Kadhimyah

Kadhimiya الكاظمية al-Kāẓimiyyah
neighbourhood
An aerial view of the mosque and its environs
Kadhimiya Kāẓimiyyah's location inside Iraq
Coordinates: 33°22′50″N 44°20′50″E / 33.38056°N 44.34722°E / 33.38056; 44.34722Coordinates: 33°22′50″N 44°20′50″E / 33.38056°N 44.34722°E / 33.38056; 44.34722
Country	Iraq
Governorate	Baghdad
District	Kāẓimiyyah
Area
• Total	40 km2 (20 sq mi)
Population (2013)
• Total	1,500,000
Time zone	AST (UTC+3)

Al-Kāẓimiyyah (Arabic: الكاظمية‎‎) or al-Kāẓimayn (الكاظمين) is a northern neighbourhood of Baghdad, Iraq about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the city center on the west bank of the Tigris. Al-Kāẓimiyyah is also the name of one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad.

Al-Kāẓimayn is regarded as a holy city in Shia Islam. It received its name (lit. "the Two Kāẓims" or "the Two 'who swallow their anger'") from the two Shi'i Imams buried there: Musa al-Kadhim and his grandson and successor, Muhammad al-Jawad. A shrine was first built over their tombs, and subsequently the al-Kadhimiya Mosque.

The area that now constitutes al-Kāẓimiyyah 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 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 Shi'i Imams was burnt down. The area was also an important center of Iraqi revolt against the British after World War I.