Nasiriyah
Nasiriyah
ٱلنَّاصِرِيَّة Nassiriya Nasiriya | |
|---|---|
Left to right, top to bottom: Al Haboubi Square • Bridge of Civilizations • Euphrates Corniche • Nasiriyah Museum | |
Nasiriyah Location of Nasiriyah within Iraq | |
| Coordinates: 31°02′38″N 46°15′27″E / 31.04389°N 46.25750°E | |
| Country | Iraq |
| Governorate | Dhi Qar |
| District | Nasiriyah |
| Established | 1872 |
| Area | |
• Total | 303 sq mi (786 km2) |
| Population | |
• Estimate (2018) | 558,446 |
| • Density | 1,800/sq mi (700/km2) |
Nasiriyah (UK: /ˌnæzɪˈriːə/ NAZ-irr-EE-ə, US: /ˌnɑːsɪ-/ NAH-sirr-; Arabic: ٱلنَّاصِرِيَّة, romanized: an-Nāṣiriyya, BGN: An Nāşirīyah, IPA: [ænnɑːsˤɪˈrɪjjæ]), also spelled Nassiriya or Nasiriya, is a city in Iraq, the capital of the Dhi Qar Governorate. It lies on the lower Euphrates, about 360 km (225 miles) south-southeast of Baghdad, near the ruins of the ancient city of Ur, as well as the recently established Ur Tourist City located adjacent to the archaeological site. Its population in 2018 was about 558,000, making it the ninth-largest city in Iraq. It had a diverse population of Muslims, Mandaeans and Jews in the early 20th century; today its inhabitants are predominantly Shia Muslims.
Nasiriyah was founded by the Muntafiq tribe in the late 19th century during the era of Ottoman Iraq. It has since become a major hub for transportation. Nasiriyah is the center of a date-growing area. The city's cottage industries include boat-building, carpentry and silver working. The city museum has a large collection of Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian, and Abbasid artifacts. The ruins of the ancient cities of Ur and Larsa are nearby and the Euphrates merges with the Tigris for the final time about 10 kilometres from the city.