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Basra

Basra · البصرة

City overview

Basra lies on the Shatt al-Arab in southern Iraq and is the governorate capital. River channels, ports, agricultural land and the Gulf outlet form its wider setting. The city, governorate, southern oilfields and coastal port zones are not the same territory. Basra also includes markets, communities, cultural institutions and historic housing.

Yesar Al-Maleki · 2013-10-13 00:06:09 · CC BY 3.0 ↗

Basra International Stadium

1 / 1 · Basra International Stadium

Yesar Al-Maleki · 2013-10-13 00:06:09 · Read original · CC BY 3.0

Display crop only; original file unchanged

City facts

Population

1,293,052people

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.

Between rivers and a maritime outlet

Basra lies on the Shatt al-Arab in southern Iraq and is the governorate capital. River channels, ports, agricultural land and the Gulf outlet form its wider setting. The city, governorate, southern oilfields and coastal port zones are not the same territory. Basra also includes markets, communities, cultural institutions and historic housing.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Basra

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
2026-10-13T00:41:13.916206+00:00
Content revision
1378427058 2026-10-04T12:12:00Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

UNESCO · Reviving Mosul and Basra Old Cities

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
2026-10-13T00:47:11.679106+00:00
Content revision
—
Licence
Unverified

Historical layers of a trading city

Basra developed in the early Islamic period and became connected with regional trade, learning and land–sea movement. Migration, expansion and construction left different urban layers. Early settlement, later canal-side commercial quarters and modern port-industrial areas require separate histories rather than a single story of uninterrupted prosperity. Literature and family memory add non-architectural perspectives.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Basra

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
2026-10-13T00:41:13.916206+00:00
Content revision
1378427058 2026-10-04T12:12:00Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

UNESCO · Reviving Mosul and Basra Old Cities

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
2026-10-13T00:47:11.679106+00:00
Content revision
—
Licence
Unverified

Ashar Canal and timber-fronted houses

Canals and shanasheel houses are central to reading the old city. Projecting timber windows combine shade, ventilation, light and household privacy, and reflect material and craft connections through trade. UNESCO links housing conservation, Ashar Canal and craft training. These buildings should be read as a lived quarter rather than decorative windows alone; conservation status needs dated evidence.

Historic houses and waterway, Basra
Historic houses and waterway, Basra · 2022-10-15 15:25:05حكمت العياشي ↗CC BY-SA 4.0
Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Basra

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
2026-10-13T00:41:13.916206+00:00
Content revision
1378427058 2026-10-04T12:12:00Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

UNESCO · Reviving Mosul and Basra Old Cities

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
2026-10-13T00:47:11.679106+00:00
Content revision
—
Licence
Unverified

Petroleum, ports and infrastructure

The Basra region connects southern petroleum production, processing, ports and transport. Services, logistics and industry explain the city’s role without establishing city GDP or household income. The Shatt al-Arab also concerns irrigation, navigation and ecology. Water conditions require salinity, flow and pollution evidence; a broad river photograph does not establish good local water supply.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Basra

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
2026-10-13T00:41:13.916206+00:00
Content revision
1378427058 2026-10-04T12:12:00Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

UNESCO · Reviving Mosul and Basra Old Cities

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
2026-10-13T00:47:11.679106+00:00
Content revision
—
Licence
Unverified

Separating city and surrounding region

Museums, historic houses, riverbanks and modern public buildings illustrate different urban layers. Qurnah’s river confluence and Faw’s coast belong to the surrounding region, as do the southern marshes. Starting a journey from Basra does not place a site inside it. Hot conditions, waterways and food traditions offer linked context, while current weather and specific services require current records.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Basra

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
2026-10-13T00:41:13.916206+00:00
Content revision
1378427058 2026-10-04T12:12:00Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

UNESCO · Reviving Mosul and Basra Old Cities

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
2026-10-13T00:47:11.679106+00:00
Content revision
—
Licence
Unverified

Explore further

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

Current weather

Local date · — · Asia/Baghdad

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