(or Bassorah), a city in southern Iraq and administrative center of the liwa (province) of Basra. It has a population of 313,000 (1965). Basra is a large port on the Shatt al-Arab River and at high tide is accessible to oceangoing vessels. A railroad and highway junction, it has distilleries, rope and cable production, and handicraft enterprises. Dates are also processed. Oil is extracted nearby at Az Zubayr and Rumaylah. The city is intersected by numerous canals (“Venice of the East”). Most of the city is covered by the verdure of palm groves and orchards.
Basra was founded by Caliph Omar I in 637 or 638 and during the eighth and ninth centuries became one of the most important cultural and economic centers of the Caliphate. The city was destroyed by the Mongols in 1258. In the 1530’s it became part of the Ottoman Empire. In November 1914, Basra was occupied by British troops; after World War I, it became part of Iraq. During the 1930’s, 1940’s, and 1950’s, Basra was one of the centers of the workers’ and anti-imperialist movement.