Karbala
Karbala or Kerbala (/ˈkɑːrbələ/ KAR-bə-lə,[2][3] US also /ˌkɑːrbəˈlɑː/ KAR-bə-LAH;[4][5] Arabic: كَرْبَلَاء, romanized: Karbalāʾ, IPA: [karbaˈlaːʔ]) is a city in central Iraq, located about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake.[6][7] Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 603,000 people (2024).[8]
For other uses, see Karbala (disambiguation).
The city, best known as the location of the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, or for the shrines of Hussain and Abbas,[9][10] is considered a holy city for Shia Muslims. Tens of millions of Shi'ite Muslims visit the site twice a year. [11][12][13][14] The martyrdom of Husayn ibn 'Ali and Abbas ibn 'Ali
is commemorated annually by near a hundred million of Shi'ites in the city.[11][12][13][15]
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.[16]
Geography[edit]
Climate[edit]
Karbala experiences a hot desert climate (BWh in the Köppen climate classification) with extremely hot, long, dry summers and mild winters. Almost all of the yearly precipitation is received between November and April, though no month is wet.
International relations[edit]
Sister cities[edit]
As of 2024, Karbala has 4 sister cities: