Karbalāʼ (Iraq)

Karbala is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With a population of around 800,000 people in 2024, Karbala is the second-largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is one of the main political, spiritual, and cultural hubs of Shia Islam. The city was the location of the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE between Husayn and his band of followers, including some armed women, and several thousand soldiers led by General Umar ibn Sa'd on behalf of Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, the local governor who was acting on the orders of Yazid ibn Mu'awiya. Karbala went on to become an important center of pilgrimage. After the fall of Baghdad in 1258, Karbala came under the control of the Mongolian Empire led by Hulegu Khan. The city continued to be under multiple successive empires. Karbala enjoyed the status of semi-autonomy after the First Saudi State invasion. In 1843, Karbala was besieged by Ottoman troops. In 1915, Karbala was site of an uprising, which drove the Ottomans out of the city. With presence of the Imam Husayn and Al-Abbas Shrine, Karbala is a profoundly holy city in Shia Islam. Millions of Shia Muslism visit the city twice a year. The martyrdom of Husayn and Abbas is commemorated annually by over 20 million Muslims inside the city. Up to 34 million pilgrims visit the city to observe ʿAshura (the tenth day of Muharram), which marks the anniversary of Husayn's martyrdom. However, the main event is the Arba'in pilgrimage (the 40th day after Ashura), where up to 40 million visit the graves, the largest annual public gathering on earth. Most of the pilgrims travel on foot and come from all around Iraq and nearly 60 countries.