1.
Iraq
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The capital, and largest city, is Baghdad. The main ethnic groups are Arabs and Kurds, others include Assyrians, Turkmen, Shabakis, Yazidis, Armenians, Mandeans, Circassians, around 95% of the countrys 36 million citizens are Muslims, with Christianity, Yarsan, Yezidism, and Mandeanism also present. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish, two major rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, run south through Iraq and into the Shatt al-Arab near the Persian Gulf. These rivers provide Iraq with significant amounts of fertile land, the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, historically known as Mesopotamia, is often referred to as the cradle of civilisation. It was here that mankind first began to read, write, create laws, the area has been home to successive civilisations since the 6th millennium BC. Iraq was the centre of the Akkadian, Sumerian, Assyrian and it was also part of the Median, Achaemenid, Hellenistic, Parthian, Sassanid, Roman, Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid, Ayyubid, Mongol, Safavid, Afsharid, and Ottoman empires. Iraqs modern borders were mostly demarcated in 1920 by the League of Nations when the Ottoman Empire was divided by the Treaty of Sèvres, Iraq was placed under the authority of the United Kingdom as the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. A monarchy was established in 1921 and the Kingdom of Iraq gained independence from Britain in 1932, in 1958, the monarchy was overthrown and the Iraqi Republic created. Iraq was controlled by the Arab Socialist Baath Party from 1968 until 2003, after an invasion by the United States and its allies in 2003, Saddam Husseins Baath Party was removed from power and multi-party parliamentary elections were held in 2005. The American presence in Iraq ended in 2011, but the Iraqi insurgency continued and intensified as fighters from the Syrian Civil War spilled into the country, the Arabic name العراق al-ʿIrāq has been in use since before the 6th century. There are several suggested origins for the name, one dates to the Sumerian city of Uruk and is thus ultimately of Sumerian origin, as Uruk was the Akkadian name for the Sumerian city of Urug, containing the Sumerian word for city, UR. An Arabic folk etymology for the name is rooted, well-watered. During the medieval period, there was a region called ʿIrāq ʿArabī for Lower Mesopotamia and ʿIrāq ʿajamī, for the region now situated in Central and Western Iran. The term historically included the south of the Hamrin Mountains. The term Sawad was also used in early Islamic times for the region of the plain of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In English, it is either /ɪˈrɑːk/ or /ɪˈræk/, the American Heritage Dictionary, the pronunciation /aɪˈræk/ is frequently heard in U. S. media. Since approximately 10,000 BC, Iraq was one of centres of a Caucasoid Neolithic culture where agriculture, the following Neolithic period is represented by rectangular houses. At the time of the pre-pottery Neolithic, people used vessels made of stone, gypsum, finds of obsidian tools from Anatolia are evidences of early trade relations
2.
Shia Islam
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Shia is a branch of Islam which holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor. Shia Islam primarily contrasts with Sunni Islam, whose adherents believe that Muhammad did not appoint a successor, instead they consider Abu Bakr to be the correct Caliph. Adherents of Shia Islam are called Shias of Ali, Shias or the Shia as a collective or Shii individually, Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam, in 2009, Shia Muslims constituted 10–13% of the worlds Muslim population. Twelver Shia is the largest branch of Shia Islam, in 2012 it was estimated that perhaps 85 percent of Shias were Twelvers. Shia Islam is based on the Quran and the message of Muhammad attested in hadith, Shia consider Ali to have been divinely appointed as the successor to Muhammad, and as the first Imam. The word Shia means follower and is the form of the historic phrase shīʻatu ʻAlī, meaning followers of Ali, faction of Ali. Shia and Shiism are forms used in English, while Shiite or Shiite, as well as Shia, the term for the first time was used at the time of Muhammad. At present, the word refers to the Muslims who believe that the leadership of the community after Muhammad belongs to Ali, nawbakhti states that the term Shia refers to a group of Muslims that at the time of Muhammad and after him regarded Ali as the Imam and Caliph. Al-Shahrastani expresses that the term Shia refers to those who believe that Ali is designated as the Heir, Imam and caliph by Muhammad, for the Shia, this conviction is implicit in the Quran and history of Islam. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing, Shia search for the true meaning of the revelation to get the purpose of the life blood and the human destiny. Shia Muslims believe that just as a prophet is appointed by God alone and they believe God chose Ali to be Muhammads successor, infallible, the first caliph of Islam. The Shias believe that Muhammad designated Ali as his successor by Gods command, Ali was Muhammads first cousin and closest living male relative as well as his son-in-law, having married Muhammads daughter Fatimah. Ali would eventually become the fourth Muslim caliph, after the Farewell Pilgrimage, Muhammad ordered the gathering of Muslims at the pond of Khumm and it was there that Shia Muslims believe Muhammad nominated Ali to be his successor. The hadith of the pond of Khumm was narrated on 18th of Dhu al-Hijjah of 10 AH in the Islamic calendar at a place called Ghadir Khumm, located near the city of al-Juhfah, Saudi Arabia. Muhammad there stated, Shia Muslims believe this to be Muhammads appointment of Ali as his successor, when Muhammad died in 632 CE, Ali and Muhammads closest relatives made the funeral arrangements. While they were preparing his body, Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali and his family accepted the appointment for the sake of unity in the early Muslim community. Alis rule over the early Muslim community was often contested, as a result, he had to struggle to maintain his power against the groups who betrayed him after giving allegiance to his succession, or those who wished to take his position. This dispute eventually led to the First Fitna, which was the first major civil war within the Islamic Caliphate, the Fitna began as a series of revolts fought against Ali ibn Abi Talib, caused by the assassination of his political predecessor, Uthman ibn Affan
3.
Mosque
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A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. There are strict and detailed requirements in Sunni jurisprudence for a place of worship to be considered a mosque, many mosques have elaborate domes, minarets, and prayer halls, in varying styles of architecture. Mosques originated on the Arabian Peninsula, but are now found in all inhabited continents, the mosque serves as a place where Muslims can come together for salat as well as a center for information, education, social welfare, and dispute settlement. The imam leads the congregation in prayer, the first mosque in the world is often considered to be the area around the Kaaba in Mecca now known as the Masjid al-Haram. Others regard the first mosque in history to be the Quba Mosque in present-day Medina since it was the first structure built by Muhammad upon his emigration from Mecca in 622. The Islamic Prophet Muhammad went on to another mosque in Medina. Built on the site of his home, Muhammad participated in the construction of the mosque himself and helped pioneer the concept of the mosque as the focal point of the Islamic city. The Masjid al-Nabawi introduced some of the still common in todays mosques, including the niche at the front of the prayer space known as the mihrab. The Masjid al-Nabawi was also constructed with a courtyard, a motif common among mosques built since then. Mosques had been built in Iraq and North Africa by the end of the 7th century, the Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala is reportedly one of the oldest mosques in Iraq, although its present form – typical of Persian architecture – only goes back to the 11th century. The shrine, while operating as a mosque, remains one of the holiest sites for Shia Muslims, as it honors the death of the third Shia imam. The Mosque of Amr ibn al-As was reportedly the first mosque in Egypt, serving as a religious, like the Imam Husayn Shrine, though, nothing of its original structure remains. With the later Shia Fatimid Caliphate, mosques throughout Egypt evolved to include schools, hospitals and it was the first to incorporate a square minaret and includes naves akin to a basilica. Those features can also be found in Andalusian mosques, including the Grand Mosque of Cordoba, still, some elements of Visigothic architecture, like horseshoe arches, were infused into the mosque architecture of Spain and the Maghreb. The first mosque in East Asia was reportedly established in the 8th century in Xian, however, the Great Mosque of Xian, whose current building dates from the 18th century, does not replicate the features often associated with mosques elsewhere. Indeed, minarets were initially prohibited by the state, mosques in western China were more likely to incorporate elements, like domes and minarets, traditionally seen in mosques elsewhere. In turn, the Javanese style influenced the styles of mosques in Indonesias Austronesian neighbors—Malaysia, Brunei, Muslim empires were instrumental in the evolution and spread of mosques. Although mosques were first established in India during the 7th century, reflecting their Timurid origins, Mughal-style mosques included onion domes, pointed arches, and elaborate circular minarets, features common in the Persian and Central Asian styles
4.
Abu Hanifa Mosque
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The Abu Hanifa Mosque or also known as is one of the most prominent Sunni mosques in Baghdad, Iraq. It is built around the tomb of Abu Hanifah an-Numan, often called the Great Imam and it is in the al-Adhamiyah district of northern Baghdad, which is named after Abu Hanifas by the name of. Abu Jafar al-Mansur offered Abu Hanifa to be Qazi al-quzat, the judge of judges, but he refused and he was lashed 110 lashes until he agreed. Al-Mansur ordered Abu Hanifa to make fatwas that expand the caliphs authority, while he was in prison, Abu Hanifa died in 150 AH /767 AD in Baghdad, either from being poisoned or from old age. He was buried in al-Khayzuran Cemetery, named after al-Khayzuran bint Atta that was buried in it,23 years after Abu Hanifa was and it was said that his funeral was attended by 50,000 people, and was attended by al-Mansur himself. During the Buwayhid rule of the Abbasid Caliphate, in 375 AH / 985–986 AD and it was said that Abu Jaafar al-Zammam built a hall inside of the mosque in 379 AH. Later, in 459 AH /1066 AD, the Grand Vizier of the Seljuk Emperor Alp Arslan, Abu Saad al-Khwarizmi or al-Mustawfi, built a shrine for Abu Hanifa in the mosque, along with a white Dome. Al-Khwarizmi also built a school near the mosque, named the Great Imam School, according to Ibn Khallikan, the school was opened on September 22,1067, therefore, the Great Imam school is the first school in Baghdad. It took four months and a half to build the school, after the invasion of Baghdad by the Safavid dynasty in 1508, Abu Hanifa mosque and school were destroyed and abolished, due to sectarian conflicts that the Safavids had. The Ottomans invaded Baghdad in 1534 and replaced the Shiite Safavid with the Sunni Ottoman rule, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent first visited, after invading Iraq, Najaf and Karbala. And then, he visited the mosque of Abu Hanifa and ordered to rebuild it. They also built a fortress around the mosque and a watchtower. The fortress was armed with 150 soldiers with different military equipment, in 1638, the Ottomans re-invaded Baghdad, after it was recaptured by the Safavids in 1623. Sultan Murad IV turned to Adhamiyah and particularly, Abu Hanifa mosque, a luxurious dome was built on the mosque. He also brought some of the tribe to live in houses around the mosque to protect it. The sultan ordered to renew the school and appointed employees to manage the school, along with allowing celebrations, the mosque became at its greatest during the period of the rule of Sultan Murad IV. In 1080 AH /1669 AD, the brother of the vizier, Mohammed Bek Daftary, reconstructed old parts of the mosque, in 1090 AH /1689 AD, Omar Pasha reconstructed the mosque and made its garden one of the most wonderful gardens in Baghdad. In 1757, during the rule of the Mamluk dynasty in Iraq, the Vali of Baghdad, Suleiman Pasha, renewed the shrine and built a dome and a minaret
5.
Al-Kadhimiya Mosque
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The Al-Kādhimiya Mosque is a shrine located in the Kādhimayn suburb of Baghdad, Iraq. It contains the tombs of the seventh Twelver Shī‘ah Imām Mūsā al-Kādhim, also buried within this mosque are the famous historical scholars, Shaykh Mufīd and Shaykh Nasīr ad-Dīn Tūsi. Repairs to the structure of the main courtyard of the mosque. Once the inner structure was completed, the floors and walls were then plated in various kinds of marble, updates to the cooling units of the mosque began in late 2008, and new water filtration units were installed on November 28,2008. Construction work on the new entrance to the mosque began in late 2008. Among the earliest of repairs done to the mosque after the fall of the regime of Saddam Hussein, were repairs done to one of the gates of the mosque known as Bāb al-Qiblah. The gate and the wall had to be entirely refurbished because of the severe neglect they had withstood. The golden dome over the grave of Muhammad at-Taqī was re-gilded and unveiled to the public in March 2008, during the celebrations of Muhammad and his descendant. Repair work on the dome over the grave of Mūsā al-Kādhim began in early August 2008, during the ceremonies of Husayn ibn ‘Alī, ‘Abbās ibn ‘Alī. Holiest sites in Islam History of the Shrine at Kadhimayn
6.
Imam Ali Mosque
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The Imām Alī Holy Shrine, also known as Masjid Ali or the Mosque of Alī, located in Najaf, Iraq, is the Holy site for Shia Muslims. Alī ibn Abī Tālib, the cousin of Muhammad, the first Imam, according to Shia belief, buried next to Ali within this mosque are the remains of Adam and Noah. Each year millions of pilgrims visit the Shrine and pay tribute to Imam Ali, the mosque was first built by the Buyid shahanshah Adud al-Dawla in 977 over the tomb of Ali. After being destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt by the Seljuk Malik Shah I in 1086, afterwards the shrine was closed for two years, officially for repairs. Saddam Hussein also deported to Iran a large number of the residents of the area who were of Iranian descent and it is estimated that only Karbala, Mecca and Medina receive more Muslim pilgrims. A famous hadith mentions the site as one of five definitive holy places that we respect very much, also buried within this mosque according to Shias are Adam and Noah. The site is visited annually by at least 8 million pilgrims on average, many Shīah believe that Alī did not want his grave to be desecrated by his enemies and consequently asked his friends and family to bury him secretly. This secret gravesite is supposed to have been revealed later during the Abbasid caliphate by Jafar as-Sādiq, most Shīas accept that Alī is buried in Imām Alī Mosque, in what is now the city of Najaf. Since the invasion of Iraq by the U. S. Al-Khoei had returned from exile in Britain to encourage cooperation with the U. S. -led occupation of Iraq. August 29,2003, a car exploded outside the mosque just as the main Friday prayers were ending. Somewhere between 85 and 125 people were killed, including the influential Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the blast is thought to be the work of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. May 24,2004, unidentified mortar fire hit the shrine, august 5,2004, Muqtada al-Sadr and the Mahdi Army seized the mosque and used it as a military base for launching attacks against the Iraqi police, the provincial government and coalition forces. The fighting was ended by a peace agreement. Although the neighboring buildings suffered damage, the mosque itself suffered only superficial damage from stray bullets. August 10,2006 a suicide bomber wearing an explosive harness blew himself up near the shrine, which killed 40 people and injured more than 50 others
7.
Al-Sahlah Mosque
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The Al-Sahlah Mosque or Masjid al-Sahlah is one of the primary significant mosques in the city of Kufa, Iraq. The mosque is said to be the future home of the twelfth Shī‘ah Imām. Ongoing construction to the lead to the completion of a new sahn. This mosque is revered for the following reasons from narrations according to Twelver Shī‘ah belief, This mosque is where the twelfth Imām, Muhammad al-Māhdi and this mosque served as a home for the Prophets, Abraham, Enoch, and Khidr. Every Prophet is said to have established prayers within this mosque, establishing 2 units of prayers in this mosque can grant a person safety and protection for an entire year. The trumpet announcing the Day of Judgement will be blown from this mosque, seventy thousand people will be resurrected here according to narrations, and enter paradise without questioning. Al-Sahlah Mosque Holiest sites in Islam
8.
Great Mosque of Samarra
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The Great Mosque of Samarra is a ninth-century mosque located in Samarra, Iraq. The mosque was commissioned in 848 and completed in 851 by the Abbasid caliph Al-Mutawakkil who reigned from 847 until 861. The Great Mosque of Samarra was, for a time, the largest mosque in the world, its minaret, the Malwiya Tower, is a spiralling cone 52 metres high and 33 metres wide with a spiral ramp. The reign of al-Mutawakkil had an effect on the appearance of the city, for he seems to have been a lover of architecture. In a list of his projects which appears in several different versions. The new Congregational Mosque, with its spiral minaret, built between 849 and 851, formed part of an extension of the city to the east, the mosque had 17 aisles, and its walls were panelled with mosaics of dark blue glass. It was part of an extension of Samarra eastwards, the art and architecture of the mosque were influential, stucco carvings within the mosque in floral and geometric designs represent early Islamic decoration. Additionally, the mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo, Egypt was based on the Samarra mosque in many regards, the mosque itself was destroyed in 1278 after Hulagu Khans invasion of Iraq. Only the outer wall and its minaret remain, Great mosque, Samarra, was built during the caliphate of al-Mutawakkil. It is the largest mosque in the world, built entirely of brick within a wall flanked with towers, it has a 55 m high minaret with a spiral ramp that recalls the ziggurats of Mesopotamia. The Malwiya Minaret is part of the Great Mosque of Samarra, the minaret was originally connected to the mosque by a bridge. The minaret or tower was constructed in 848 –852 of sandstone,52 metres high and 33 metres wide at the base, the spiral contains stairs reaching to the top. The word malwiya translates as twisted or snail shell, the Malwiya was used for the call to prayer, its height made it practical for such use. It is visible from a distance in the area around Samarra. The minarets spiral shape inspired Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Philip Johnsons design for the 1976 Chapel of Thanksgiving at Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas, Texas, in 2005 the top of the Malwiya minaret was damaged by a bomb. I. R. I. S
9.
Al Abbas Mosque
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The Al-‘Abbās Mosque or Masjid al-‘Abbās is the mausoleum of ‘Abbās ibn ‘Alī and historical building, located across from the Imām Husayn Mosque in Karbalā, Iraq. ‘Abbās was son of Ali ibn Abi Talib and the half-brother of Hasan and Husayn, also, he was the chief of the caravans of Husayn ibn Ali. The distance between the shrines of ‘Abbās and Husayn is the same as the distance between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, the shrine is especially revered by the Shia who visit it every year, in the month of Muharram rather than various other times of the year. Environmental effects over the years have caused the Euphrates river to change direction, nearly 1400 years after the Battle of Karbalā, the river flows across the grave of ‘Abbās and encircles it. It is said that the Euphrates has come to ‘Abbās now, each year the shrine is visited by millions of pilgrims coming from all over the world. Emperors and kings of various dynasties have offered valuable gifts and gems to the shrine of ‘Abbās, in 1622 Abbas Shah Safavi ordered the decoration of the graves dome. He built a window around the grave and organized the precinct, the majority of the modern design was done by Persian and Central Asian architects. The central teardrop shaped dome is an ornately decorated structure, with an internal and external dome, the internal dome visible from the inside is ornately decorate with fine mirror work. Two tall minarets stand on the sides, they were gilded in gold in the renovation works of 2007. The tomb is covered with gold and surrounded by a trellis of silver. The re-gilding of the dome and minarets, and most notably covering the courtyard with a roof. All to improve the shrines accommodations to the millions of pilgrims who visit the shrine every year, in late October 2014, the Shrine saw the commencement of one of its largest projects ever. The construction of a basement intended to accommodate pilgrims. The basement is to be located under the perimeter of the courtyard and involves systematically closing off parts of the courtyard. The project is set to deal with foundational issues of the shrine and reinforce the structure whose foundation has water gaps in it. Once completed pilgrims will have access for the first time ever to the sardab of Hazrat Abbas, arbaeen Holiest sites in Islam List of the oldest mosques in the world
10.
Baghdad
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Baghdad is the capital of the Republic of Iraq. The population of Baghdad, as of 2016, is approximately 8,765,000 making it the largest city in Iraq, the second largest city in the Arab world, and the second largest city in Western Asia. Located along the Tigris River, the city was founded in the 8th century, within a short time of its inception, Baghdad evolved into a significant cultural, commercial, and intellectual center for the Islamic world. This, in addition to housing several key institutions, garnered the city a worldwide reputation as the Centre of Learning. Throughout the High Middle Ages, Baghdad was considered to be the largest city in the world with a population of 1,200,000 people. The city was destroyed at the hands of the Mongol Empire in 1258, resulting in a decline that would linger through many centuries due to frequent plagues. With the recognition of Iraq as an independent state in 1938, in contemporary times, the city has often faced severe infrastructural damage, most recently due to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the subsequent Iraq War that lasted until December 2011. In recent years, the city has been subjected to insurgency attacks. As of 2012, Baghdad was listed as one of the least hospitable places in the world to live, the site where the city of Baghdad developed has been populated for millennia. By the 8th century AD, several villages had developed there, including a Persian hamlet called Baghdad, the name is of Indo-European origin and a Middle Persian compound of Bagh god and dād given by, translating to Bestowed by God or Gods gift. In Old Persian the first element can be traced to boghu and is related to Slavic bog god, a similar term in Middle Persian is the name Mithradāt, known in English by its Hellenistic form Mithridates, meaning gift of Mithra. There are a number of locations in the wider region whose names are compounds of the word bagh, including Baghlan. The name of the town Baghdati in Georgia shares the same etymological origins, when the Abbasid caliph, al-Mansur, founded a completely new city for his capital, he chose the name Madinat al-Salaam or City of Peace. This was the name on coins, weights, and other official usage. By the 11th century, Baghdad became almost the exclusive name for the world-renowned metropolis, after the fall of the Umayyads, the first Muslim dynasty, the victorious Abbasid rulers wanted their own capital whence they could rule. They chose a site north of the Sassanid capital of Ctesiphon, on 30 July 762, the caliph Al-Mansur commissioned the construction of the city, mansur believed that Baghdad was the perfect city to be the capital of the Islamic empire under the Abbasids. Mansur loved the site so much he is quoted saying, This is indeed the city that I am to found, where I am to live, and where my descendants will reign afterward. The citys growth was helped by its excellent location, based on at least two factors, it had control over strategic and trading routes along the Tigris, the abundance of water in a dry climate
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