Basra

Basra (Arabic: البصرة Al Baṣrah) is a port city in Southern Iraq, close to the border with Kuwait and Iran. It is Iraq's third largest city with a population of 2,150,000 (2017).

Understand


Situated along the Shatt al-Arab river, formed by the confluence of the Euphrates and the Tigris, the city's many canals and creeks once gave rise to the epithet Venice of the East. The fields along the river are very fertile with agriculture being a major source of income for the region, the region is known for having the world's largest forest of date palms. Basra is a majority Shia Islam city, with small minorities of Christians, Assyrians and pre-Islamic Mandaeans. In addition to the Arabs, there is also a community of Afro-Iraqi peoples, known as Zanj. The Zanj are an African Muslim ethnic group, a mix of African peoples taken from the coast of the area of modern-day Kenya as slaves during the Medieval period.

Founded at the beginning of the Islamic era in 636, Basra became a flourishing commercial and cultural center from around 1200 AD and has remained so onwards. Basra was under the protection of the Portuguese empire from 1523 until captured by the Ottomans in 1668; it remained part of the Ottoman Empire until the end of First World War.

The last few decades have, however, been rough for Basra as it was the closest major city to the front lines of the Iran-Iraq War during the 1980s, with parts of the city destroyed by artillery fire. A few years later a rebellion against the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein was brutally crushed. While the city has largely physically recovered from these events, much of its cultural heritage has been lost. Basra is also on the front lines of climate change with summer temperatures nearing unbearable extremes. Desertification and salinization of the rivers is causing major issues. Combined with decades of neglect and social unrest, Basra is generally off-limits for tourists. Most foreigners finding themselves in the city are here because of nearby oil and natural gas facilities. However, there are still speckles of former glory left for the intrepid traveller to explore.

Climate
Basra is among the hottest cities on Earth, with temperatures exceeding 50 C during July and August. While the air has a relatively low humidity, extreme temperatures can easily lead to dehydration and fatigue. Temperatures during the rest of the year are more pleasant, during winter months daily highs are around 20 C while temperatures during spring and late fall hovers around 25-30 C.

Get in
Basra is close to Kuwait. The Safwan border crossing is a safe exit point into Kuwait from Iraq, but it is highly inadvisable for foreigners to enter Iraq from Kuwait. The Iraqi immigration entry point is watched by insurgents and there is a small chance that they will try to kidnap Western-looking individuals on the road once they have crossed into Iraq. Entry from Iran is also very unsafe and is not advised.

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. Both trains carry a restaurant car and have both seats and couchettes. There are also occasional trains from the holy city of Karbala, operated mainly around religious festivals.

A rail link with Iran is expected to open in 2025, with cross-border passenger service. Until then it's possible to travel by train to nearby Khorramshahr, the closest city across the border in Iran, which sees daily overnight trains from Tehran.



By boat
A river ferry is available from nearby Khorramshahr, across the border in Iran, taking just 45 minutes to complete the journey. The ferry is run by Valfajar Shipping Company and there are multiple sailings each week.

Get around
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. Taxis and ride-hailing services are however both plentiful and cheap and is generally the best way of travelling longer distances within the city.

See


This list also features some sites located in nearby the nearby city of Az Zubayr.



Churches
As the Christian community in Basra has been smaller then to those of Baghdad or Mosul, church buildings has generally been built less grand. While not all churches hs services, there's usually a custodian which can offer a tour.



Old Basra


Only a few blocks remain of the old Basra, once described as the Venice of the East with colonial and Ottoman mansions lining the city's canals. Many houses feature the iconic shanasheel balconies, built in wood to protect interior of houses from the heat of the day as well as providing an overlook onto the street. A UNESCO-funded project took of in 2018, aiming at restoring some of the derelict houses in the old quarters.



Eat


Most restaurants are located along the corniche, many with excellent views over the river.



Sleep
Apart from the more luxurious hotels there are several low- and mid-range options, which have limited online presence.



Stay safe
Tap water is not safe to drink, with many people getting sick due to drinking contaminated water.

Go next

 * Umm Qasr
 * Karbala
 * Baghdad
 * Najaf
 * Ctesiphon
 * Babylon