What you need to know about Baghdad

Baghdad is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient Akkadian city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon. In 762 CE, Baghdad was chosen as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate, and became its most notable major development project. Within a short time, the city evolved into a significant cultural, commercial, and intellectual center of the Muslim world. This, in addition to housing several key academic institutions, including the House of Wisdom, as well as a multiethnic and multi-religious environment, garnered it a worldwide reputation as the “Center of Learning”.

The city has faced severe infrastructural damage due to the Iraq War, which began with the United States-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and lasted until 2011, and the subsequent insurgency and renewed war that lasted until 2017, resulting in a substantial loss of cultural heritage and historical artifacts. During this period, Baghdad had one of the highest rates of terrorist attacks in the world. However, terrorist attacks are rare and have been declining since the territorial defeat of the Islamic State militant group in Iraq in 2017.

Currency

Climate

Baghdad has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh), featuring extremely hot, prolonged, dry summers and mild to cool, slightly wet, short winters. In the summer, from June through August, the average maximum temperature is as high as 44 °C (111 °F) and accompanied by sunshine. Rainfall has been recorded on fewer than half a dozen occasions at this time of year and has never exceeded 1 mm (0.04 in). Even at night, temperatures in summer are seldom below 24 °C (75 °F). Baghdad’s record highest temperature of 51.8 °C (125.2 °F) was reached on 28 July 2020. The humidity is typically under 50% in summer due to Baghdad’s distance from the marshy southern Iraq and the coasts of Persian Gulf, and dust storms from the deserts to the west are a normal occurrence during the summer.

Winter temperatures are typical of hot desert climates. From December through February, Baghdad has maximum temperatures averaging 16 to 19 °C (61 to 66 °F), though highs above 21 °C (70 °F) are not unheard of. Lows below freezing occur a couple of times per year on average.

Annual rainfall, almost entirely confined to the period from November through March, averages approximately 150 mm (5.91 in), but has been as high as 338 mm (13.31 in) and as low as 37 mm (1.46 in). On 11 January 2008, light snow fell across Baghdad for the first time in 100 years. Snowfall was again reported on 11 February 2020, with accumulations across the city.

Religion

Baghdad is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups with an Arab majority, as well as Kurds, Turkmens, Assyrians, Yazidis, Shabakis, Armenians and Mandaeans. The majority of the citizens are Muslims with minorities of Christians, Yezidis and Mandeans also present. There are many religious centers distributed around the city including mosques, churches and Mashkhannas cultic huts. Masjid Al-Kadhimain is a shrine that is located in the Kādhimayn suburb of Baghdad. It contains the tombs of the seventh and ninth Twelver Shi’ite Imams, Musa al-Kadhim and Muhammad at-Taqi respectively, upon whom the title of Kādhimayn (“Two who swallow their anger”) was bestowed. Many Shi’ites travel to the mosque from far away places to commemorate those imams.

Tourism

Baghdad was once one of the main destinations in the country and the region with a wealth of cultural attractions. Tourism has diminished since the Iraq-Iran war and later during the US invasion, but in recent years Baghdad has become a main tourist destination although it is still facing challenges. There are numerous historic, scientific and artistic museums in Baghdad which include, Iraq Museum, Baghdadi Museum, Natural History Museum and several others. Baghdad is known for its famous Mutanabbi street which is well established for bookselling and has often been referred to as the heart and soul of the Baghdad literary and intellectual community. The annual International Book Fair in Baghdad is well known to the international publishing world as a promising publishing event in the region after years of instability.

Culture

Baghdad has always played a significant role in the broader Arab cultural sphere, contributing several significant writers, musicians and visual artists. Famous Arab poets and singers such as Nizar Qabbani, Umm Kulthum, Fairuz, Salah Al-Hamdani, Ilham al-Madfai and others have performed for the city. The dialect of Arabic spoken in Baghdad today differs from that of other large urban centers in Iraq, having features more characteristic of nomadic Arabic dialects (Versteegh, The Arabic Language). It is possible that this was caused by the repopulating of the city with rural residents after the multiple sackings of the late Middle Ages. For poetry written about Baghdad, see Reuven Snir (ed.), Baghdad: The City in Verse (Harvard, 2013).Baghdad joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Literature in December 2015.

Safety

• There have been recent violent clashes in and around the International Green Zone in Baghdad and other governorates of Iraq. The violence has de-escalated, but the security situation throughout Iraq remains volatile. 
• The security situation is unstable and could deteriorate further with little warning. You should leave immediately by commercial means if it’s safe to do so. If you decide to travel to or stay in Iraq despite our advice, get professional security advice.
• There’s a very high, ongoing risk of kidnapping. Terrorists and criminal gangs may kidnap expats working in Iraq. Academics, journalists and aid workers are at particular risk.
• Large, coordinated attacks by armed groups have resulted in death and injury. Terrorist attacks occur without warning. Avoid possible targets such as crowded places and public spaces, including markets, transport hubs, places of worship and government facilities. If you must visit them, always have an exit plan.
• Attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) occur in many areas of the country, including Baghdad.
• Political rallies and protests often happen in Baghdad and other regions of Iraq. These grow quickly and can turn violent. Avoid large public gatherings. If you’re caught in an affected area, stay indoors. Follow the advice of local authorities or your security provider.
• Violent crime and corruption are common. Crime includes kidnapping, murder and robbery. Organised criminal gangs, militia and tribal groups are significant threats. If you decide to travel to or stay in Iraq despite our advice, travel with your vehicle doors locked and windows up. Secure your accommodation against intruders.
• Be alert to scams. Scammers may claim to represent the Australian or Iraqi governments, or say they’re Iraqi importers. Tell the Australian Embassy in Baghdad if you’re contacted by people or websites claiming to represent the Australian Government. Contact the Iraqi Embassy in Canberra before making any payments to people claiming to be from the Iraqi Government. Get legal advice if an Iraqi importer contacts you or your company.