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Baghdad

Baghdad · بغداد

City overview

Baghdad is Iraq’s capital on the Tigris in the central plain, concentrating government, commerce, finance, education and cultural activity. Rusafa on the east bank and Karkh on the west orient the urban landscape. Bridges, main roads and historic quarters link different functions. A single landmark cannot represent the city’s institutions, markets, universities, neighbourhoods and everyday life.

aka4ajax · 2004-09-08 · CC BY 3.0 ↗

Victory Arch, Baghdad

1 / 1 · Victory Arch, Baghdad

aka4ajax · 2004-09-08 · Read original · CC BY 3.0

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City facts

Population

7,837,463people

2024-11-25 census · City / urban centre

2024 census urban scope; CityPopulation compilation of Iraqi statistics, not governorate population.

Sources & licences · 1

Area

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No city release with verified boundary and year found; provincial or national values are not substituted.

GDP · current US dollars

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No city release with verified boundary and year found; provincial or national values are not substituted.

GDP per capita · current US dollars

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No city release with verified boundary and year found; provincial or national values are not substituted.

A capital on two riverbanks

Baghdad is Iraq’s capital on the Tigris in the central plain, concentrating government, commerce, finance, education and cultural activity. Rusafa on the east bank and Karkh on the west orient the urban landscape. Bridges, main roads and historic quarters link different functions. A single landmark cannot represent the city’s institutions, markets, universities, neighbourhoods and everyday life.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Baghdad

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:41:13.005401+00:00
Content revision
1379967752 2026-10-13T00:17:46Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

Abbasid foundation and later layers

Al-Mansur founded the Abbasid capital in 762. Baghdad developed as a centre of learning, trade and cultural exchange, then underwent political change, conflict and expansion. The present city does not preserve the Round City intact. Medieval buildings, Ottoman urban layers, modern monuments and contemporary infrastructure belong to different periods; Mustansiriya, the Freedom Monument and the Victory Arch should not be read as contemporaries.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Baghdad

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:41:13.005401+00:00
Content revision
1379967752 2026-10-13T00:17:46Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

Streets, books and architecture

Rusafa’s riverbank buildings and streets offer an introduction to the historic centre. Mustansiriya relates to medieval education, the Abbasid Palace to brickwork and spatial ornament, and Mutanabbi Street to books and cultural exchange. Courtyards, openings, pedestrian scale and commercial use form a lived environment. The UNESCO Rusafa entry is on the Tentative List, not an inscribed World Heritage property.

Mustansiriya courtyard and brick arches
Mustansiriya courtyard and brick arches · 2014-01-17 22:38:56Taisir Mahdi ↗CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Baghdad

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:41:13.005401+00:00
Content revision
1379967752 2026-10-13T00:17:46Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

Economy and urban functions

Capital functions concentrate public institutions, company headquarters, banks and services in Baghdad. Commerce and education connect it with other cities. City GDP, governorate GDP and national GDP are separate measures; a national average cannot establish urban incomes. Power, housing, transport and public space also matter. Proposed transit and construction projects must be distinguished from operating facilities.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Baghdad

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:41:13.005401+00:00
Content revision
1379967752 2026-10-13T00:17:46Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

Connecting the city with individual sites

Read riverbanks, historic educational buildings, book streets and modern public monuments separately before comparing their relationships. This dossier supplies orientation and chronology; site pages add architectural and conservation detail. Photographs show form at a dated moment. Baghdad’s hot summers and cooler winters provide climate context, which remains distinct from current weather.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Baghdad

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:41:13.005401+00:00
Content revision
1379967752 2026-10-13T00:17:46Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

Explore further

Sights & architecture →Hotels & stays →Food →Weather →

Current weather

Local date · — · Asia/Baghdad

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