Baghdad – although it did not become the capital of Iraq until 1918, Baghdad has been an
important city of the Middle East for many hundreds of years. Many other important towns have stood either on the same spot or close at hand. This is not only because it lies at a central point in the Middle East, the natural meeting place of roads and routes across the desert, but also because it is on the banks of the Tigris, at the point where that river and the Euphrates bend towards each other, at the centre of an extremely fertile plain.
Baghdad became famous in the 8th century AD when the Arabs made it the capital of their empire. The
population grew to two million, making it the largest city in the world at that time.
Those were the days of the Caliph (ruler) Harun-al-Rashid, of Arabian Nights fame, and Sindbad the Sailor. Side by side with trade flourished the new Arab art and learning. The city led the world in the sciences and it was the scholars of Baghdad who upheld the world’s
knowledge of mathematics, medicine, astronomy, and philosophy during the decay of the Greek Empire. The knowledge was later passed to Europe and produced the
great rebirth of scholarship known as the Renaissance.
All this ended with the Mongol invasion in 1258, however, when Hulaku, grandson of the great Genghis Khan, overran the
town, massacred its inhabitants and murdered the Caliph. The destruction begun by the Mongols was completed by the conquering Turks in 1534.
Modern Baghdad spreads over both banks of the River Tigris. Even at close quarters the ton is not picturesque for, apart from the Quadimain Mosque, the Blue Mosque, and the vast, packed bazaars, or market places, little can be seen of its historic past. The town is now crossed by wide streets; government and commercial
buildings have been built to meet modern needs; and particularly since the construction of a big airport, Baghdad has become an important business centre. During the war between Iraq and Iran in the 1980s, and in, particular, during the Gulf War, in 1991, Baghdad suffered missile attacks. Many government and other public buildings were destroyed.
About 95% of the population of around 5,000,000 are of the faith of Islam.