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Karrada | |
|---|---|
 Martyr's Bridge at night | |
 | |
| Country |  Iraq |
| Governorate | Baghdad Governorate |
| City | Baghdad |
| First settled | 1880s |
| Area | |
• Total | 168 km2 (65 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 322,043 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 |
Karrada district (Arabic:كرّادةKarrāda) is a largedistrict in the city ofBaghdad,Iraq. An upper-class district, it is divided into western (Karkh) and eastern side (Rusafa) by theTigris, known as Karrada Maryam and Eastern Karrada respectively. With a religiously diverse population, it is home to large concentration ofChristians in Baghdad, along withDora.
The district is on the northern part of the peninsula, which was created by a sharp turn in theTigris River. As a result, Karrada has many of the waterfront properties, making it a desirable and expensive district. One of the most wealthiest parts of Baghdad along withMansour district, it is also home to a large number ofcompanies,organizations,militias andpolitical parties. Most of the city's foreigners and diplomats live in Karrada, as well as prominent politicians, artists, scholars, and businesspersons.
The district of Karrada has had multiple terrorist attacks over the years,[1][2] which occurred in part to the presence of its large Shia and Christian population and wealth. The area is relatively free from sectarianism otherwise, with the actual people of the district coexisting quite well. The airlineAl-Naser Airlines has its head office in Karrada, in an area next to Al Jadirya Private Hospital.[3] On 3 July 2016, anISIL terrorist attack in the area killed 347 civilians on one of the last evenings marking the end ofRamadan.[4]
Karrada shares the peninsula withAl-Jadriya district. It is a small district which lies at the southern tip of the peninsula, where the Tigris river makes its major turn and heads to the north-east. Its significance comes from its quality of life, and its real estate is, along with Karrada, some of the most expensive in Baghdad.[5] The design and building of theUniversity of Baghdad Campus in 1958 also added to its value since the University has become one of the most important locations in the city, and its campus takes up the entire right half of the district. The University of Baghdad campus was designed byWalter Gropius,AIA,Louis Mcmillen andRobert McMillan ofThe Architects Collaborative. There is one subdistrict of the city: Babil, likely named for the Babylon hotel that has its location in the district.
