Baghdad

Baghdad is the biggest city in Iraq and the second largest in the Arab world after Cairo. It is also the capital of Iraq. On the banks of the Tigris River, not far from the remains of the ancient Akkadian metropolis of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon, you'll find this settlement. Baghdad was selected as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate in 762 CE, and it went on to become the most significant major development undertaking during Abbasid rule. The city became an important cultural, commercial, and intellectual hub of the Muslim world in a very short amount of time. Because of this, in addition to the fact that it is home to a number of important educational institutions, one of which is the House of Wisdom, as well as a diverse population and a number of different religions, it is known across the globe as the "Center of Learning."

Baghdad reached its highest population of over a million people when it was the capital of the Abbasid Empire during the Islamic Golden Age. During this time, Baghdad was the most populous city in the world. In 1258, the Mongol Empire was responsible for the destruction of a huge portion of the city, which ultimately led to a fall that would continue for many centuries as a consequence of repeated plagues and various empires that succeeded one another. Baghdad gradually recovered some of its previous status as a key hub of Arab culture after Iraq was recognised as an independent state in 1932 (it was formerly the British Mandate of Mesopotamia). The population of Baghdad is variably estimated to be between 6 and over 7 million people. Its population is considerable in proportion to its very limited land area, which totals just 673 square kilometres (260 sq mi).

Due to the Iraq War, which began with an invasion of Iraq led by the United States in 2003 and lasted until 2011, as well as the subsequent insurgency and renewed war that lasted until 2017, the city has sustained severe damage to its infrastructure, which has resulted in a significant loss of cultural heritage and historical artefacts. During this time period, the rate of terrorist attacks in Baghdad was among the highest seen elsewhere in the world. Terrorist acts, on the other hand, are very uncommon and have been steadily decreasing since since the Islamic State militant organisation was militarily defeated in Iraq in 2017.