Baghdad is the capital and the largest city in Iraq. Located in the center of the country, Baghdad was founded in the eighth century, and has long stood as a cultural Mecca in the Middle East. The city houses numerous museums, archaeological sites, and colleges, including the select University of Baghdad.

With nearly 4 million residents, Baghdad’s core economic activity involves oil refining, but other successful industries throughout the capital include carpet-making, and the production of leather, textile, cement, and tobacco products. Considered one of the greatest cities of Islam, Baghdad’s residents have included distinguished scholars, renowned artists and poets, and skillful manufacturers.

But the city has suffered great losses in the past decades, particularly with the start of the Iran-Iraq War in 1980, when Baghdad became a repeated target for Iranian attacks. Economic development and oil production were nearly devastated by the conflict, and many Baghdad neighborhoods were almost destroyed. The capital would suffer the same fate in 1990, after Saddam Hussein’s forces invaded neighboring Kuwait and US-led forces retaliated with devastating air strikes against Baghdad.