Basra

Also known as Al Baṣrah, Al Basrah, Basrah, Bassorah

Basra () or Basrah is a port city in southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq border, the city is situated along the banks of the Shatt al-Arab that empties into the Persian Gulf. It is consistently one of the hottest cities in Iraq, with summer temperatures regularly exceeding .

AI overview

Basra is a major port city in southern Iraq, located on the Shatt al-Arab waterway near the Persian Gulf and the Iran-Iraq border, making it an important center for trade and commerce. As Iraq's third-largest city and the capital of Basra Governorate, it is a significant urban center in the country, though it is known for being exceptionally hot during summer months.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Settlement.official_name: Basra
Settlement.other_name: Basrah
Settlement.native_name: ٱلْبَصْرَة
Settlement.native_name_lang: ar
Settlement.nickname: Venice of the East
Settlement.settlement_type: Metropolis
Settlement.image_caption: Basra along Shatt al-Arab, Al-Ashar River, Basrah Museum, Ottoman Viceroy House and Basra International Hotel
Settlement.image_size: 275
Settlement.pushpin_map: Iraq#Near East
Settlement.pushpin_label_position: left
Settlement.pushpin_relief: yes
Settlement.pushpin_map_caption: Location of Basra within Iraq
Settlement.subdivision_type: Country
Settlement.subdivision_type1: Governorate
Settlement.subdivision_name1: Basra
Settlement.government_type: Mayor–council
Settlement.leader_title: Mayor
Settlement.leader_name: Asaad Al Eidani

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of: big city
Official name: البصرة
Demonym: بصراوي
Country: Rashidun Caliphate
Located in: Basra Governorate
Population: 1326564
Area: 181
Elevation: 5
Time zone: UTC+03:00
Capital of: Basra Governorate
Official website: basra.gov.iq
Image: Basra-Shatt-Al-Arab.jpg

Show 13 more facts

Commons category: Basra
twinned administrative body: Venice
topic's main category: Category:Basra
category for people born here: Category:Births in Basra
category for people who died here: Category:Deaths in Basra
described by source: Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
category of associated people: Category:People from Basra
inception: 0638-00-00
Commons gallery: البصرة
different from: Bosra
native label: البصرة
P12749: Thrinax
history of topic: timeline of Basra history

Sources (10)

via Wikidata · CC0

~39 min read

Encyclopedic overview

28 sections

Contents

Etymology
History
Foundation by the Rashidun Caliphate (636–661)
Umayyad Caliphate: 661–750
Abbasid Caliphate and its Golden Age: 750–1258
Mongol rule and thereafter: 1258–1500s
Ottoman and British rule
Modern era: 1921–2003
Post-Saddam period: 2003–present
Geography
Climate
Effect of climate change
Demographics
Religion
Genetics
Urban Landscape
Economy
Transport
Seaport
Sports
Notable people
Twin towns and sister cities
In fiction
See also
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links

Built in 636 as a military camp, Basra played an important role as a regional hub of knowledge, trade and commerce during the Islamic Golden Age and is home to the first mosque built outside the Arabian Peninsula. It was a center of the slave trade in Mesopotamia, until the Zanj rebellion in 871. Historically, Basra is one of the ports from which the fictional Sinbad the Sailor embarked on his journeys. It has experienced numerous ruling shifts. In 1258, the city was sacked by the Mongols. Basra came under Portuguese control in 1526 and later fell under the control of the Ottomans as part of the Basra Eyalet, one of the provinces comprising Ottoman Iraq. During World War I, British forces captured Basra in 1914. It was incorporated into Mandatory Iraq, under the framework Mandate for Mesopotamia after 1921, which later became the independent Kingdom of Iraq in 1932.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Basra” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.