Al-Shatrah الشطرة Shatrat al-Muntafiq, Shatreh | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Al-Shatrah Location in Iraq | |
| Coordinates:31°24′35″N46°10′18″E / 31.40972°N 46.17167°E /31.40972; 46.17167 | |
| Country | Iraq |
| Governorate | Dhi Qar Governorate |
| Established | 1872 |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) |
| Population (2014) | |
• Total | 254,000[1] (estimated) |
Al-Shatrah (also known asShatrat al-Muntafiq) is a town in southernIraq, located north ofNasiriyah. It is the administrative capital of theal-Shatrah District, a part of theDhi Qar Governorate. Al-Shatrah is situated along theGharraf Canal at the intersection withHighway 7. It lies 22.35 km (13.9 mi) west of the ancient city ofLagash.[2] In 2009, it had a population estimated 254,000.[3][4]
Al-Shatrah was founded in 1872 during theOttoman era in Iraq when the town was part of theBasra Vilayet. Not long afterward, the town established a strong trading relationship withBaghdad and became a hub of thegrain trade in southern Iraq. Shatrah became the most important town along theGharraf Canal and gained the nickname "Little Baghdad".[5] It served as the administrative center of aqadaa (subdistrict) of the same name, which was part of the Muntafiq Sanjak of theBasra Vilayet. The town's original official name was "Shatrat al-Muntafiq", but it was simplified by local residents to "al-Shatrah" to distinguish it from the nearby town of Qal'at Salih, which was officially known as "Shatrat al-Amarah" by the Ottoman authorities.[6]
In the summer of 1889, al-Shatrah experienced an outbreak ofcholera, which caused the deaths of around 700 of its inhabitants, including theqaimaqam (lieutenant-governor) of the town. Prior to the outbreak, the population stood at around 5,000, but al-Shatrah was largely and temporarily deserted after the outbreak.[7]
Al-Shatrah was a stronghold of theal-Muntafiq tribal confederation which dominated southern Iraq during the Ottoman era. In the early 20th century, it was regarded as the tribe's seat of power.[8] It had a population of roughly 4,000, nearly all of whom wereShia MuslimArabs with smallJewish andMandean communities. Its market contained nearly 300 shops and was frequented by the Muntafiq tribesmen who predominated in the surrounding region. The Jewish community managed a primary school in the village.[6]
During the2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, a body of aU.S. Marine was dragged through the streets of al-Shatrah and hanged in the town square.[9][10]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) | ThisIraq geographical location article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
