Iraq: Historic background

Iraq was historically known as Mesopotamia, which, in Greek, literally means "between the rivers". It was home to the world's first known civilization, the Sumerian culture, which was followed by the Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian cultures, whose influence extended into neighboring regions as early as 5000 BC. These civilizations produced the earliest writing and some of the first sciences, mathematics, laws and philosophies of the world; hence its common epithet, the "Cradle of Civilization".

In the sixth century BC, Cyrus the Great conquered the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and thus Mesopotamia was incorporated in the Achaemenid Persian Empire for nearly four centuries. Alexander the Great conquered the region again, placing it under Hellenistic rule for nearly two centuries. A Central Asian tribe of ancient Iranian peoples known as the Parthians then annexed the region, followed by the Sassanid Persians. The region remained as a province of the Persian Empire for nine centuries, until the 7th century.

Beginning in the seventh century AD, Islam spread to what is now Iraq during the Islamic conquest of Persia, led by the Muslim Arab commander Khalid ibn al-Walid. Under the Rashidun Caliphate, the prophet Mohammed's cousin and son-in-law Ali moved his capital to Kufa "fi al-Iraq" when he became the fourth caliph. The Umayyad Caliphate ruled the province of Iraq from Damascus in the 7th century.

In 1257, Hulagu Khan amassed an unusually large army, a significant portion of the Mongol Empire's forces, for the purpose of conquering Baghdad. When they arrived at the Islamic capital, Hulagu demanded surrender but the caliph refused. This angered Hulagu, and, consistent with Mongol strategy of discouraging resistance, Baghdad was decimated. Estimates of the number of dead range from 200,000 to a million.

The Mongols destroyed the Abbasid Caliphate and The Grand Library of Baghdad  which contained countless, precious, historical documents. The city would never regain its status as major center of culture and influence.