Kadhimiya

Kadhimiya ٱلْكَاظِمِيَّة ٱلْكَاظِمَيْن
Neighbourhood
View of the mosque and its environs
Kadhimiya Location within Baghdad Kadhimiya Kāẓimiyyah's location inside Iraq
Coordinates: 33°22′50″N 44°20′50″E
Country	Iraq
Governorate	Baghdad
District	Kādhmiyyah
Area
• Total	28 km2 (11 sq mi)
Population  (2013)
• Total	1,500,000
Time zone	UTC+3 (AST)

Al-Kadhimiyya (Arabic: ٱلْكَاظِمِيَّة, pronounced [alˈkaːðˤɪmijːa]) or al-Kadhimayn (ٱلْكَاظِمَيْن) is a northern neighbourhood of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. It is about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the city's center, on the west bank of the Tigris. 'Kadhimiyya' is also the name of one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad. As the place of al-Kadhimiyya Mosque, even before its inception into the urban area of Baghdad, it is regarded as a holy city by Twelver Shia Muslims.

The neighborhood is home to families of upper class aristocratic class, as some of its people worked in goldsmith works and selling. Before the 14 July Revolution, al-Kadhimiyya was inhabited by the parliament members of the royal era. Some of the popular politicians and leaders such as Muhammad Fadhel al-Jamali belonged from the region.

History

Religious significance

See also: Iraq in the Quran

Al-Kadhimiya Mosque

Stamp showing the neighbourhood

The Kāẓimayn ("Two who swallow their anger"), from whom the Mosque and area of al-Kadhimiyya are named, are the Twelver Shia Imams Musa al-Kadhim and his grandson, Muhammad al-Jawad ibn Ali al-Ridha. The qubur (Arabic: قُبُوْر, graves) of the Kāẓimayn, and the scholars Mufid and Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, are within the premises of the Mosque. The area that now constitutes al-Kādhimiyya was originally the location of a graveyard reserved for members of the Quraysh. This land was set aside for this purpose by the Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid. In its early history, the town was an important center of Shi'i Islamic theology learning, perhaps the main center, but over time the town declined, and other cities rose to prominence.

The location of the city has lent it to numerous plunders, that have resulted in damage to its shrines at different times in history. Among the most damage ever experienced by the town was after the Mongol Siege of Baghdad (1258) where the shrine of the Twelver Imams was burnt down.

Historically, many Baghdadis moved to Kadhimiyya due to narrow spaces and housing problems that were happening in the main city in the 17th century. Many of the residents that moved to the area also historically adhered to the Islamic Ja'fari school of thought. During the Government of Midhat Pasha in the Ottoman Empire, a tramway was built between Baghdad's al-Karkh and Kadhimiya in order to transport the visitors who traveled to the Shi'i shrines. The tramway was in service until 1938 when bus services began to be established.

Later history

Baha'u'llah lived in this section of Baghdad during His exile from Iran, famously dictating the Hidden Words on the banks of the Tigris river. This makes the city significant for Baháʼí Faith.

Kāẓimiyyah in the 1970's

The area was also an important center of Iraqi revolt against the British after World War I. The Istrabadi family had friendly ties with the people of the royal government, such as Nuri al-Said. In 1941, 13 people were killed and more than 80 people were wounded in a demonstration against an attempt to demolish an old abandoned cemetery. During the 1958 coup by Abdul-Karim Qasim, when the government was toppled, Nuri al-Said sought refuge in the area. Muhammad Fadhel al-Jamali, who was from this neighborhood also sought refuge. Later they were captured.

In 2005, a stampede occurred on al-Aimmah Bridge over the Tigris River. About 1000 people were killed. Iraqi officials executed Saddam Hussein at an American operated facility in al-Kādhimiyya known as "Camp Justice". The execution occurred on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, which attracted global widespread international criticism, even from Saddam's opponents.

Baghdad Security Plan: During Operation Imposing Law in 2007, there were rumors that United States' forces built walls around al-Kadhimiyya Mosque. According to Iraqslogger.com, the protests that resulted were due to an agreement between Iraqi security officials and the Mahdi Army (now called the Peace Companies) that US forces would not come within 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) of the shrine. Visitors to the shrine were attacked on 30 April 2016, leading to wider protests.

Landmarks

Al-Kadhimiyya Mosque

Main article: Al-Kazimiyya Mosque

The main attraction of the neighborhood is the golden shrine that entombs the Twelver Imam Musa al-Kadhim. Originally a cemetery dedicated to distant relatives of Muhammad, it unknown who first built a shrine over the Imam's tomb. Although it is known that it was originally an Abbasid building and that Buyids had already expanded works on it. The current complex dates to the time of Safavid Shah Isma'il I.

Other religious landmarks

• The Ottoman era Fattah Pasha Mosque is located near the Tigris river.
• The tomb of Muslim scholar and poet al-Sharif al-Radi is located near the Kadhimiyya Mosque to the left.

Government and infrastructure

• Kadhimiyya Women's Prison is in the area. Women on Iraq's death row are held at the Shaaba Khamsa death row facility at Camp Justice. As of 2014 the adult women's death row had 36 women as well as children even though the facility was only intended to hold 25 women.

• Amil High School for Girls is in this neighborhood.

See also

• Holiest sites in Shia Islam
• List of neighborhoods and districts in Baghdad
• List of places in Iraq

External links

• New York Times article about the district, May 18, 2007