Baghdad
Baghdad, the capital of the Iraqi Republic, is the prosperous city known for its glorious past and bright present, and which was built by the Abbasid Caliph Abu Jaafar al-Mansur in the year 135 AH / 762 AD, west of the Tigris River. The city was famous for its circular layout and was rightfully considered one of the great Arab prides in the field of architecture and planning.
Eventually, during the Caliph’s reign, the city’s construction extended to the eastern bank, and reached its climax during the reign of Caliph Harun al-Rashid. The Abbasid caliphs and princes then competed in its reconstruction, leading to its prosperity with its luxurious palaces and mosques, science schools and its vast gardens. Thus, Baghdad rightfully deserved to be the capital of the Islamic world for many centuries.
Baghdad was an ancient city since the time of the Babylonian civilization, as historians discovered that Baghdad existed since the time of the kings of Babylon, such as King Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar, where its name was Baghdado or Baghdada, meaning the garden of the lover or the garden of the beloved. “Dada” is the common word used since the ancient Babylonian era, same as the Akkadian language, which was the Aramaic language of Baghdado, and was considered a dialect of one language, so the meaning is the same in Akkadian and Aramaic.
As for the Persian opinions, they say that (Bagh) means a garden in Persian and (Dad) means a gift, so the meaning of the name is (the gift garden). Other versions say that (Bagh) is the name of a man or a devil and (dad) means a gift or a grant so the meaning is (the gift of ), taking into account that the Aramaic language is the oldest.
The following is a brief overview of some of its famous landmarks:
Markets
Most of Baghdad’s famous markets are located on both sides of Al-Rasheed Street and in the area located between Al-Shuhada and Al-Ahrar bridges. These markets include:
Al-Safafeer Market (Al-Nahhasin):
That is what it is called in Baghdad, as the craft of (copper methods and its manufacture) is common therein, and is still practiced in its familiar folk way. In this market you find household tools, decorative tools and various souvenir goods made of copper with beautiful and accurate engravings.
Shorja Market:
That is what it is called in Baghdad, as the craft of (copper methods and its manufacture) is common therein, and is still practiced in its familiar folk way. In this market you find household tools, decorative tools and various souvenir goods made of copper with beautiful and accurate engravings.
Al-Bazazeen Market:
That is what it is called in Baghdad, as the craft of (copper methods and its manufacture) is common therein, and is still practiced in its familiar folk way. In this market you find household tools, decorative tools and various souvenir goods made of copper with beautiful and accurate engravings.
Haraj Market:
It is a well-known market in the center of the city of Baghdad for the sale of used materials and very old items that are of historical and archaeological value. You may find there everything rare and strange and all what you usually do not find in other markets. It has many high-end artifacts and people frequent it because of the low prices of its goods. This market specializes in a special opening on Friday, where it is abound with sellers and shoppers. Haraj Market is considered one of the landmarks of the city of Baghdad.
Al-Ghazal Market
It is a well-known market in the center of the city of Baghdad for the sale of used materials and very old items that are of historical and archaeological value. You may find there everything rare and strange and all what you usually do not find in other markets. It has many high-end artifacts and people frequent it because of the low prices of its goods. This market specializes in a special opening on Friday, where it is abound with sellers and shoppers. Haraj Market is considered one of the landmarks of the city of Baghdad.
Al-Mustansiriya School
It was one of the most important universities in the Islamic world in the Abbasid era. It gained special importance for teaching Arabic, religious sciences, astronomy, mathematics, medicine and pharmacy, and it included a private hospital to train its students.
The school is located on the side of Rusafa near Al-Shuhada Bridge and overlooks the Tigris River. This school was built during the Abbasid era of al-Mustansir Billah, the thirty-seventh caliph, whose caliphate lasted from 623 AH to 640 AH, and was named after him,. The construction of the school took six years, and the Abbasids allocated to the school about three quarters of a million gold dinars, and in order to perform its tasks, the endowments allocated to the same amounted to about one million gold dinars, generating an annual income equal to seventy thousand gold dinars.
The school was built on an approximately rectangular layout with a length of 104.8 m and a width of 44.20 m. In the middle of the school is a central courtyard of 1,710 square meters overlooking halls, and it consists of building units covered by large vaults and beautiful decorations open in all its breadth to the square. The school has rooms for student housing on two floors, study areas, and a library that contained about eighty thousand books, in addition to a pharmacy, hospital, orchard, a hadith house, and another for the Holy Qur’an.
Abbasid Palace
One of the important buildings in Baghdad from the second Abbasid era near Bab al-Moadham on the river side. Researchers attribute its construction to the Caliph Al-Nasir Li-Din Allah 575 AH – 623 AH, as in his time, some landmarks were built in Baghdad. The structure of the palace is a central courtyard and two-floor rooms decorated with knots and muqarnas made in bricks. Among the palace facilities is an iwan whose facade and ceiling were decorated with brick motifs. During the maintenance of the palace, an iwan was built in front of it from the river side. Due to the large number of facilities and planning of this building in Al-Mustansiriya School, some have argued that it is the Sharabi School that was mentioned in some historical sources.
Al-Murjaniya School
Al-Murjaniya School, which is known today as the Murjan Mosque, is located in Al-Shorja area on Al-Rasheed Street and was named as such for Amin al-Din Murjan, who built it in the year 758 AH / 1357 AD, that is, about a hundred years after the end of the Abbasid era. Its first period was similar to the Al-Mustansiriya school in terms of containing rooms for study and to accommodate students. At the beginning of this century, the school was demolished and a mosque was built in its place, leaving only parts of the school.
Aqar Quf
10 miles to the west of the city of Baghdad, today stands the ruins of Aqar quf (Dur Kurigalzu), the capital of Iraq during the Kassite era (1595-2171 BC). The Kassites had settled in the city of Babylon before the formation of their political entity and they quoted many of the origins of the Babylonian civilization and after the fall of the Babylon first dynasty, and in a short period of time, they were able to expel the Hittites and establish their state. At first they made the city of Babylon as their capital, and in the middle of their reign, they moved to a luxurious city known as Kurigalzu. Among its most prominent landmarks today is its towering ziggurat, which is one of the largest listed towers remaining today in Iraq. Its current height is about 57 m and it has a square base (67 x 69 m). However, it is believed that the original height was about 70 meters, and it rises to it by three stairs. In addition to this listed edifice, a group of temples was discovered near the ziggurat, while the remains of the city’s palaces were discovered at a distance of about one kilometer to the southwest of the ziggurat.
Settlement continued in the city after its founding during the Neo-Babylonian era, and even through some Islamic eras.
Al-Mada’in (Ctesiphon)
Al-Mada’in (cities) in the Persian language (Ctesiphon), which is a group of seven cities, the Arabs translated the name, so they called them Al-Mada’in instead of Ctesiphon. The seven cities are Al-Atiqa – Isfapur – Wah Ardasher – Hanbosafor – Darz Nidan – Wahe Jundikhusra – Sabat, and they are 30 km away from the center of the capital, Baghdad.
Among its most prominent landmarks is the towering Taq Khosrau, which is part of a large palace (the White Palace), in the center of which is Khosrau’s iwan, the Khosrau’s Throne Hall. A shard during the reign of Khosrau I, known as Sherwan (the immortal soul), and after the military campaign against the Byzantines 540 AD, was built. On its walls, the Battle of Antioch that took place between the Persians and the Romans was drawn. This tack is considered one of the greatest and highest tacks built in the world. Its height is about 32 meters from the surface of the earth, and the distance between its right and left walls is 25.5 meters. The depth of the iwan is about 48 meters and the thickness of its walls from the bottom is seven meters.
In 1888, a third of the building was destroyed by a torrent, and a reconstruction process took place in the eighties of the twentieth century, but it was not completed, and construction work stopped in 1991 during the Gulf War.
Al-Qashla
“Qashla” is a Turkish word taken from (Qashlan) meaning “Mashta.” Then the term “Qashla” became a term used to refer to the soldiers’ barracks and the time of their encampment and not going to war in the winter.
Al-Qashla is located on the Rusafa side of Baghdad in the locality of Al-Saray opposite Al-Saray Mosque and occupies a rectangular area extending on the eastern bank of the Tigris River.
The start of construction was in 1861 AD during the reign of the Ottoman governor, Namik Pasha, but during his reign, the building was not completed. Then the governor, Medhat Pasha completed it in 1869 AD, where the building consisted of one floor. Medhat Pasha added other buildings during Ramadan, including a second floor of rooms. It was built from the ruins of the Abbasid wall of Baghdad and the clock tower was built in the middle of the inner courtyard of Al-Qashla to wake the soldiers in the morning. It is a hollow tower 23 meters high. At the end of the body there is a clock with four faces dedicated by the British King George V. This was an important event in Baghdad in 1869 AD ten years after the famous Big Ben clock, which topped the British House of Commons in the capital, London.
Historical events took place on the Al-Qashla building, including:
– 1917 AD – the British flag was raised over the clock tower after the British forces’ victory over the Ottoman army.
– 1921 AD – King Faisal I was crowned in Al-Qashla’s Square.
In recent years, the buildings of Al-Qashla have been occupied by the Ministries of Finance and Justice, and due to the importance of this building from an archaeological and architectural point of view, the Department of Antiquities has worked to maintain this building and use it as a museum to display the precious heritage artifacts.
Mashhad Al-Kadhimi
It is one of the famous shrines in Baghdad and is located in the place of the graves of Quraysh as it was called in the time of the Abbasids. It includes the shrines of the two Imams, Musa al-Kadhim, who was buried in 802 AD and Muhammad al-Jawad. A wide mosque was built around the two shrines, now topped by two domes and four gold-plated minarets. This mosque was established in 1515 AD.
Al-Imam Al-Adham Mosque
This mosque is located in the Adhamiya area with the mausoleum of Imam Abu Hanifa al-Nu’man bin Thabit al-Kufi, the author of the Hanafi school of Fiqh, who was buried in the al-Khayzaran tombs in the year 105 AH / 767 AD, then a city was built around the mausoleum known as Adhamiya. A large dome was built over the mausoleum, known as Mashhad Abu Hanifa, and a school for the Hanafis was also built next to it. However, this building was demolished and changed repeatedly, and its architecture was renewed by the Ottoman sultans and governors.
Sheikh Omar Al-Suhrawardi Shrine
It is located in the Sheikh Omar area, next to Bab Al-Wastani. The shrine of the ascetic Sheikh Shihab Al-Din Omar Al-Suhrawardi, the famous Sufi scholar who died in 1225 AD, is located in a conical dome, similar to the dome of Zumurud Khatun. The mosque is one of the oldest mosques in the city of Baghdad.
Sheikh Maarouf Al-Karkhi Mosque
He is Abu Mahfuz Maarouf bin Fayrouz al-Karkhi, one of the scholars of the time (second century AH) and one of the famous Sufis in Baghdad and among those famous for his sofism, piety and taqwa. He died in Baghdad in the year 200 AH-815 AD and was buried in the Al-Shwaniziyah cemetery, known as the ancient cemetery of Bab Al-Dair, on the Karkh side of the city of Baghdad. His shrine is a wonderful engineering masterpiece and an architectural edifice of great magnificence and beauty.
Zumurud Khatun Tomb
It is located on the western side of Baghdad in the area of Sheikh Maarouf, topped by a towering dome that stands on eight sides. Mrs. Zumurud Khatun is the wife of the Caliph Al-Mustadha Bi Amr Allah, and she built it to be buried there during the reign of Caliph Al-Nasir Li-Din Allah. It was built in the year 599AH-1202AD. This tomb is mistakenly called by the common people as the tomb of Sitt Zubaydah, the wife of the Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid.
Caliphs Mosque
It is one of the ancient historical mosques, which is located on Al-Jumhuriya Street in the district of Souk Al-Ghazl on the side of Al-Rusafa in the city of Baghdad. Its construction dates back to the Abbasid era in the time of the Caliph during the six years of his rule 289 AH-295 AH. It was built to be the Friday prayer mosque in the east of the Hasani Palace. Several names have been given to it, including: Al-Qasr Mosque – Al-Khalifa Mosque – The Ghazal Market Mosque. It is distinguished by its historical minaret, which is a wonderful architectural masterpiece.
Caliphs Mosque
It is one of the ancient historical mosques, which is located on Al-Jumhuriya Street in the district of Souk Al-Ghazl on the side of Al-Rusafa in the city of Baghdad. Its construction dates back to the Abbasid era in the time of the Caliph during the six years of his rule 289 AH-295 AH. It was built to be the Friday prayer mosque in the east of the Hasani Palace. Several names have been given to it, including: Al-Qasr Mosque – Al-Khalifa Mosque – The Ghazal Market Mosque. It is distinguished by its historical minaret, which is a wonderful architectural masterpiece.
The Virgin Mary Church:
It is located in Al-Midan Square in Bab Al-Moadham. It is considered one of the oldest existing churches in Baghdad, as its construction dates back to 1640 AD. The Armenians built it on a plot of land that the Ottoman Sultan Murad IV had given to the members of the sect, then it passed to the Nestorians before it came to the Orthodox Armenians and is still in their possession until today.
The Iraqi Museum
This museum is located on the Karkh side at the square named after its name. The Iraqi Museum includes the relics of the peoples that inhabited Mesopotamia from time immemorial in antiquity until the Arab and Islamic eras, i.e. the oldest civilizations in prehistoric times, then the civilizations of the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Seleucids, Hadrians, the period of the Arabs of the Hera and the Islamic Arabic ages. The antiquities were organized in the museum halls according to the chronology of these civilizations.
The museum has a library full of topics of ancient history and civilizations in particular, in addition to various ancient arts and in various languages. This museum is considered one of the most important antiquities museums in the world in terms of its inclusion of various cultural roles.
Baghdadi Museum
This museum is located on Al-Mamoun Street near Al-Shuhada Bridge. It includes life-size statues representing various Baghdadi crafts, some scenes from the original Baghdadi heritage, which are about to disappear as a result of industrial and social developments, and attached to this museum is the Baghdad Library, which includes everything written about the city of Baghdad in multiple languages, in addition to the pictures and names of the personalities who occupy positions of government in this Eternal City. The management of the museum belongs to the Municipality of Baghdad.
Al-Saadoun Statue
The statue was erected in the year 1933 on Al-Saadoun Street, and it is the work of the Italian sculptor Canonica.
King Faisal Statue
The statue of King Faisal I in the Salhiya area was erected in 1933, and it is the work of the Italian sculptor Canonica.
