Karbala

{{More citations needed section|date=February 2023}}

There are many opinions among different investigators, as to the origin of the word Karbala. Some have pointed out that Karbala has a connection to the "Karbalato" language, while others attempt to derive the meaning of word by analyzing its spelling and language.{{clarify|date=October 2023}} They conclude that it originates from the "Kar Babel" group of ancient Babylonian villages that included Nainawa, Al-Ghadiriyya, Karbella (or Karb Illu), Al-Nawaweess, and Al-Heer. This last name is today known as Al-Hair and is where Husayn ibn Ali's grave is located.

The investigator Yaqut al-Hamawi had pointed out that the meaning of Karbala could have several explanations, one of which is that the place where Husayn ibn Ali was martyred is made of soft earth—{{Transliteration|ar|al-Karbalāt}}.

According to Shia's belief, the archangel Gabriel narrated the true meaning of the name Karbala to Muhammad: a combination of {{Transliteration|ar|karb}} ({{langx|ar|كَرْب|links=no}}, "the land which will cause many agonies") and {{Transliteration|ar|balāʾ}} ({{langx|ar|بَلاء|links=no}}, "afflictions").{{cite book |last=al-Qummi |first=Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh |translator=Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni |title=Kāmil al-Ziyārāt |year=2008 |publisher=Shiabooks.ca Press |page=545}}

{{See also|Dhu al-Kifl|Harut and Marut|Idris (prophet)|Noah in Islam|Tower of Babel in Islamic tradition}}

File:Meso2mil-English.JPG in the 3rd millennium BCE, showing Nineveh (the township of Yunus)),{{qref|10|98|b=y}}Summarized from the book of story of Muhammad by Ibn Hisham Volume 1 pg.419–421{{cite web |title=Three Day Fast of Nineveh |url=http://syrianorthodoxchurch.org/news/2011/02/10/three-day-fast-of-nineveh/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025123007/http://syrianorthodoxchurch.org/news/2011/02/10/three-day-fast-of-nineveh/ |archive-date=2012-10-25 |access-date=1 February 2012 |publisher=Syrian orthodox Church}} Qattara (or Karana), Dūr-Katlimmu, Assur, Arrapha, Terqa, Nuzi, Mari, Eshnunna, Dur-Kurigalzu, Der, Sippar, Babylon, Kish, Susa, Borsippa, Nippur, Isin, Uruk, Larsa and Ur, from north to south. Note the relative proximity of Babylon and Sippar to Lake Milh, which is near Karbala.|left]]Mesopotamia has been mentioned in Quran. Some Shi'ites consider this verse of the Quran to refer to Iraq, the land of the Shi'ite sacred sites of Kufah,{{Cite book |last=Tabatabaei |first=Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn |title=Shi'ite Islam |publisher=Suny Press |year=1979 |isbn=978-0-87395-272-9 |pages=192}}{{cite book |last=al-Qummi |first=Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh |title=Kāmil al-Ziyārāt |publisher=Shiabooks.ca Press |year=2008 |pages=66–67 |translator=Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni}} Najaf, Karbala, Kadhimiyyah{{efn|Kadhimyyah used to be a township of its own, but is now a part of the city of Baghdad.{{Cite encyclopedia |title=Kadhimiya |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Iranian Architectural History |language=fa |url=http://iranshahrpedia.ir/view/9341 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003210802/http://iranshahrpedia.ir/view/9341 |archive-date=3 October 2015 |url-status=dead }}}} and Samarra,{{cite web |title=History of the Shrine of Imam Ali al-Naqi & Imam Hasan Al-Askari, Peace Be Upon Them |url=http://www.al-islam.org/shrines/samarra.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060223121838/http://www.al-islam.org/shrines/samarra.htm |archive-date=23 February 2006 |access-date=23 February 2006 |work=Al-Islam.org}}{{cite news |date=2007-06-28 |title=Unesco names World Heritage sites |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6248244.stm |access-date=2010-05-23 |publisher=BBC News}} since the Monotheistic preachers Ibrāhīm (Abraham) and Lūṭ (Lot),{{qref|26|160|b=y}} who are regarded as Prophets in Islam,{{cite book |last=Wheeler |first=Brannon M. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qIDZIep-GIQC&q=%2225+prophets+mentioned+by+name%22&pg=PA8 |title=Prophets in the Quran: an introduction to the Quran and Muslim exegesis |publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-8264-4957-3 |series=Comparative Islamic studies |pages=1–393}} are believed to have lived in the ancient Iraqi city of Kutha Rabba,History of Islam, volume 1, by Professor Masudul Hasan.{{page needed|date=September 2021}}{{edition needed|date=September 2021}} before going to "The Blessed Land".{{qref|21|51|b=y}}

{{blockquote|Then We delivered him(Ibrahim), along with Lot, to the land We had showered with blessings for all people.|{{qref|21|71|b=yl}}}}

Aside from the story of Abraham and Lot in Polytheistic{{cite web |author=Jacobsen, Thorkild |date=3 October 2023 |title=Mesopotamian religion |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mesopotamian-religion |publisher=Britannica.com}} Mesopotamia, there are passages in the Quran about Mount Judi,{{qref|11|44|b=y}}{{qref|23|23|b=y}}J. P. Lewis, Noah and the Flood: In Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Tradition, The Biblical Archaeologist, December 1984, p.237 Babil ("Babylon"){{qref|2|102|b=y}}Morris Jastrow, Ira Maurice Price, Marcus Jastrow, Louis Ginzberg, and Duncan B. MacDonald; "[http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2279-babel-tower-of Babel, Tower of]", Jewish Encyclopedia; Funk & Wagnalls, 1906. and Qaryat Yunus ("Town of Jonah").

The tomb of the martyred Imam has acquired great significance in Shia tradition because he and his fellow martyrs are seen as models of jihad in the way of God. Shi'ites believe that Karbala is one of the holiest places on Earth according to the following traditions (among others):

The angel Gabriel narrated to Muhammad that:

{{blockquote|text=Karbala, where your grandson and his family will be martyred, is one of the most blessed and the most sacred lands on Earth, and it is one of the valleys of Paradise.}}

The fourth Shi'ite Imam, that is Zayn al-Abidin narrated:{{cite book |last=al-Qummi |first=Ja'far ibn Qūlawayh |title=Kāmil al-Ziyārāt |publisher=Shiabooks.ca Press |year=2008 |page=534 |translator=Sayyid Mohsen al-Husaini al-Mīlāni}}

{{blockquote|text=God chose the land of Karbalā' as a safe and blessed sanctuary twenty-four thousand years before He created the land of the Ka'bah and chose it as a sanctuary. Verily it (Karbala) will shine among the gardens of Paradise like a shining star shines among the stars for the people of Earth.}}

In this regard, Ja'far al-Sadiq narrates, 'Allah, the Almighty, has made the dust of my ancestor's grave – Imam Husain (r.a) as a cure for every sickness and safety from every fear.'Amali by Shaykh Tusi, vol. 1 pg. 326 It is narrated from Ja'far that: "The earth of the pure and holy grave of Husayn ibn ‘Ali (r.a) is a pure and blessed musk. For those who consume it, it is a cure for every ailment, and if our enemy uses it then he will melt the way fat melts, when you intend to consume that pure earth recite the following supplication"Mustadrakul Wasail, vol. 10, pg 339-40 tradition 2; Jadid Makarimul Akhlaq pg.189; Beharul Anwaar vol. 101, tradition 60

{{main|Battle of Karbala}}

The Battle of Karbala was fought on the bare deserts on the way to Kufa on October 10, 680 AD (10 Muharram 61 AH). Both Husayn ibn Ali and his brother Abbas ibn Ali were buried by the local Banī Asad tribe, at what later became known as the Mashhad Al-Husayn. The battle itself occurred as a result of Husain's refusal of Yazid's demand for allegiance to his caliphate. The Kufan governor, Ubaydallah ibn Ziyad, sent thirty thousand horsemen against Husayn as he traveled to Kufa. Husayn had no army, he was with his family and few friends who joined them, so there were around 73 men, including the 6-month-old Ali Asghar, son of Imam Husayn, in total. The horsemen, under 'Umar ibn Sa'd, were ordered to deny Husayn and his followers water to force Husayn to agree to give an oath of allegiance. On the 9th of Muharram, Husayn refused, and requested to be given the night to pray. On the 10th day of Muharram, Husayn ibn Ali prayed the morning prayer and led his troops into battle along with his brother Abbas. Many of Husayn's followers, including all of his present sons Ali Akbar, Ali Asghar (six months old) and his nephews Qassim, Aun and Muhammad were killed.al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir – History of the Prophets and Kings; Volume XIX The Caliphate of Yazid ibn Muawiyah, translated by I.K.A Howard, SUNY Press, 1991

In 63 AH (683 AD), Yazid ibn Mu'awiya released the surviving members of Husayn's family from prison as there was a threat of uprisings and some of the people in his court were unaware of who the battle was with, when they got to know that the descendants of Muhammad were killed, they were horrified. On their way to Mecca, they stopped at the site of the battle. There is a record of Sulayman ibn Surad going on pilgrimage to the site as early as 65 AH (685 AD). The city began as a tomb and shrine to Husayn ibn Ali, grandson of Muhammad and son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, and grew as a city to meet the needs of pilgrims. The city and tombs were greatly expanded by successive Muslim rulers, but suffered repeated destruction from attacking armies. The original shrine was destroyed by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mutawakkil in 850 but was rebuilt in its present form around 979, only to be partly destroyed by fire in 1086 and rebuilt yet again.

Like Najaf, the city suffered from severe water shortages that were only resolved in the early 18th century by building a dam at the head of the Husayniyya Canal. In 1737, the city replaced Isfahan in Iran as the main center of Shia scholarship. In the mid-eighteenth century it was dominated by the dean of scholarship, Yusuf Al Bahrani, a key proponent of the Akhbari tradition of Shia thought, until he died in 1772,Juan Cole, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ntarP5hrza0C Sacred Space and Holy War], IB Tauris, 2007 p. 71–72 after which the more state-centric Usuli school became more influential.

The Wahhabi sack of Karbala occurred on 21 April 1802 (1216 Hijri) (1801),{{cite web|last1=Staff writers|title=The Saud Family and Wahhabi Islam, 1500–1818|url=http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/loc/sa/saud_wahhabi.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040317191304/http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/loc/sa/saud_wahhabi.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 17, 2004|website=www.au.af.mil|access-date=8 August 2016}} under the rule of Abdul-Aziz bin Muhammad the second ruler of the First Saudi State, when 12,000 Wahhabi Muslims from Najd attacked the city of Karbala.{{cite book |editor1-last=Martin |editor1-first=Richard C. |title=Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim world |date=2003 |publisher=Macmillan Reference USA |location=New York |isbn=0-02-865603-2 |edition=[Online-Ausg.] |oclc=52178942 }} The attack was coincident with the anniversary of Ghadir Khum event,{{cite encyclopedia |last=Litvak |first=Meir |encyclopedia= Iranica Online |title=KARBALA |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/karbala |year=2010 }} or 10 Muharram.{{cite book|last1=Khatab|first1=Sayed|title=Understanding Islamic Fundamentalism: The Theological and Ideological Basis of Al-Qa'ida's Political Tactics|year=2011|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-977-416-499-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBYnDAAAQBAJ&q=1802+fall+of+karbala&pg=PA74 |access-date=11 August 2016|language=en}} This fight left 3,000–5,000 deaths and the dome of the tomb of Husayn ibn Ali, was destroyed. The fight lasted for 8 hours.{{cite book|last1=Vassiliev|first1=Alexei|title=The History of Saudi Arabia|date=September 2013|publisher=Saqi|isbn=978-0-86356-779-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lEIhBQAAQBAJ&q=Wahhabi+sack+of+Karbala&pg=PT81 |access-date=9 August 2016|language=en}}

After the First Saudi State invasion, the city enjoyed semi-autonomy during Ottoman rule, governed by a group of gangs and mafia variously allied with members of the 'ulama. In order to reassert their authority, the Ottoman army laid siege to the city. On January 13, 1843, Ottoman troops entered the city. Many of the city leaders fled leaving defense of the city largely to tradespeople. About 3,000 Arabs were killed in the city, and another 2,000 outside the walls (this represented about 15% of the city's normal population). The Turks lost 400 men.Cole, Juan R.I. and Moojan Momen. 1986. "[https://www.academia.edu/661030/Mafia_Mob_and_Shiism_in_Iraq_The_Rebellion_of_Ottoman_Karbala_1824-1843 Mafia, Mob and Shiism in Iraq: The Rebellion of Ottoman Karbala 1824–1843]." Past & Present. No 112: 112–143. This prompted many students and scholars to move to Najaf, which became the main Shia religious centre.Cole, Juan R. I. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ntarP5hrza0C Sacred Space and Holy War: The Politics, Culture and History of Shi'ite Islam]. London: I.B. Tauris, 2002. Between 1850 and 1903, Karbala enjoyed a generous influx of money through the Oudh Bequest. The Shia-ruled Indian Province of Awadh, known by the British as Oudh, had always sent money and pilgrims to the holy city. The Oudh money, 10 million rupees, originated in 1825 from the Awadh Nawab Ghazi-ud-Din Haider. One third was to go to his wives, and the other two-thirds went to holy cities of Karbala and Najaf. When his wives died in 1850, the money piled up with interest in the hands of the British East India Company. The EIC sent the money to Karbala and Najaf per the wives' wishes, in the hopes of influencing the Ulama in Britain's favor. This effort to curry favor is generally considered to have been a failure."A Failed Manipulation: The British, the Oudh Bequest and the Shī'ī 'Ulamā' of Najaf and Karbalā'." Meir Litvak, British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, {{JSTOR|826171}}

File:Karbala 07402u.jpg

In 1915, Karbala was the scene of an uprising against the Ottoman Empire.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zZgAAwAAQBAJ|title=The Arab Movements in World War I|last=Tauber|first=Eliezer|date=2014-03-05|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781135199784|pages=30|language=en}} In 1928, an important drainage project was carried out to relieve the city of unhealthy swamps, formed between Hussainiya and the Bani Hassan Canals on the Euphrates.{{Cite book|title=Report by His Britannic Majesty's Government to the Council of the League of Nations on the Administration of Iraq 1927–28|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b405474&view=1up&seq=177&q1=Karbala|access-date=2020-07-17|via=HathiTrust|page=177|language=en}}

Defense of the City Hall in Karbala – a series of skirmishes fought from April 3 to April 6, 2004, between the Iraqi rebels of the Mahdi Army trying to conquer the city hall and the defending Polish and Bulgarian soldiers from the Multinational Division Central-South

In 2003 following the American invasion, the Karbala town council attempted to elect United States Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Lopez as mayor. Ostensibly so that his Marines, contractors, and funds could not leave.{{Cite book|last=Mattis, James N., 1950–|title=Call sign chaos : learning to lead|others=West, Francis J.|year=2019|isbn=978-0-8129-9683-8|edition=First|location=New York|pages=112|oclc=1112672474}}

On April 14, 2007, a car bomb exploded about {{convert|600|ft|m|abbr=on}} from the shrine to Husayn, killing 47{{cite news |first=Lily |last=Hamourtziadou |title=A Week in Iraq |url=http://iraqbodycount.org/editorial/weekiniraq/40/ |publisher=iraqbodycount.org |date=2007-04-15 |access-date=2007-04-15 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070429005149/http://www.iraqbodycount.org/editorial/weekiniraq/40/ |archive-date = 2007-04-29}} and wounding over 150.

On January 19, 2008, 2 million Iraqi Shia pilgrims marched through Karbala city, Iraq to commemorate Ashura. 20,000 Iraqi troops and police guarded the event amid tensions due to clashes between Iraqi troops and Shia which left 263 people dead (in Basra and Nasiriya).{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7197473.stm|title=Iraqi Shia pilgrims mark holy day|date=19 January 2008|via=bbc.co.uk}}

With an impressive 3.9 million palm trees, Karbala produces approximately 160,000 tons of dates across 90 different varieties.{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2024-10-19 |title=Iraq's Agricultural Triumph - Karbala Becomes the World's Largest Palm Oasis |url=https://tijaraiq.com/iraqs-agricultural-triumph-karbala-becomes-the-worlds-largest-palm-oasis/ |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Trade In Iraq |language=en}} Karbala has surpassed Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahsa Oasis, becoming the world's largest palm oasis.

File:Trees in Karbala.jpg

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.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|location = Karbala (1991-2020)

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|collapsed = Y

|Jan high C = 16.6

|Feb high C = 19.5

|Mar high C = 24.6

|Apr high C = 31.3

|May high C = 37.6

|Jun high C = 42.4

|Jul high C = 44.7

|Aug high C = 44.7

|Sep high C = 40.9

|Oct high C = 34.2

|Nov high C = 24.1

|Dec high C = 18.3

|Jan mean C = 10.6

|Feb mean C = 12.9

|Mar mean C = 17.4

|Apr mean C = 23.9

|May mean C = 29.7

|Jun mean C = 33.9

|Jul mean C = 36.4

|Aug mean C = 35.9

|Sep mean C = 32.3

|Oct mean C = 26.2

|Nov mean C = 17.7

|Dec mean C = 12.3

|Jan low C = 6.0

|Feb low C = 8.0

|Mar low C = 12.1

|Apr low C = 17.9

|May low C = 23.5

|Jun low C = 27.6

|Jul low C = 29.8

|Aug low C = 29.3

|Sep low C = 25.6

|Oct low C = 20.1

|Nov low C = 12.1

|Dec low C = 7.4

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 17.6

|Feb precipitation mm = 14.5

|Mar precipitation mm = 14.1

|Apr precipitation mm = 11.9

|May precipitation mm = 2.4

|Jun precipitation mm = 0.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 0.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 0.0

|Sep precipitation mm = 0.3

|Oct precipitation mm = 4.1

|Nov precipitation mm = 14.8

|Dec precipitation mm = 13.8

| Jan humidity = 72.1

| Feb humidity = 60.7

| Mar humidity = 49.8

| Apr humidity = 42.5

| May humidity = 34.1

| Jun humidity = 28.2

| Jul humidity = 28.6

| Aug humidity = 30.2

| Sep humidity = 34.9

| Oct humidity = 44.7

| Nov humidity = 61.5

| Dec humidity = 70.5

|source 1 = {{cite web

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Iraq/CSV/KERBALLA_40656.csv

| title = World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991–2020: Kerballa |format=CSV

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 2 August 2023}}}}

Karbala is a significant pilgrimage destination for Shia Muslims, especially during the Islamic holy month of Muharram. According to Azher Al-Kalash, Vice President of the Association of Hotels and Tourist Restaurants in Karbala, said, "Karbala has the highest number of hotels in Iraq, with 900 hotels of various levels, equivalent to one-third of the total number of hotels in the entire country. Some hotels have safety and security concerns raised by the civil defense, but the most comply with the regulations and instructions."{{Cite web |date=2018-08-18 |title=Al-Abbas Holy Shrine opens al-'Afaf Shopping Center in Karbala – International Shia News Agency |url=https://en.shafaqna.com/68997/al-abbas-holy-shrine-opens-al-afaf-shopping-center-in-karbala/ |access-date=2025-02-23 |language=en-US}}

Tourism in every country is influenced by supply and demand. Hence, hotel and transportation prices rise during peak times. In Karbala, the minimum hotel rate is around $10 per night, while the maximum can reach $50 during Ashura. However, the amount doubles during the Arbaeen pilgrimage due to the high demand. Arbaeen is the most significant pilgrimage that hotel owners rely on throughout the year." Thus, tourism plays an important role in stimulating various sectors, whether hotels, agriculture, trade, or others. It contributes to the employment of all economic sectors of society.

Karbala Refinery, with a refining capacity of 140,000 barrels per day (bpd), it stands as Iraq's largest refining project in four decades.{{Cite web |title=Iraq's Karbala oil refinery to produce 70% of country's petroleum products and generate $3bn in revenue |url=https://shafaq.com/en/Economy/Iraq-s-Karbala-oil-refinery-to-produce-70-of-country-s-petroleum-products-and-generate-3bn-in-revenue |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Shafaq News |language=en}} The refinery commenced commercial operations in mid-March 2024, initially operating at 60% capacity, with plans to reach full capacity by August 2024. It is estimated that the refinery produce 70% of country's petroleum products and generate $3bn in revenue.

File:Shrine in Karbala.jpg]]

File:العتبة العباسية المقدسة (6).jpg]]

Karbala, alongside Najaf, is considered a thriving tourist destination for Shia Muslims and the tourism industry in the city boomed after the end of Saddam Hussein's rule.{{Cite web|url=https://english.alarabiya.net/en/life-style/art-and-culture/2013/04/04/Iraq-s-holy-cities-enjoy-boom-in-religious-tourism.html|title=Iraq's holy cities enjoy boom in religious tourism|publisher=Al Arabiya|date=4 April 2013}} Some religious tourism attractions include:

• Al Abbas Mosque
• Imam Husayn Shrine
• Euphrates
• Ruins of Mujada, about {{convert|40|km|mile|abbr=in}} to the west of the city[http://www.alshirazi.net/karbala/torath/04.htm منارة موجدة «مَعلَمٌ حددت وظيفته تسميته»]. Al-Shirazi. Retrieved January 5, 2018.[http://www.holykarbala.net/v2/index.php/ar/%D9%85%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%A9-%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B3%D8%A9-3/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B2%D8%A9/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A2%D8%AB%D8%A7%D8%B1/258-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AC%D8%AF%D8%A9 الآثار منارة موجدة]. Holy Karbala. Retrieved January 5, 2018.

Arbaeen is a massive annual pilgrimage event that takes place in Karbala. It is considered one of the largest peaceful gatherings in the world. In 2017, approximately 30 million people took part in the pilgrimage.

The official number of visitors during the 10-day period surpassed 22 million people on September 6, 2023, making it the largest and most peaceful gathering in the world. Shia Muslims largely attended the commemoration, as well as many Sunni Muslims and Christians who also visited to pay their respect to Imam Hussein.

Who Is Hussain, a charity is based in Karbala, has accumulated around 50,000 blood donations, saved more than 140,000 lives and helped feed more than 700,000 people. During the period of Arbaeen, its teams provide voluntary initiatives around the world like donating blood, alongside distributing food, drink and masks to citizens, to countries including the United States, France, Britain, Pakistan, Lebanon as well as African and poverty-driven countries.”

Karbala FC is a football club based in Karbala. It plays in the premier Iraq Stars League, the highest division of the Iraqi football league system.

The Karbala Sports City located south of Karbala city, is a large sports complex housing the Karbala International Stadium with a capacity of 30,000 spectators, a smaller football stadium with a capacity of 2,000, as well as a football field for training, a swimming hall, and a hotel.

{{main|University of Karbala|Ahlulbait University College}}

University of Karbala, which was inaugurated on March 1, 2002, is one of the top most universities in Iraq regarding academic administration, human resources, and scientific research.{{Cite web|url=http://en.uokerbala.edu.iq/index.php/about-us-uni|title=Karbala University: A General View|website=University of Karbala|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010075548/http://en.uokerbala.edu.iq/index.php/about-us-uni|archive-date=2017-10-10|url-status=dead|access-date=2017-04-21}} Ahl al-Bayt University was founded in September 2003 by Dr. Mohsen Baqir Mohammed-Salih Al-Qazwini. The university has six major colleges: College of Law, Arts, Islamic Sciences, Medical & Health Technology, Pharmacy and Dentistry.{{Cite web|url=http://abu.edu.iq/en|title=Ahl Al Bayt University Website|website=Ahl Al Bayt University|access-date=2019-11-23}}

Warith al-Anbiya University in Karbala, sponsored by the Imam Husayn Holy Shrine, was established in 2017. It has the faculties of engineering, administration, economics, law and pathology. It received its first batch of students in the academic year 2017–2018.{{cite web|author=Ali Tekmaji| url=http://im.imamhussain.org/english/reports/7306|title= Karbala opens new advanced academic university|publisher=Imam Hussein Holy Shrine (International Media) |date=September 20, 2017 |access-date=September 23, 2017}}

The Hawza are Islamic education institutions that are administered under the guidance of a Grand Ayatollah or group of scholars to teach Shia Muslims and guide them through the rigorous journey of becoming an Alim (a religious scholar). Initially Karbala's hawza consisted mostly of Iranians and Turkish scholars. The death of Sharif-ul-Ulama Mazandarani in 1830 as well as the repression of the Shia population by the Ottomans in 1843 both played a significant role in the relocation of many scholars to the city of Najaf and thus Najaf subsequently became the center of Shia Islamic leadership and education.{{Cite book|title=Shi'i Scholars of Nineteenth Century: The Ulama of Najaf and Karbala|last=Litvak |first=Meir|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1998|isbn=0-521-62356-1|location=United Kingdom|pages=51–141}} Today the Hawza Seminary still exists in Karbala (such as the School of Allamah Ibn Fahd) but to a lesser extent in comparison to Najaf.

Airports in Karbala include:{{cite news |publisher=Foreign Relations Bureau – Iraq |title=$500 Million Airport Scandal Exposes Industrial Scale Corruption in Holy Karbala |url=https://www.frbiu.com/articles/500-million-airport-scandal-exposes-industrial-scale-corruption-in-holy-karbala |date=2017-03-07 |access-date=2018-11-21}}

• Karbala Northeast Airport{{cite web |publisher=CAPA Centre for Aviation |title=Karbala Northeast (Imam Hussein) Airport |url=https://centreforaviation.com/data/profiles/newairports/karbala-northeast-imam-hussein-airport |access-date=2018-11-20}}
• Karbala International Airport{{cite book |publisher=Economic East Economic Digest |title=MEED. |volume=42 |issue=27–39 |pages=38–48 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=559WAAAAYAAJ&q=karbala+international+airport |year=2018}} (located to the southeast of Karbala)

In February 2024, the Iraqi National Investment Commission (NIC) unveiled a project to construct an inter-city high-speed rail connecting the cities of Karbala and Najaf. Once finished, it is set to accommodate up to 25,000 passengers per hour.{{cite web|url=https://www.railway-technology.com/news/iraqi-government-opens-two-rail-project-tenders/|title=Iraqi government opens two rail project tenders|publisher=Railway Technology}}{{cite web|url=https://shiawaves.com/english/news/101296-work-on-high-speed-train-project-linking-holy-karbala-to-holy-najaf-to-begin-soon-ministry-says/|title=Work on high-speed train project linking Holy Karbala to Holy Najaf to begin soon, ministry says|publisher=ShiaWaves}}

As of 2024, Karbala has 4 sister cities:

• {{flagicon|IRN}} Mashhad, Iran{{cite web |title=Town Twinning|url=https://en.mashhad.ir/portal_content/782528-Town-Twinning.html|website=mashhad.ir|publisher=Mashhad|access-date=2020-06-22}}
• {{flagicon|IRN}} Nishapur, Iran{{ cite web|url=https://iranparadise.com/tomb-of-kamal-ol-molk/|title=Tomb of Kamal-ol-Molk|publisher=Iranparadise}}
• {{flagicon|IRN}} Qom, Iran{{cite web |title=Qom|url=https://www.toiran.com/en/city-qom|website=toiran.com|publisher=Toiran.com|access-date=2020-06-22}}
• {{flagicon|IRN}} Tabriz, Iran{{cite web|title=Tabriz and Shanghai agree to be sister cities|url=https://en.tabriz.ir/News/281/Tabriz-and-Shanghai-agree-to-be-sister-cities-.html|website=tabriz.ir|publisher=Tabriz|date=2019-05-06|access-date=2020-06-22|archive-date=2021-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128020427/https://en.tabriz.ir/News/281/Tabriz-and-Shanghai-agree-to-be-sister-cities-.html|url-status=dead}}

• Battle of Karbala
• 1977 Shia uprising in Iraq
• Battle of Karbala (1991)
• Battle of Karbala (2003)
• 2003 Karbala bombings
• 2004 Ashura massacre
• 2007 Karbala mosque bombings
• Karbala raid
• Arba'een
• Karbala, Iran

{{notelist}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book |title=Dictionnaire geographique, historique, descriptif, acheologique des pèlerinages anciens et modernes |year=1859 |location=Paris |language=fr |editor=Louis de Sivry |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=jRsAAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA859|chapter=Karbala }}

• {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Kerbela |volume= 15 |last= Peters |first= John Punnett |author-link= John Punnett Peters | pages = 753–754 |short= 1}}

• {{cite book |title=Historic Cities of the Islamic World |editor=C. Edmund Bosworth |year=2007 |publisher=Koninklijke Brill |location=Leiden |chapter=Karbala }}
• {{Citation |publisher = ABC-CLIO |location = Santa Barbara, USA |editor1 = Michael R.T. Dumper |editor2=Bruce E. Stanley |title = Cities of the Middle East and North Africa |date = 2008 |chapter= Karbala }}

{{Commons category|Karbala}}

{{Wikivoyage}}

• [http://www.sacred-destinations.com/iraq/karbala.htm Shia Shrines of Karbala] – Sacred Destinations
• [http://www.123shayari.com/category/karbala-shayari/ Shia Karbala Poetry]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106044903/http://www.123shayari.com/category/karbala-shayari/ |date=6 November 2013 }}.
• [https://archive.today/20130108100039/http://indianmuslims.in/karbala-a-lesson-for-mankind/ Karbala – A Lesson for Mankind] (archived)
• [http://www.smsblaze.com/category/karbala-sms/ Karbala Quotes and Sayings]
• [http://minhaj-al-nubuwwah.cf/karbala.html Karbala and Martyrdom] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512041144/http://minhaj-al-nubuwwah.cf/karbala.html |date=2021-05-12 }}
• [http://twelvershia.net/2016/01/29/karbala-the-facts-and-the-fairytales/ Karbala – The Facts and the Fairy-tales]
• [https://www.al-islam.org/articles/karbala-the-chain-of-events-ramzan-sabir Karbala, the Chain of Events]

{{Districts of Iraq}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Holy cities

Category:Shia holy cities

Category:Populated places in Karbala Province

Category:District capitals of Iraq

Category:Cities in Iraq

Category:Husayn ibn Ali

Category:Karbala Governorate