Back كربلاء Arabic كربلاء ARZ Kərbəla Azerbaijani کربلا AZB Кәрбәлә Bashkir Кербела Byelorussian Кербала Bulgarian কারবালা Bengali/Bangla Karbala Breton Karbala Catalan
Karbala
كَرْبَلَاء | |
|---|---|
| Mayoralty of Karbala | |
   .jpg)    Karbala view, Imam Al Abbas Shrine, Imam Hossein Holy Shrine, Al-Khudair Fortress, Imam Hussein Camp, Karbala Orchids and Al-Tar Caves 2 | |
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  Karbala Location of Karbala within Iraq  Karbala Karbala (Asia) | |
| Coordinates: 32°37′N 44°02′E / 32.617°N 44.033°E | |
| Country |  Iraq |
| Governorate | Karbala |
| Settled | 690 CE |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| Area | |
• Total | 42.4 km2 (16.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 28 m (92 ft) |
| Population | |
• Estimate (2018)[1] | 711,530 |
| Demonym | Karbalaei |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (Arabian Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (No DST) |
| Postal code | 10001 to 10090 |
| Part of a series on Shia Islam |
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 Shia Islam portal |
Karbala[a] is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With an estimated population of 691,100 people in 2024, Karbala is the second largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is one of the main political, spiritual and cultural hubs of Shi'a Islam.[6][7][8][9]
The city, best known as the location of the battle of Karbala in 680 AD between Husayn ibn Ali and his band of several dozen 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. With presence of the shrines of Hussain and Abbas, Karbala is considered a holy city for Shia Muslims.[10][11] Soon, Karbala emerged as an important center of pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims across the world. During the Abbasid era, the city witnessed many events. After the fall of Baghdad in 1258, Karbala came under the control of Mongolian Empire led by Hulegu Khan. The city continued to be under multiple successive empires.
Tens of millions of Shi'ite Muslims visit the site twice a year.[12][13][14][15] The martyrdom of Husayn ibn 'Ali and Abbas ibn 'Ali is commemorated annually by nearly 100 million Shi'ites in the city.[12][13][14][16] Up to 34 million pilgrims visit the city to observe ʿĀshūrāʾ (the tenth day of Muharram), which marks the anniversary of Husayn's death, but the main event is the Arbaʿeen (the 40th day after 'Ashura'), where up to 40 million visit the graves. Most of the pilgrims travel on foot and come from all around Iraq and more than 56 countries.[17]
- ^ "Iraq: Governorates & Cities".
- ^ "Karbala". Collins English Dictionary. HarperCollins. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Karbala". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2020-03-22.
- ^ "Karbala". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Karbalā'". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
- ^ "Iraq: Livelihoods at risk as level of Lake Razaza falls". IRIN News. 5 March 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ^ Under Fire: Untold Stories from the Front Line of the Iraq War. Reuters Prentice Hall. January 2004. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-13-142397-8.
- ^ "Karbala, Iraq Metro Area Population 1950-2024". www.macrotrends.net. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ "Population of cities in Iraq 2024 - StatisticsTimes.com". statisticstimes.com. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
- ^ Shimoni & Levine, 1974, p. 160.
- ^ Aghaie, 2004, pp. 10–11.
- ^ a b Malise Ruthven (2006). Islam in the World. Oxford University Press. p. 180. ISBN 9780195305036.
- ^ a b David Seddon (11 Jan 2013). Political and Economic Dictionary of the Middle East. Karbala (Kerbala): Routledge. ISBN 9781135355616.
- ^ a b John Azumah; Dr. Kwame Bediako (Foreword) (26 May 2009). My Neighbour's Faith: Islam Explained for African Christians. Main Divisions and Movements Within Islam: Zondervan. ISBN 9780310574620.
- ^ Paul Grieve (2006). A Brief Guide to Islam: History, Faith and Politics: The Complete Introduction. Carroll and Graf Publishers. p. 212. ISBN 9780786718047.
- ^ Paul Grieve (2006). A Brief Guide to Islam: History, Faith and Politics : the Complete Introduction. Carroll and Graf Publishers. p. 212. ISBN 9780786718047.
- ^ "Interactive Maps: Sunni & Shia: The Worlds of Islam". PBS. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
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