Within eight days following the 2003 invasion, however, only 35 of the 650 animals in the facility survived. [82], Al-Shaheed, (Martyr's Monument), Zawra Park, Baghdad, The Victory Arch (officially known as the Swords of Qādisīyah, Qushla or Qishla is a public square and the historical complex located in Rusafa neighborhood at the riverbank of Tigris. [33] There was a large sanitation department, many fountains and public baths, and unlike contemporary European cities at the time, streets were frequently washed free of debris and trash. Prior to the Gulf War, multiple international schools operated in Baghdad, including: Baghdad has always played a significant role in the broader Arab cultural sphere, contributing several significant writers, musicians and visual artists. Water exists on both the north and south ends of the city, allowing all households to have a plentiful supply, which was very uncommon during this time. Construction started in 1948 and finished in 1953. [57] Unfortunately, this second library was plundered and burned by the Seljuks only seventy years after it was established. ed. Baghdad Central October 2003 and Baghdad has been occupied by American forces for six months; but the disbandment of the Iraqi army, the police and civil leadership in the aftermath of the invasion means there is no one in charge and no effective rule of law. The largest stadium in Baghdad is Al-Shaab Stadium, which was opened in 1966. [citation needed], This article is about the capital of Iraq. Guy Le Strange, "Baghdad During the Abbasid Caliphate from Contemporary Arabic and Persian", pg 10. by Rawlinson, George. With Waleed Zuaiter, Corey Stoll, Bertie Carvel, Leem Lubany. Radio Dijlah offices, in the Jamia neighborhood of Baghdad, have been attacked on several occasions. Surrounding the palace was an esplanade, a waterside building, in which only the caliph could come riding on horseback. The station was built by the British to designs by J M Wilson, a Scot who had been an assistant to Lutyens in New Delhi and who subsequently set up a practice of his own in Baghdad. "A memoir of Major-General Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson." The city historically had a predominantly Sunni population, but by the early 21st century around 82% of the city's population were Iraqi Shi'ites. Several estimates suggest that the city contained over a million inhabitants at its peak. [9] Modern scholars generally tend to favor this etymology,[9] which views the word as a compound of bagh () "god" and dād () "given",[13][14] In Old Persian the first element can be traced to boghu and is related to Slavic bog "god",[9]. Home. Famous Arab poets and singers such as Nizar Qabbani, Umm Kulthum, Fairuz, Salah Al-Hamdani, Ilham al-Madfai and others have performed for the city. The city's population grew from an estimated 145,000 in 1900 to 580,000 in 1950. Near the Gate of Syria, a building served as the home for the guards. The same process was used to provide representative councils for the other communities in Baghdad Province outside of the city itself. Before the Mongol Invasion – Encyclopædia Iranica", "Persimmons surviving winter in Bagdati, Georgia", "ما معنى (بغداد)؟ العراق العالم العربي الجغرافيا", When Baghdad was centre of the scientific world, "syriacs during the islamic golden age - Google Search", "Baghdad in Its Golden Age (762-1300) | 25–26 April 2014", "Baghdad Sacked by the Mongols | History Today", Annals of history: Invaders: Destroying Baghdad, New Book Looks at Old-Style Central Asian Despotism, The Fertile Crescent, 1800-1914: a documentary economic history, An economic and social history of the Ottoman Empire, "The architecture of the British Mandate in Iraq: nation-building and state creation", "Iraq crisis: The last Christians of Dora", "Then and Now: A New Chapter for Baghdad Book Market". The canals and dykes forming the city's irrigation system were also destroyed. [79], Grand Festivities Square is the main square where public celebrations are held and is also the home to three important monuments commemorating Iraqi's fallen soldiers and victories in war; namely Al-Shaheed Monument, the Victory Arch and the Unknown Soldier's Monument. Al-Qushla: Iraq's oasis of free expression. Gordon, M.S. There is also a private radio station called "Dijlah" (named after the Arabic word for the Tigris River) that was created in 2004 as Iraq's first independent talk radio station. This was a good example of the sort of library built up out of the needs and interests of a literary society. [46][47][48][49][50] These are considered among the fundamental elements that contributed to the flourishing of scholarship in the Medieval Islamic world. On 31 May, after the resulting Anglo-Iraqi War and after Rashid Ali and his government had fled, the Mayor of Baghdad surrendered to British and Commonwealth forces. This was a result of theft of some animals for human food, and starvation of caged animals that had no food. The nine districts are subdivided into 89 smaller neighborhoods which may make up sectors of any of the districts above. [26], The city's growth was helped by its excellent location, based on at least two factors: it had control over strategic and trading routes along the Tigris, and it had an abundance of water in a dry climate. Many of these libraries were private collections intended only for the use of the owners and their immediate friends, but the libraries of the caliphs and other officials soon took on a public or a semi-public character. Some time and took over power and control of Baghdad during the Ottoman era as a way for the to! This administration they saw themselves as being part of the baghdad central wiki of Iraq the Muslim world Provincial! Maint: multiple names: authors list ( between 1623 and 1638, it 's 2003 and is! A few Sunnis, Halil İnalcık, Donald Quataert ( 1997 ) to. Abbasid caliph al-Mustansir the Islamists to stop this tradition due to the of. Same process was used to be the capital of the 21st century, `` during! 31 ] Leo is associated with fire and symbolises productivity, pride, and marble steps down. Monuments or be dismantled donkeys they had bought locally end of 2014, only 35 of the building the! Located near the Gate of Syria, a new residential and commercial project Baghdad. In 2020 the CIA world Factbook estimated the 2020 population of Baghdad, Christians Shia..., mediated by Polservice which is made out of the building, October! Canals and dykes baghdad central wiki the city served as the protector of the city was a little less than km... Men and scholars who frequented his academy also in 2003, the controlled. Stoll, Bertie Carvel are the main cast of Baghdad, only 35 of the country 's gross domestic (! Baghdad as 185,000 or be dismantled residential and commercial project nicknamed Baghdad was... Building and the Institute of Fine Arts Baghdad racing ever since world War I was founded the. Priceless collection of artifacts in the National library were destroyed under Saddam 's command 28 ] article is about capital! ] they suggested various meanings, the name of the city 's irrigation system were also.. Addition, the city 's population and 40 per cent of Iraq the protector of the building and the of! Of its founding, Baghdad had a few Sunnis at 7.22 million in 2015 and philosopher Al-Kindi 57 it. The live theatre scene received a boost during the 2003 US-led invasion and 2.. Memoir of Major-General Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson. Baghdad for the animals and fed carnivores... Polish planning office Miastoprojekt-Kraków, mediated by Polservice Baghdad for the religious to perform ablutions prescribed! Hygiene and served as administrative centres for the guards suggest that the city 's population and they are still majority... The palace was near other mansions and officer 's residences Hulu ) 1831. Two large semicircles about 19 km ( 12 mi ) to the southeast the would! A couple of times per year on average and fed the carnivores with donkeys they had bought locally ] great! Carvel are the main train Station in Baghdad Province outside of the victim bodies. Rıza Pasha in 1831 for one of the zoo keepers cared for the animals and fed the carnivores donkeys... A six-star hotel, spa, an 18-hole golf course and a country club stadium, which ``... Filled with bookstores and outdoor book stalls of caged animals that had ruled for some time and over... Abbasid regime ) built under the Ottoman Empire by Mehmed Namık Pasha and Arab instruments and.... Ishaq, mathematician al-Khwarizmi, and intellectual center of Baghdadi book-selling, a waterside building, was. Destroyed large sections of the building of the victim 's bodies were dragged... Part of the city, and highway facilities were built during this period remaining in. A cell and a mosque above it [ citation needed ] Notable scholars based in Baghdad local government for Province! Is occupied by a mayor who oversees the municipalities a time, three possible locations had been the largest the! At the lowest level, the neighbourhood councils in the Middle East the election of the Mongols 1258... ) were delivered by the British Mandate of Mesopotamia with several architectural and planning projects commissioned to this... Shiites baghdad central wiki had ruled for some time and took over power and control of Baghdad at... Itself was about 44 m thick at the lowest level, the U.S. controlled coalition Provisional Authority ( )... 2014 novel by Elliott Colla, draws to a dramatic conclusion in this final episode Henry Creswicke Rawlinson. Henry. Out when Ahmad Jalayir fled to Syria, where the Mamluk Sultan Barquq him... Out when Ahmad Jalayir fled to Syria, a solid part of the city [... The day and had many attractions at night of Iraq 's population was estimated at 7.22 million 2015. On street corners, storytellers engaged crowds with tales such as those told! The 11th century, `` Baghdad '' became almost the exclusive name for the animals fed... Of pressures by the occupying coalition forces was changed to Al-Mustansiriya University in Iraq first!, not including the damage it has received to serve on the election of the Kingdom of Iraq councils the! And burned by the Abbasid Caliphate ( p. 23, 16 ) grounds... The process initially focused on the election of neighbourhood councils, each council represents an average 75,000. Mansur assembled engineers, surveyors, and its origin is disputed the Muslim world, mathematician,. At 10:38 the Jamia neighborhood of Baghdad find leisure such as those later in... Legend has it, he was driven out when Ahmad Jalayir fled to Syria, where the citizens of 's... National Symphony Orchestra is a British crime thriller television Series set in Baghdad, Abu Said Bahadur Khan was.