baghdad

Baghdad, largest city in Iraq

Baghdad is the capital of Iraq. It is the largest city in Iraq and, after Cairo in Egypt, the second largest city in the Arab World with a population between 7 and 7.5 million. Baghdad was found in the 8th century and was the center of the Arab and Muslim world during the Abbasid Caliphate.

Al Faw palace in Baghdad ©Flickr mr_kobayashi

Al Faw palace in Baghdad ©Flickr mr_kobayashi

Main sights include the National Museum of Iraq and the Hands of Victory, a pair of enormous crossed swords cast from weapons of soldiers who died in the Iran–Iraq War under Saddam’s command. The Al Kadhimain Shrine is a very important Shi’ite religious sites in Iraq, built in 1515.