Karbala كربلا Karbala al-Muqaddasah
Shi'a Muslims make their way to the Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, Iraq in 2008.
Location in Iraq
Coordinates: 32°61′N 44°08′E / 33.017, 44.133
Governorate	Karbala Governorate
Government
- Mayor
Population (2003)
- Total	572,300
Time zone	Arabia Standard Time (UTC)

Karbala (Arabic: كربلاء; BGN: Al-Karbalā’; also spelled Karbala al-Muqaddasah) is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km (60 mi) southwest of Baghdad at 32.61°N, 44.08°E. In the time of Husayn ibn Alī's life, the place was also known as al-Ghadiriyah, Naynawa, and Shathi'ul-Furaat. The estimated population in 2003 was 572,300 people. It is the capital of Karbala Province. Shi'a Muslims consider Karbala to be one of their holiest cities after Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem and Najaf. The city is best known as the location of the Battle of Karbala. Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... Imam Husayn Shrine 3D Model of Imam Husayn Shrine The Imam Husayn Shrine is a holy place in Shia Islam in the city of Karbala, Iraq. ... province of Iraq File links The following pages link to this file: Karbala Karbala Governorate Categories: GFDL images ... Iraq is divided into 18 governorates or provinces (muhafazah): The current set of governorates were established in 1976. ... Karbala province, or Al Karbala province, is a province in the nation of Iraq. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... ... The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing languages such as Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and others. ... The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is an American federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the U.S. government. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... This article is about Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (626 – 680). ... Categories: Stub | Provinces of Iraq ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... For other uses, see Jerusalem (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Najaf (disambiguation). ... For the battle in the Iraq War, see Battle of Karbala (2007). ...

Etymology

There are many theories as to the meaning of the name Karbala. Many believe its origin is from the old Assyrian language, composing two syllables: "Karb"; meaning "near", and "ala" or Allah standing for "God."^[1][2][3][4] Others, like geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi believe the name to be derived from the Arabic language, meaning "soft earth" (corrupted from karbalat.)^[5] Some^[who?] also believe the origin may be Persian formed from the words Kaar, meaning "work", and bala, meaning "the higher". Karbala is also known to be a compound word in Arabic. "Karb" means anxiety and torment while "bala" means trial or tribulation. Akkadian (lišānum akkadītum) was a Semitic language (part of the greater Afro-Asiatic language family) spoken in ancient Mesopotamia, particularly by the Assyrians and Babylonians. ... A geographer is a crazy psycho whose area of study is geocrap, the pseudoscientific study of Earths physical environment and human habitat and the study of boring students to death. ... Arabic redirects here. ... Farsi redirects here. ...

About the city

The city is one of Iraq's wealthiest, profiting both from religious visitors and agricultural produce, especially dates. It is made up of two districts, "Old Karbala," the religious centre, and "New Karbala," the residential district containing Islamic schools and government buildings. Binomial name Phoenix dactylifera L. The Date Palm Phoenix dactylifera is a palm, extensively cultivated for its edible fruit. ...

At the centre of the old city is the Masjid Al-Husayn, the tomb of Husayn ibn ˤAlī, grandson of the Prophet Muħammad by his daughter Fatimah az-Zahra and ˤAlī ibn Abu-Taalib. Husayn's tomb is a place of pilgrimage for many Shīˤa Muslims, especially on the anniversary of the battle, the Day of Āshūrā. Many elderly pilgrims travel there to await death, as they believe the tomb to be one of the gates to paradise. On April 14, 2007, a car bomb exploded about 600 ft (200 m) from the shrine, killing 47^[6] and wounding over 150. Another focal point of the Shīˤa pilgrimage to Karbala is al-Makhayam, traditionally believed to be the location of Husayn's camp, where the martyrdom of Husayn and his followers is publicly commemorated. On April 28th a bomb exploded killing 55 people from which three of them were Mumineen Men. Imam Husayn Shrine 3D Model of Imam Husayn Shrine The Imam Husayn Shrine is a holy place in Shia Islam in the city of Karbala, Iraq. ... This article is about Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (626 – 680). ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ... Fāţimah Zahrā’ also called Faatemah Az-Zahraa (Arabic: ) was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadija. ... For other uses, see Ali (disambiguation). ...

The city's association with Shīˤa Islām have made it a centre of religious instruction as well as worship; it has more than 100 mosques and 23 religious schools, of which possibly the most famous is that of Ibn Fahid, constructed some 440 years ago.

History

Karbala's prominence in Shīa is the result of the Battle of Karbala, fought on the site of the modern city on October 10, 680. Both Husayn and his brother ˤAbbās ibn ˤAlī were buried by the local Banī Asad tribe at what later became known as the Mashhad Al-Husayn. The city grew up around the tombs, though the date of construction of the first sanctuary is not known. For the battle in the Iraq War, see Battle of Karbala (2007). ... is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events October 10 - Battle of Kerbela November 12 - The Sixth Ecumenical Council opens in Constantinople The Bulgars subjugate the country of current-day Bulgaria Pippin of Herstal becomes Mayor of the Palace Umayyad caliph Muawiyah I succeeded by Yazid I ibn Muawiyah Erwig deposes Wamba to become king of the... Abbas ibn Ali (Arabic: العباس بن علي) (fourth of Shabaan 26th A.H., at Medina - tenth of Muharrum 61 A.H., at Karbala) was the son of the fourth sunni Caliph and the first Shiah Imam, Ali ibn Abu Talib and Fatima binte Hizam, commonly known as Ummul Baneen. ...

The city and tombs were greatly expanded by successive Muslim rulers, but suffered repeated destruction from attacking armies. The original shrine was destroyed by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mutawakkil in 850 but was rebuilt in its present form around 979, only to be partly destroyed by fire in 1086 and rebuilt yet again. Mashriq Dynasties  Maghrib Dynasties  The Abbasid Caliphate Abbasid (Arabic: , ) is the dynastic name generally given to the caliph of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Arab Empire, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs from all but Spain. ... Al-Mutawakkil Ala Allah Jafar bin al-Mutasim (821–861) (Arabic: المتوكل على الله جعفر بن المعتصم) was an Abbasid caliph who reigned (in Samarra) from 847 until 861. ...

Like Najaf, the city suffered from severe water shortages that were only resolved in the early 18th century by building a dam at the head of the Hussayniyya Canal. In 1737, the city replaced Isfahan in Iran as the main centre of Shī'a scholarship. In the mid-eighteenth century it was dominated by the dean of scholarship, Yusuf Al Bahrani, a key proponent of the Akhbari tradition of Shī'a thought, until his death in 1772^[7], after which the more state-centric Usuli school became more influential. It suffered severe damage in 1802 when an invading Wahhabi army sacked the city. Following the Wahhabi invasion, the city's sheikhs established a self-governing republic which was ended by a reimposition of Ottoman rule in 1843. This prompted many students and scholars to move to Najaf, which became the main Shī'a religious centre. For other uses, see Najaf (disambiguation). ... Part of Shah Abbas large urban project in his new capital, the Chahār Bāgh Four Gardens, is a four-kilometer avenue in the city of Isfahan. ... Akhbaris are Twelver Shia Muslims who favor hadith over fatwas when trying to determine what the Sunnah says about any specific topic. ... Usulis are Twelver Shia Muslims who favor fatwas over hadith when trying to determine what the Sunnah says about any specific topic. ... Wahhabism (sometimes spelled Wahabbism or Wahabism) is a movement of Islam named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Ä°stanbul (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320... For other uses, see Najaf (disambiguation). ...

Mosque in Karbala (1932)

Karbala's development was strongly influenced by the Persians, who were the dominant community for many years (making up 75%^{[citation needed]}of the city's population by the early 20th century). The Kammouna family, relatives of the Shah of Iran, were custodians of the shrines for many years and effectively ran the city until it fell under the control of the British Empire in 1915. The Persian influence was deliberately reduced under British rule, with a series of nationality laws (such as a prohibition on foreigners occupying government posts) being introduced to squeeze out the Persian community. By 1957, they accounted for only 12% of the city's population. They were subsequently assimilated into the Iraqi population, accepting Iraqi nationality. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2000x1507, 1083 KB) Mosque in Karbala (1932) Source: G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection / Library of Congress CALL NUMBER: LC-M31- 14369 File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2000x1507, 1083 KB) Mosque in Karbala (1932) Source: G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection / Library of Congress CALL NUMBER: LC-M31- 14369 File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are... The Persians of Iran (officially named Persia by West until 1935 while still referred to as Persia by some) are an Iranian people who speak Persian (locally named Fârsi by native speakers) and often refer to themselves as ethnic Iranians as well. ... For a comprehensive list of the territories that formed the British Empire, see Evolution of the British Empire. ...

The association of the city with Shīˤa religious traditions led to it being treated with suspicion by Iraq's Sunni rulers. Under Saddam Hussein's rule, Shīˤa religious observances in the city were greatly restricted and many non-Iraqi Shīˤa were not permitted to travel there at all. Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ...

In 1991, the city was badly damaged and many killed when a rebellion by local Shīˤa was put down with great brutality by Saddam's regime. The 2004 pilgrimage was the largest for decades, with over a million people attending. It was marred by bomb attacks on March 2, 2004, now known as the Ashoura massacre, which killed and wounded hundreds despite tight security in the city. Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ... -1... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Ashoura Massacre was a series of planned terrorist explosions, that killed 170 and injured 500 Iraqi Shiite Muslims commemorating the Ashoura festival. ...

A big Shia festival passed off peacefully amid fears of possible violence that brought thousands of troops and police into the city. Hundreds of thousands of Shia pilgrims who had come together to celebrate the Shaabaniya ritual began leaving the southern city after September 9, 2006 climax ended days of chanting, praying and feasting. Heavy presence by police and Iraqi troops seemed to have kept out Sunni Al-Qaeda suicide bombers who have disrupted previous rituals. Three million people attended. Worshippers heard SCIRI leader Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim repeat demands for legislation to let mainly Shia regions of the oil-rich south merge into an autonomous federal region that would neighbour Iran.^[8] Shī‘a Islam, also Shi‘ite Islam, or Shi‘ism (Arabic ) is the second largest denomination of the Islamic faith. ... Mid-Shaban is the 15th day of the month of Shaban in the Islamic calendar. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... Sayyed Abdul Aziz al-Hakim (Arabic: عبدالعزيز الحكيم ) (born 1950) is an Iraqi theologian and politician and the leader of SCIRI, the largest political party in the Iraqi Council of Representatives. ...

On January 19, 2008, 2 million Iraqi Shia pilgrims marched through Karbala city, Iraq to celebrate Ashura. 20,000 Iraqi troops and police guarded the event amid tensions due to clashes between between Iraqi troops and Shia Muslims which left 263 people dead (in Basra and Nasiriya).^[9] is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... Shia may refer to a denomination of Islam, or related items, such as: Shia Islam, the second largest denomination of Islam, after Sunni Islam. ... Monument to pilgrims in Burgos, Spain This article is on religious pilgrims. ... The Day of Aashurah, sometimes spelled ‘Ashurah or Aashoorah, falls on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar. ... This article is about the city of Basra. ... Nāşirīyah (also transliterated as Nassiriya or Nasiriya; in Arabic ناصرية, al-Nasiriyah or an-Nasiriyah) is a city in Iraq. ...

See also

• Battle of Karbala
• 1991 Uprising in Karbala
• Recent violence:
  • 2003 Karbala bombings
  • 2004 Iraq Ashura bombings
  • 2007 Karbala bombings

• List of places in Iraq

For the battle in the Iraq War, see Battle of Karbala (2007). ... The 2003 Karbala bombings consisted of four suicide attacks on the coalition military barracks in Karbala, Iraq, 110 kilometres (70 miles) south of Baghdad on December 27, 2003. ... The Ashura massacre of March 2, 2004 in Iraq was a series of planned terrorist explosions that killed 170 and injured 500 Iraqi Shias Muslims commemorating the Ashura festival. ... The 2007 Karbala bombings refer to a series of bombings in Karbala, Iraq in April 2007. ... This is a list of places in Iraq. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 105th day of the year (106th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Al Jazeera logo Al Jazeera (الجزيرة), meaning The Island or The (Arabian) Peninsula (whence also Algiers) is an Arabic television channel based in Qatar. ... is the 252nd day of the year (253rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Shia Shrines of Karbala - Sacred Destinations
• Online Sunni book: The Tragedy of Karbala and the Martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) - By Hazrat Sheykh Abu Anees Muhammad Barkat Ali QSA
• Karbala - A Lesson for Mankind
• KARBALA: When Skies Wept Blood Docufilm Homepage
• Karbala & Imam Hussain

Coordinates: 32°37′N, 44°02′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...