History
Early history
Origin and foundation of Hillah
In the 10th century, the town of Al Jami'ayn was founded on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. The location of that town is in modern-day Hillah now. In 1101 AD a new town was founded near Al Jami'ayn. Bricks were taken from Babylon to build houses and so Hillah expanded. During the 18th century, the town became an administrative centre in the Ottoman Empire. In the 19th century, the flow in the al-Hillah stream decreased, and that led to worsening conditions for agriculture, which affected them greatly. To solve the problem, al-Hindiya Barrage was built. According to some researchers, based on eyewitness accounts, the area where Hillah was established was not devoid of military and civilian construction for habitation. Instead, it was previously home to a city known as Al-Jamain. An eyewitness, who passed away about a century and a half before the founding of Hillah by Sadqa, described it as a small platform surrounded by a very fertile settlement. This description aligns with information from Ibn Hawqal, who lived in the 4th century AH (10th century CE), noting that the land of Al-Jamain stretched along both banks of the Hillah River. This area included the site of the ancient city of Nile, which was settled by the Banu Mazid tribe around 405 AH (1014 CE). At that time, the land where the city of Nile was located was a large, populated village along the river, which had been excavated by Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. In contrast, Al-Jamain was a thriving city during the 4th century AH, with notable leaders such as Ali ibn Dawood al-Tanukhi serving as judges. Throughout its history, Al-Jamain faced invasions, including attacks by the Qaramita in the 4th century AH and repeated raids by the Khafaja tribes in the early part of the 5th century AH. Historical texts confirm that Al-Jamain had a significant urban, economic, and social presence long before the establishment of Hillah. Hillah was founded by Sayf al-Dawla Sadqa ibn Mansur in 495 AH (1101 CE) on the western bank of the Hillah River, having relocated from the city of Nile, which had been the residence of the Banu Mazid family since 405 AH (1014 CE). However, prior to Sadqa's establishment of Hillah, the site had already been home to the city of Al-Jamain. From the historical texts and information presented, it can be inferred that the site of Hillah on the right bank of the Hillah River witnessed the emergence of two adjacent cities, each differing in their founding dates and founders. One was Al-Jamain, whose founder remains unknown but is believed to have been established in the first half of the 1st century AH. The other was the city founded by Prince Sayf al-Dawla Sadqa in 495 AH, known as Hillah al-Sayfiyah, which became a significant center in its own right, encompassing a vast area of what is now Iraq, dominated politically and militarily by foreign elements at the time.Caliphate and Ottoman rule
Following the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate and the Mongol invasion of Baghdad, the Mongols prepared to conquer other regions of Iraq. However, Hillah managed to avoid the devastation inflicted by the Mongols due to the wisdom of its scholars. They understood the catastrophic consequences that the Mongol forces would bring upon any city they entered, including destruction, pillaging, and violations of local laws. In response, the prominent scholars of Hillah convened, including Sheikh Yusuf ibn Ali ibn Muthahir al-Hilli (father of the renowned scholar Al-Hilli), Sayyid Majd al-Din ibn Tawus, and Ibn Abi al-Ghar al-Hilli. They agreed to send a letter to Hulagu Khan, expressing their willingness to submit to his authority. This strategic decision preserved their city and the two holy shrines. Subsequently, Sayyid Majd al-Din Muhammad ibn Tawus authored a book titled ''Al-Bashara'', which he presented to Hulagu. This action led Hulagu to restore local governance in the Euphrates region to Sayyid ibn Tawus and to ensure the safety of the two revered shrines and Hillah itself. As a result, Hillah continued to serve as a center of cultural and religious vitality, safeguarding treasures of Islamic knowledge and literary heritage without the upheaval experienced by other cities in Iraq. After Baghdad fell, the Jalairid state chose Hillah as its capital around 812 AH (1410 CE) during the reign of the Qarakarunlu dynasty. During the Ottoman period, Hillah became a district (qaimmaqam) within the Diwaniya province, eventually being elevated to a mutasarrifate. Under the governance of the Ottoman official Yusuf Bey, the city underwent significant development, including the construction of public facilities, such as the Great Hillah Mosque, built in 1125 AH (1713 CE) in the Al-Jabran neighborhood, a notable historical landmark. One of the most significant events in Hillah during the late Ottoman period, particularly during World War I, was the “Dakka Akif” uprising. Hillah raised the banner of rebellion against the oppressive Ottoman authority, leading to two assaults by the Turkish commander Akif Bey. His first campaign did not yield significant success; however, he returned with a larger force and more advanced weaponry in 1916 from his camp at Al-Kifl. During this second assault, he bombarded the city, resulting in the destruction of three neighborhoods: Al-Taq, Al-Jamain, and Al-Wardiya. The campaign led to the execution of 126 men from Hillah, while many women were captured and taken as slaves to Anatolia, forcing the remaining residents to flee.Modern Iraq
The British occupied the city of Hillah on March 9, 1917 (15 Jumada al-Awwal, 1335 AH). Three years later, the famous 1920 Revolution erupted, in which prominent scholars and notables from Hillah played significant roles. After the 1920 Revolution, the literary sentiment evolved into a national political feeling against the British, leading to the establishment of various cultural and political associations. Hillah's writers and intellectuals engaged in manuscript writing, as there were no opportunities for publishing or creating periodicals at that time. The events of the 1920 Revolution began on June 30, 1920, during a peak of conflict regarding governance with British occupying forces, who had abandoned their promises to the Iraqi people. Hillah was not isolated from the political climate in Iraq that preceded the uprising; the atmosphere was marked by widespread public rejection of the secretive referendum on the nature of governance held on November 30, 1918. Hillah was among the few Iraqi cities to establish a branch of the Independence Guard Association shortly after its founding in Baghdad in late February 1919. It included prominent local figures in political activism, such as the poet Muhammad Mahdi al-Basir, who was appointed to lead the branch, along with Ra'uf al-Amin and Muhammad Baqir al-Hilli. A representative from Hillah attended a meeting in Baghdad with leaders of the movement on May 23, 1920, which served to prepare and gauge the sentiments of the Euphrates region regarding the impending revolution. The impact of these activities and the prevailing national sentiment among Hillah's residents became clear during a large national meeting held at the Great Mosque (in Hillah's market) just days before the revolution, on June 19, 1920, which was the second day of Eid al-Fitr. Sheikh Muhammad al-Shuhayb read a letter from religious authority Shirazi urging Iraqis to demand their legitimate rights peacefully. Following his reading, Ra'uf al-Amin and Sayyid Abdul Salam al-Hafiz addressed the crowd, delivering passionate speeches calling for Iraq's independence and proclaiming Prince Abdullah as its king. The British response to this public gathering was swift, resulting in the arrest of Ra'uf al-Amin, Sayyid Abdul Salam al-Hafiz, Sayyid Ahmad al-Salim al-Tawut, Baqir al-Ali al-Khafaji, Jabbar Ali al-Hassani, Ali al-Hammadi, and Khairi al-Hindawi. They were transported by train to Basra and subsequently exiled to Hengam Island in the Arabian Gulf, where they remained for five months; during this time, Sayyid Ahmad al-Salim al-Tawut passed away. In her memoirs, Miss Bell noted that the exiling of these individuals helped ease tensions in Hillah. It is noteworthy that prior to the outbreak of the 1920 Revolution, the British made Hillah a military center, reinforcing it with additional troops. Following a series of victories by the revolutionaries, most British forces stationed in the Euphrates region withdrew to Hillah, which became the last British stronghold in central Euphrates by August 1920. Sheikh Abdul Karim al-Mashita and several family members were arrested amid the events of the revolution, facing accusations of inciting rebellion and firing at a British aircraft. They were detained until the intervention of Hajj Abdul Razzaq al-Sharif, a local dignitary and mayor of Hillah, secured their release. It was said that they faced the death penalty were it not for this intervention. Following the revolutionaries' victory at the Battle of Raranjah on July 24, which exemplified bravery and sacrifice, they launched an assault on Hillah at the end of July. However, this effort was ultimately unsuccessful due to various factors, including British superiority in numbers, equipment, and fortifications, as well as the reluctance of some tribal leaders to support the revolutionaries. One of the revolution's leaders, Sayyid Muhammad Ali Kamal al-Din, expressed regret in his memoirs about the failure to achieve their goals, lamenting that the revolution's direction had shifted, and the Euphrates was almost entirely under the control of British forces, as they sought to quash the uprising and dominate the rural areas of Hillah and central Euphrates. The last communiqué issued by the British High Commissioner in Iraq on November 26, 1920, announced the end of hostilities with the Shami tribes. Following the conclusion of the Gulf War in 1991 and the withdrawal of the Iraqi army, the Popular Uprising erupted in the southern regions of Iraq, reaching the city of Hillah. The uprising began on March 3, when the insurgent forces managed to seize control of Hillah and expel members of the Ba'ath Party from the city. However, this control was short-lived, as the Republican Guard, supported by army units, launched a significant counter-offensive against Hillah. Utilizing air strikes and tank assaults, they ultimately regained full control of the city and quashed the rebellion.2003 US invasion
Geography
Geology and natural resources
A detailed scientific study at the University of Babylon proved that Babil province is rich with natural untapped oil, gas and minerals of economic and industrial rocks and sediments of rivers and groundwater that can be exploited to intensify studies, geophysical surveys and mining.Climate
Hillah has aHealth
Babil governorate has ten hospitals with 1,200 beds. At the beginning of 2005, the local health department announced some plans to build two hospitals with 50 beds each near Al-Khifil and Al-Shomaly. Major hospitals in Hillah, will also receive major renovations. Staff master plan is to raise the level of training of personnel in the field of nursing and re-construction of new health centers across the province. Hillah contains four major government hospitals and they are: Hillah General Teaching Hospital, Babylon Hospital for Women and Children, Merjan Teaching Hospital, and Al Noor Hospital for Children. Since 2008, Hillah has hosted an annual medical conference under the slogan "Babylon .. cultural capital of Iraq .. the future of medicine in scientific research". The conference offers a number of scientific presentations that address the medical health and education in the country and projects to support health and medical research in the future. There is also an exhibition of modern medical devices and electric vehicles for people with disabilities, in addition to medicines and treatments. The bast medical laboratory is called Al-Zahawi medical lab. and it is run by the well-known Dr. Anmar D. GhazalahCulture
Hillah has a rich cultural history and is widely mentioned in history books, literature, geography, and biographies. The single most famous medieval Shia theologian, Allamah Jamāl ad-Dīn al-Hasan al-Hilli was a native of Hillah. It was chosen as the cultural capital of Iraq in 2008 because of its large cultural gatherings and art galleries, as well as the many talents in all fields of culture and art, particularly poetry, writing, music and vocals. Many well known Iraqi writers have written about the city, including: Mr. Abdul-Razzaq al-Husseini, Abd al-Qadir al-Zahawi, Mohammad Mehdi Aljawahiri, Rusafi, Sahtia AlHasri, Dr. Fadel Aljamali, Thi Alnun Ayoub, Dr Ali Jawad Tahir, and Ahmad al-Safi al-Najafi. Many writers, poets, and artists have also come from Hillah, including: Dheyaa Hamio, Saifuddin Al-Hilly, Mohammed Mahdi Albasir, Ali Jawad Tahir, archaeologists Ahmed Sosa, Taha Baqir, and Ahmed Saeed. Other medieval scholars native to Hillah are Muhaqqiq al-Hilli and Ibn Tawus.Education
The Ottomans established modern schools, including the school Al-Rashidiya where material was taught in Turkish. The first elementary school in Hillah was Madrasat Al-Sharqia, which was founded in 1918 with one class and twenty students. It was located in the top floor of the Grand Mosque and the first director of it was Mr. Abdul Mahdi al-Hilali. Later the school moved to a building on the Shatt al-Hilla with four classes, but this school was not stable because the majority of students leave these schools to study at the seminary. The first secondary school in Hillah, established in 1927, was Al-Hillah Secondary School. Another school was Moderiat Alm'arif, founded in year 1931. University education in Hillah started with the founding of the Institute of Management in 1976 and the foundation of the Department of Technology and Management Branch Stores. In 1980 it was called the Technical Institute; today it is called the Technical Institute in Babylon and includes the following fields: scientific (civil and space and electrical and electronic devices, computers and mechanics, machinery and equipment), administrative (accounting, management, and computer systems), and medical (community health and nursing). In 1959 the Technical Institute established a project Musayyib that included these disciplines: technological (Irrigation and mechanics, machinery and equipment), administrative (accounting, warehouse management), and agricultural (plant production, soil and land reclamation, machinery and agricultural equipment, and production of life). Starting in 1991, the University of Babylon offers education in fine arts, law, engineering, science, education, medicine, management, economy, literature, agriculture, science for girls dentistry, veterinary medicine, and nursing. The university includes several scientific centers: Center for Studies Babylonian Center, documents and studies Hillah, electronic calculators, Teaching Methods Development Center, and Continuing Education Center. The province of Babylon contains five universities:Archaeological sites
Babylon ruins
Located just 5 km (3.1 mi) north of the city of Hillah, Babylon was a marveled city of the ancient world, especially under the rule of king Nebuchadnezzar (605–562 BC). It was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and its walls and hanging gardens were considered one of the seven wonders of the world.Kish ruins (Tell Uhaimir)
Alberes
Alberes is situated south of Hillah, approximately 24 km (14.9 mi) away. It has a tower found between Hillah and Al-Khifil. Its current name is a distortion of the name Old Babylonian "بورسيا" (which is now a newspaper) and its Sumerian meaning is "sword of the sea", because it was located on the Ghadeer edge along the banks of the Sea of Najaf.Notable people
* Najih al-Mamouri (born 1944), short story writer, novelist, and researcherSee also
* List of places in IraqReferences
External links