Al-Fāw (; sometimes transliterated as ''Fao'') is a port town on
Al-Faw Peninsula
The Al-Faw peninsula (; also transliterated as ''Fao'' or ''Fawr'') is a peninsula in the Persian Gulf, located in the extreme southeast of Iraq. The marshy peninsula is southeast of Iraq's third largest city, Basra, and is part of a delta for t ...
in
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
near the
Shatt al-Arab
The Shatt al-Arab () is a river about in length that is formed at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the town of al-Qurnah in the Basra Governorate of southern Iraq. The southern end of the river constitutes the Iran– ...
and the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
. The Al Faw Peninsula is part of the
Basra Governorate
Basra Governorate ( ), also called Basra Province, is a governorate in southern Iraq in the region of Arabian Peninsula, bordering Kuwait to the south and Iran to the east. The capital is the city of Basra, located in the Basrah district. Other ...
.
History
The town lies at the south-east end of the
Al-Faw Peninsula
The Al-Faw peninsula (; also transliterated as ''Fao'' or ''Fawr'') is a peninsula in the Persian Gulf, located in the extreme southeast of Iraq. The marshy peninsula is southeast of Iraq's third largest city, Basra, and is part of a delta for t ...
on the right bank of the
Shatt al-Arab
The Shatt al-Arab () is a river about in length that is formed at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the town of al-Qurnah in the Basra Governorate of southern Iraq. The southern end of the river constitutes the Iran– ...
, a few kilometres away from the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...
.
The town, as well as the whole Faw Peninsula, was the scene of armed conflict during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
, the
Persian Gulf War
, combatant2 =
, commander1 =
, commander2 =
, strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems
, page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
, and the
Iraq War
The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
due to its strategic position at the entrance of the
Shatt al-Arab
The Shatt al-Arab () is a river about in length that is formed at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the town of al-Qurnah in the Basra Governorate of southern Iraq. The southern end of the river constitutes the Iran– ...
.
The city was extensively damaged during the Iraq-Iran war, but in 1989 it was rebuilt in four months to a completely new city plan.
[Barakat, S. Analysis on Findings from the Post-War Reconstruction Campaigns at Basrah and Fao, Irak. ICOMOS Scientific Journal, 3, 1994, 102-112]
See also
*
Grand Faw Port
*
Al-Faw Palace
*
Umm Qasr
Umm Qasr (, also transliterated as ''Um-qasir'', ''Um-qasser, Um Qasr. Kurdish: ئومقەسڕ, Ûmqêsir'') is a port city in southern Iraq. It stands on the canalised Khawr az-Zubayr, part of the Khawr Abd Allah estuary which leads to the P ...
References
External links
Iraq Image - Al-Faw Satellite Observation
{{Districts of Iraq
Faw
Faw
District capitals of Iraq
Port cities and towns of the Persian Gulf