| Karbalā', city in
central Iraq, capital of Karbalā'
Province, on the edge of the Syrian
Desert. It is connected to the Hindiyah
branch of the Euphrates River by canal. The chief industries include the
manufacture of religious goods, textiles,
shoes, and cement and food processing.
Karbalā', one of the holiest Islamic
cities, is the center of pilgrimage for
the Shiites, one of the Muslim sects.
In the center of the
city is the shrine of Husayn ibn Ali, a
Muslim martyr.
In March 1991 Karbalā'
was the site of a battle between Shiite
Muslim rebels and Republican Guard units
loyal to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. At
the end of two weeks of fierce fighting,
the rebels were defeated and much of the
city was destroyed.
Population (1985)
184,600.
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