Baghdad is the capital and largest city of Iraq. Situated on the Tigris, it is part of the Baghdad Governorate in the central region of Iraq. With a population variously estimated at 6 or over 7 million, Baghdad forms 22% of Iraq's total population. While its metropolitan area is home to over 10 million people. In comparison to its large population, the city has a small area at just 673 square kilometers (260 sq mi). Baghdad is the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo, and the second-largest city in West Asia after Tehran.

Founded in 762 AD, Baghdad was established as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and became its most notable major development project. Within a short time, it evolved into a significant cultural and intellectual center of the Muslim world. This, in addition to housing several key academic institutions, including the House of Wisdom, as well as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious environment, garnered it a worldwide reputation as the "Center of Learning". For much of the Abbasid era, during the Islamic Golden Age, Baghdad was the largest city in the world, as the population peaked at more than one million people. The city was largely destroyed at the hands of the Mongol Empire in 1258, resulting in a decline that would linger through many centuries due to frequent plagues and multiple successive empires, including the Ottoman Empire, which controlled Baghdad as the capital of the Baghdad Province.

After the end of World War I, the city became the capital of the former British Mandate of Mesopotamia. With the recognition of Iraq as an independent monarchy in 1932, Baghdad gradually regained some of its former prominence as a significant center of Arab culture. It prospered during the early years of the Ba'athist regime. The city faced severe infrastructural damage due to the Iraq War, which began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq, resulting in a substantial loss of cultural heritage and historical artifacts. The city suffered by the subsequent insurgency and renewed war. During this period, it had one of the highest rates of terrorist attacks in the world. However, terrorist attacks have gradually been on the decline since the territorial defeat of the Islamic State militant group in Iraq in 2017, and are very rare now. At present, Baghdad is attempting to rebuild its legacy, which was lost as a result of wars and conflicts.

A major center of Islamic history, Baghdad is home to numerous historic mosques, as well as a large number of churches, mandis and synagogues, highlighting the historical diversity of the city. Baghdad's urban space is defined by historic streets, avenues, alleyways and squares. The city holds numerous names, such as "City of Palaces", as its home to numerous palaces such as Abbasid Palace, Radwaniyah Palace and Al-Faw Palace. Baghdad is also home to a large number of museums, most notably the National Museum. Being the capital of Iraq, it home to the country's government institutions and generates 44% of Iraq's economic output.