Where is basra

The Ottoman centuries saw a resurgence of seafaring activity in the Persian Gulf, this time with Europeans playing the leading roles, and Basra soon became an important base for Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French agents as well as for Indian merchants and Arab merchants from Oman and elsewhere. Together these measures broke the ability of the Montafeq shaikhs to organize effective, large-scale resistance and gave the state an edge too over the elusive marshmen, who had for so long preyed on commerce between Basra and the north.

Iran IV, pp. On settlement see F. Khalidi, ed. For the Buyid period, some information and much bibliography can be gleaned from H. Similarly, some information and sources for the Mongol period can be retrieved from D. For information on the broader currents of trade in the Persian Gulf region in the Middle Ages, two works are especially helpful. Submitted tags will be reviewed by site administrator before it is posted online. If you enter several tags, separate with commas.

Topic select a topic For the modern period see S. However, there are still speckles of former glory left for the intrepid traveller to explore. While the air has a relatively low humidity, extreme temperatures can easily lead to dehydration and fatigue.

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.

There are two overnight trains from Baghdad every day, one slower taking 12 hours and one express train with a journey time of hours. However, delays are quite common. The train carries a restaurant car has both seats and couchettes. Nearby Khorramshahr , the closest city across the border in Iran , has daily trains from Tehran.

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. A public transport system is available, but it's chaotic and provides little to no information in English. Later on, they pushed it as the centerpiece of Iraq in the post-Saddam Hussein era.

British troops, weary of fighting the Shiite militia called the Mahdi Army, transferred control to Iraqi authorities in , and a year later government forces ousted the militiamen from the city. With order restored, Basra was rejuvenated. Oil companies came in droves. Though the militants never reached Basra, their effect was immediate.

With Basra no longer under tight control, the militias had a resurgence, unleashing a wave of kidnapping, theft and drug trafficking. They had engaged in oil smuggling during the days of Saddam. Though there was less smuggling, tribesmen were often engaged by oil companies to protect in other words, refrain from blowing up pipelines running through areas they considered their own. Meanwhile, the demands of the war against Islamic State, along with the deflation in oil prices, meant that Basra, whose oil fields produce some 3.

The government refuses to pay, telling us it has no money to give. Shaddad said the municipality is often unable to pay its employees, and some projects, including the building of schools, hospitals and infrastructure, have been postponed. Much of the water in Basra has turned brackish, a result of years of poor water management — excessive use upstream and excavation and dredging that allowed saltwater from the Persian Gulf to invade Shatt al Arab. Can you wash with fresh water here?

She gave only her nickname for fear of reprisals. As she began to rail against the frequent electricity shortages endured by residents, the neon lights in her shop turned off and generators whined as they kicked in; yet another power outage had begun. Despite these drawbacks, some 40, Iraqis from other provinces have flocked to the city in recent years, said Saeedi. Few residents work in their actual area of education or training.