Central Iraq

Region

Baghdad and the land around it. The capital has the Iraq Museum, the Abbasid palace, Mutanabbi Street's book market and the Kadhimiya shrine, Ctesiphon's great arch is just south, and the vast western desert of Anbar runs to the borders of Syria and Jordan.

Central Iraq SipparTaq KasraDur-KurigalzuAbu Hanifa MosqueLake ThartharLake HabbaniyahVictory ArchAnbarBaghdad TowerAl-Khulafa MosqueAl-Shaab StadiumAl-Shaheed MonumentFirdos SquareUmm al-Qura MosqueBaghdadi MuseumLake QadisiyahSayidat al-Nejat Cathedral17th of Ramadan MosqueAl-Rahman Mosque, BaghdadMausoleum of Abdul-Qadir GilaniMosque of Salman al-FarsiMosque-Madrasa of al-AhmadiyyaMosque-Madrasa of al-AsifyahZumurrud Khatun MosqueAs-Salam PalaceKahramanaBaghdadBaqubahNational Museum of IraqEshnunnaAl-Kazimiyya MosqueKhafajahCtesiphonChoga MamiRamadiFallujahAbu GhraibAl Maḩmūdīyah

Central Iraq essentials

Country: Iraq
Driest months: Jun-Aug
Pay in: Dinar (ع.د)
Language: Arabic, Kurdish

Where to Go in Central Iraq

City Baghdad BaghdadIraq's capital on the Tigris City Ramadi RamadiCity in Iraq known for its historical sites City Fallujah FallujahCity known for its historical significance City Baqubah BaqubahCity in Iraq with historical significance History Ctesiphon CtesiphonRuined Sassanian capital known for Taq Kasra arch History Eshnunna EshnunnaAncient Mesopotamian city-ruin with central temple remains History Taq Kasra Taq KasraAncient Sassanian palace remnant with massive brick arch History Dur-Kurigalzu Dur-KurigalzuAncient Kassite city ruins with ziggurat remains near Baghdad History Victory Arch Victory ArchMonumental arch constructed to commemorate Iran–Iraq War victory Nature Lake Tharthar Lake ThartharLarge reservoir between Tigris and Euphrates, Iraq Nature Lake Habbaniyah Lake HabbaniyahReservoir west of Baghdad, used for fishing and recreation Nature Lake Qadisiyah Lake QadisiyahIraqi reservoir on the Tigris in Al Anbar
Regions & Cities
Baghdad Explore Baghdad On the Tigris, Baghdad’s layered neighborhoods still host bookstalls on al‑Mutanabbi Street, teahouses, and grill joints serving masgouf. Baqubah Explore Baqubah Baqubah sits on the Diyala plain, with orchards, date palms and an active agricultural bazaar; visitors arrive for rural markets, regional cuisine and access to nearby foothills and archaeological sites. National Museum of Iraq Explore National Museum of Iraq In central Baghdad, the National Museum of Iraq displays Mesopotamian artifacts spanning Sumerian, Assyrian, and Babylonian periods. Eshnunna Explore Eshnunna Eshnunna, an ancient Mesopotamian city in Diyala Governorate, is an archaeological site known for temple remains and cuneiform finds; specialists and history visitors study ongoing excavations and museum displays. Al-Kazimiyya Mosque Explore Al-Kazimiyya Mosque In Baghdad’s Kadhimiya district, the Al-Kazimiyya shrine contains the tombs of Imams Musa al-Kadhim and Muhammad al-Jawad; pilgrims visit for its golden domes and religious ceremonies. Khafajah Explore Khafajah In the Diyala River valley, Khafajah (Tell Khafajah) is an archaeological tell with Middle Bronze Age and Old Babylonian remains. Ctesiphon Explore Ctesiphon Downriver from Baghdad, Ctesiphon preserves Sasanian remains-most famously the Taq Kasra, a vast brick arch-visited for late-antique architecture and its role as a former imperial capital. Explore Choga Mami Choga Mami is a prehistoric site in Diyala Governorate noted by archaeologists for early irrigation and settlement remains; visitors are mainly researchers studying Neolithic and Chalcolithic field systems.

Central Iraq at a Glance

Local Time
2:42 AM
GMT+3
Population
12,712,864

Best Things to Do in Central Iraq