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Port city in southern Iraq
Photo: Aziz1005, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
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متحف البصرة
Opened in September 2016 in the former Lakeside Palace of Saddam Hussein.
متحف البصرة للتاريخ الطبيعي
Basra was the home of one of the Arab world's most celebrated poets, Badr Shakir al-Sayyab (1926-1964). This statue of him stands at the corniche.
Birthplace of Badr Shakir al-Sayyab, now a cultural center.
A tourist landmark, named after Sinbad the Sailor, who embarked on his legendary journeys from Basra. Decades ago, this island was known for its parks and nightlife. Perhaps it still is!
A street which runs on the shore of the Shatt al-Arab, from the Lion of Babylon square to the four palaces.
A Commonwealth War Graves Commission war memorial. The memorial commemorates 40,682 Commonwealth forces members, of which 99% were Indians, who died during the Mesopotamian Campaign of World War I.
A Commonwealth War Graves Commission war memorial that used to contain almost 3,000 graves including 280 Indian graves. Vandalized after the Iraq War, only fragments of the cemetery remains.
جامع خطوة الإمام علي
Founded in 635, this is one of the oldest mosque in the history of Islam. Parts of the original structure remain. It's often referred to as the old mosque of Basra.
Al-Basrah great Mosque
This mosque was built for Shia Imami's leader Sayyed Ali al-Moussawi in Iraq and neighboring countries.
Largest mosque in Basra.
مرقد الإمام الحسن البصري
Built in 1185, the mausoleum is dedicated to Ḥasan of Basra, an early Muslim theologian.
Historic shrine believed to be the burial site of Anas ibn Malik, a well-known early discipline of Islam.
مزار عبد الله بن علي الهادي
Ottoman-era Shia mosque. Located next to the
جامعة المقام
Built by the Ottomans in 1754.
Inaugurated in 1930 and restored in 2019.
There has been an Armenian church at this site in old Basra since 1736, the current building dates back to the late 19th century.
كنيسة القديس توما الكلدانية
Oldest still standing church, dating back to 1886. It features a small museum of religious artifacts which can be visited upon request.
Syriac Catholic church.
A restored Seventh-day Adventist church, built in 1965. Features some ornate glass windows.
A small heritage museum, housed in an historic building that used to be the Greek consulate during Ottoman times.
مدينة البصرة الرياضية
A major sports complex that opened in 2013.
There are boats that will take you for a short cruise along the Shatt al-Arab.
formerly Basrah Fun City
One of the oldest theme parks in southern Iraq, and the largest, involving a large number of games giants.
مطعم وملتقى شط العرب السياحي
Large and popular restaurant with traditional Iraqi foods along the river.
فندق شيراتون البصرة
One of few high-end hotels in town, has a swimming pool, tennis court and five restaurants. Service, however, is not on par with the quite hefty price.
شمس البصرة
Menawi Basha Hotel
One of the big hotels in Basra. It implies it is a 5-star, but does not make 4-star on any normal scale. It is secure, food is edible, rooms reasonable and there is acceptable Wi-Fi. There are also ATMs.
One of the largest luxury hotels in Basra.
Business-oriented hotel, located next to the airport.
Al-magaeiz
One of the main bazaars in the city.
An old market which was established by the powerful and famous Hanna-Sheikh family.
Indoor mall
By plane
There are daily international connections from Dubai, Istanbul, Beirut and Amman and a few other hubs in the Middle East. Domestic flights are available from Erbil and Baghdad.
By road
The main road between Baghdad and Basra is Freeway 1, which is generally in good condition.
By train
There are two overnight trains from Baghdad every day, a slower one taking 12 hours and one express train with a journey time of 6-7 hours. However, delays are quite common.
By boat
A river ferry is available from nearby Khorramshahr, across the border in Iran, taking just 45 minutes to complete the journey.
A public transport system is available, but it's chaotic and provides little to no information in English. Walking is difficult as there are few footpaths.
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Basra · International · BSR
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