User:Kharbaan Ghaltaan/Baghdad

Baghdad Mayoralty of Baghdad
Metropolis
View of the Green Zone, Qushla Square, Haydar-Khana Mosque,

Baghdad (Arabic: بغداد‎, Baghdād) is the capital and largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the most populous cities in the Middle East and Arab World and forms 22% of the country's population. Spanning an area of approximately 673 square kilometres (260 sq mi), Baghdad is the capital of the Baghdad Governorate and serves as Iraq’s political, economic, and cultural hub.

Founded in 762 AD by Al-Mansur, Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and became its most notable development project. The city evolved into a cultural and intellectual center of the Muslim world. 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 the largest city in the world, 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 through many centuries due to frequent plagues and multiple successive empires.

It remained part of the Ottoman Empire as Baghdad vilayet until World War I, when British forces captured the city. Baghdad was made the capital of the former British Mandate of Mesopotamia. 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 oil boom in Iraq, the city experienced a period of prosperity and growth. It faced severe infrastructural damage due to the Iraq War, which began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq, resulting in a substantial loss of cultural heritage and historical artifacts. Impacted by the subsequent insurgency and renewed war, during this period, it had one of the highest rates of terrorist attacks in the world. However, terrorist attacks have gradually been on the decline since the territorial defeat of the Islamic State militant group in Iraq in 2017, and are very rare now.

As capital of Iraq, Baghdad is location of the seat of government, national institutions and government ministries and serves as headquarters to numerous companies. It generates 40% of the national economy. A major center of Islamic history, Baghdad is home to numerous historic mosques, as well as a large number of churches, mandis and synagogues, highlighting the historical diversity of the city. Masjid al-Kādhimayn is visited every year by millions of pilgrims. The city is home to important cultural sites such as the National Museum of Iraq, the Iraqi National Library and the National Media Center. Mustansiriya University is one of the oldest universities in the world. Baghdad is also known as the "City of Palaces", as it is home to well known palaces.

History

Mamluk and Ottoman

Main article: History of Baghdad (1831–1917)

Modern Iraq

Baghdad and southern Iraq remained under Ottoman rule until 1917, when they were captured by the British during World War I. In the Mesopotamian campaign, Baghdad fell in hands of the British forces in 1917. In 1920, Baghdad became the capital of the Mandatory Iraq under the Mandate of Mesopotamia, with several architectural and planning projects commissioned to reinforce this administration. After receiving independence in 1932, the city became capital of the Kingdom of Iraq. During this period, the substantial Jewish community (probably exceeding 100,000 people) comprised between a quarter and a third of the city's population, who were pioneer in trade and commerce.

In 2003, the United States-led coalition invaded Iraq. The coalition forces launched massive aerial assaults and captured Baghdad on 9 April. A statue of Saddam Hussein was toppled in Firdous Square, symbolizing end of his rule. Also two minor riots took place in 2003, on 21 July and 2 October, causing some disturbance in the population. Religious and ethnic minorities, such as Christians, Mandaeans, and Jews, began leaving the city out of fear of being targeted in the attacks, as they were subjected to kidnappings, death threats, and violence. Priceless collection of artifacts in the National Museum of Iraq was looted by people and thousands of ancient manuscripts in the National Library were destroyed. The war, which ended in 2003, caused huge damage to Baghdad's transportation, power, and sanitary infrastructure.

Blank ==

As a result of oil boom in Iraq, the city experienced a period of prosperity and growth. The city faced severe infrastructural damage due to the Iraq War, which began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq, resulting in a substantial loss of cultural heritage and historical artifacts. The city suffered by the subsequent insurgency and renewed war. During this period, it had one of the highest rates of terrorist attacks in the world. However, terrorist attacks have gradually been on the decline since the territorial defeat of the Islamic State militant group in Iraq in 2017, and are very rare now. At present, Baghdad is attempting to rebuild its legacy, which was lost as a result of wars and conflicts.

with a population of over 7 million. Located on the banks of Tigris, it is part of the Baghdad Governorate in the central region of Iraq.