Az Zubayr
الزبير
Az Zubayr is located in Iraq
Az Zubayr
Az Zubayr
Coordinates: 30°23′N 47°42′E / 30.383°N 47.700°E / 30.383; 47.700
Country Iraq
GovernorateBasra
DistrictAl-Zubayr
Population
  Estimate 
(2018)[1]
300,751
Time zone3+
Area code01

Az Zubayr (Arabic: الزبير) is a city in and the capital of Al-Zubair District, part of the Basra Governorate of Iraq. The city is just south of Basra. The name can also refer to the old Emirate of Zubair.

The name is also sometimes written Al Zubayr, Al Zubair, Az Zubair, Zubair, Zoubair, El Zubair, or Zobier.

History of Zubayr

Early history

The city was named al-Zubair because one of the Sahaba (companions) of the Prophet Muhammad, Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, was buried there.

Recent history

During the Ottoman times, the city was a self-ruling Sheikhdom ruled by a Sheikh from Najdi families, such as Al Zuhair, Al Meshry, Al Rashed, and Al ibrahim families. Like other Sheikdoms under the Ottoman Empire, the Sheikdom of Zubair used to pay dues and receive protection from the Ottomans. In the 19th century, the city of Zubair witnessed relatively large migrations from Najd. Up until the 1970s and 1980s, the town was predominantly populated by people who moved from Najed. Now only a few families remain of the old inhabitants. Most of them moved back to Najd and other regions of Saudi Arabia. In the period of Najdi is inhabitance the city it was dominated by the Sunni denomination of Islam, unlike the Shia Basra nearby.

21st century

By 2008, the city of Zubair had a population of around 240,000 people and had grown to merge into the Basra metropolitan area with nearly 3 million inhabitants in total. As in Basra, the municipality of Zubair currently has a Shia majority and is barely distinguishable from Basra itself. But, contrary to Basra, Zubair is still home to a large Sunni minority. However, they have faced violence from Shia militants during the Iraqi Civil War, and many have fled to Gulf countries and Sunni areas of Iraq.[2]

Climate

Az Zubayr has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh). In winter there is more rainfall than in summer. The average annual temperature in Az Zubayr is 24.5 °C (76.1 °F). About 139 mm (5.47 in) of precipitation falls annually.

Climate data for Az Zubayr
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 17.5
(63.5)
19.9
(67.8)
24.8
(76.6)
31.1
(88.0)
37.2
(99.0)
40.9
(105.6)
43.1
(109.6)
43.6
(110.5)
41.0
(105.8)
35.4
(95.7)
26.7
(80.1)
19.4
(66.9)
31.7
(89.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 6.5
(43.7)
8.0
(46.4)
12.2
(54.0)
17.0
(62.6)
23.1
(73.6)
25.7
(78.3)
27.6
(81.7)
26.5
(79.7)
22.7
(72.9)
18.2
(64.8)
13.2
(55.8)
8.1
(46.6)
17.4
(63.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 26
(1.0)
18
(0.7)
17
(0.7)
15
(0.6)
6
(0.2)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
2
(0.1)
22
(0.9)
33
(1.3)
139
(5.5)
Source: Climate-Data.org,Climate data

References

  1. "Iraq: Governorates & Cities".
  2. "Southern Iraq Swept By Sectarian Displacement - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. Archived from the original on 2013-09-27.
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