Baghdad

No reviews yetCity Baghdad, Iraq

Write a review Things to do Add photos

Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Zawra Park landscape, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Al Saray Mosque جامع السراي, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Bab al Wastani northern gate, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Al Mustansriah School NW Door 2, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

About Baghdad

Founded in 762 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur as a perfectly round walled city on the Tigris, Baghdad became one of the greatest centres of learning and trade in the medieval world, the city of the House of Wisdom and the tales of the Thousand and One Nights. The Mongol sack of 1258 ended that golden age, but the river city survived through Ottoman rule into modern times.

Traces of the Abbasid era remain in the brick courtyards of the Mustansiriya Madrasa, the Abbasid Palace and Bab al-Wastani, the last surviving gate of the old walls. Nearby, the book market of al-Mutanabbi Street, the Ottoman clock tower of the Qishla and the arcades of Rashid Street form the heart of the old city.

The Iraq Museum holds treasures from Sumer, Babylon and Assyria, while the golden domes of al-Kadhimiya and the mosque of Abu Hanifa draw pilgrims. Evenings are for the riverbank, where restaurants on Abu Nuwas Street grill masgouf fish. Security conditions change, so check current travel advice and plan with local guidance.

Best seasonNovember-March; summers are extremely hot

Ideal stay2-3 days

ArrivingBaghdad International Airport, west of the city

Your Baghdad Bucket List: 12 Top Picks

History 3

Al-Mustansiriya Madrasa, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Al-Mustansiriya Madrasa

Founded by the Abbasid caliph al-Mustansir in the 13th century, this is one of the oldest surviving institutions of higher learnin...

Abbasid Palace Baghdad, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Abbasid Palace Baghdad

Overlooking the Tigris in the old city, this brick building from the late Abbasid period is admired for its fine carved brickwork,...

Bab al-Wastani, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Bab al-Wastani

This massive round brick gate tower is the only surviving gate of the walls that once protected eastern Baghdad in the Abbasid per...

Museums 1

Iraq Museum, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Iraq Museum

The national museum displays artefacts from the many civilisations of Mesopotamia, from Sumerian statues and cuneiform tablets to...

Neighborhoods 2

Al-Mutanabbi Street, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Al-Mutanabbi Street

Named after the great 10th-century Arab poet, this street has long been the centre of Baghdad's book trade, with shops and stalls...

Rashid Street, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Rashid Street

Cut through the old city in the early 20th century, Rashid Street was Baghdad's first modern thoroughfare and once its most fashio...

Landmarks 3

Qishla Baghdad, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Qishla Baghdad

At the river end of al-Mutanabbi Street, the Qishla is an Ottoman-era complex of yellow-brick arcades around a large courtyard, cr...

Freedom Monument Baghdad

Created by sculptor Jewad Selim and unveiled in 1961, this long frieze of bronze figures set high on a travertine panel above Tahr...

Al-Shaheed Monument, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Al-Shaheed Monument

Completed in the early 1980s, this striking memorial consists of a huge turquoise-tiled dome split into two halves, standing above...

Sacred Sites 2

Al-Kadhimiya Mosque, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Al-Kadhimiya Mosque

In the northern district of Kadhimiya, this shrine holds the tombs of two imams revered in Shia Islam, Musa al-Kadhim and Muhammad...

Abu Hanifa Mosque, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Abu Hanifa Mosque

In the Adhamiyah district, this important Sunni mosque is built around the tomb of Abu Hanifa, the 8th-century scholar after whom...

Food and Drink 1

Abu Nuwas Street, Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Abu Nuwas Street

Running along the east bank of the Tigris and named after a famous Abbasid poet, this street is best known for its restaurants ser...

Reviews

No reviews yet. Been to Baghdad? Be the first to share your experience.

Write a review

Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.

Log in to write a review

Share your photos

Been to Baghdad? Add your best shots to the gallery.

Log in to add photos

More places in Baghdad

Basrah, Basra, Iraq

Basrah

Basra, Iraq

Karbala, Karbala, Iraq

Karbala

Karbala, Iraq

Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq

Mosul

Nineveh, Iraq

Erbil, Erbil, Iraq

Erbil

Erbil, Iraq

See all places in Iraq →

Photo credits

Photo: Ravan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Omar9x, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mustafa Waad Saeed, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Aboalhasan Ayad, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Samir Al-Ibrahem, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Hussein A.Al-mukhtar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Alli Khalil, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Mohammed Qays Kazem, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Hammody.90, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Taisir Mahdi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mohammed Qays, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: zin_live, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Photo: Sagad~arwiki, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Makaay31, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Mahmoudalrawi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Hussein A.Al-mukhtar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Solider 16IQ, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Solider 16IQ, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Safa.daneshvar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Safa.daneshvar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Safa.daneshvar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Zzztriple2000, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Photo: Taisir Mahdi, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Safa.daneshvar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mohammed Qays Kazem, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Moshtakmoshtak, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Usamasaad, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Zaid isam, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Zaid isam, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: عدنان السطاي, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mohammed Qays Kazem, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Aboalhasan Ayad, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Aboalhasan Ayad, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Taifshakir, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Mohmmd Abd, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Manar Al-Obaidi, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Manar Al-Obaidi, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Manar Al-Obaidi, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Zahraa raid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Thegiantofgiants, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Photo: Mustafa Nader, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Nawar GJ, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Photo: Abdulrzaq1, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5