Basra was founded in 636 BC and gradually became a cultural and trade center. Paper mills were established using reeds and date palm leaves from the swamps of the lower Tigris and Euphrates rivers as raw materials. The suburbs are important producing areas of Iraqi dates. Agricultural products include dates, corn and rice. With convenient transportation, it is the terminal station of Baghdad Railway and an important international airport. There is an artificial channel leading directly to the Persian Gulf, which can berth 10 ocean-going ships. The city consists of three parts: Ashar, Basra and Ma'ajil. Ashar District is where the local government and consulates of various countries are located, as well as the city's financial and commercial center; Basra District is where schools, hospitals and residences are concentrated; Ma'agil District is the transportation center and external window, equipped with modern airports, seaports and TRAIN STATION.
In 635, the Arab army conquered Iraq. In 636, the second caliph Umar (reigned from 634 to 644) built it as a military camp and later developed into a town.
In the 8th to 9th centuries, it became the trade, religious, academic and cultural center of the Abbasid Dynasty.
The religious and philosophical group "Jingcheng Brothers" was also founded in the city in the 10th century. Basra was once one of the centers for the academic and cultural gathering and exchange of various Islamic sects and schools, occupying an important position in the history of Islamic culture. There are many mosques in the city, including the famous Basra Mosque.
The New City of Basra consists of Basra, Ashar and Majil. It is now an industrial, financial and foreign trade center.
Basra is recorded in the ancient Chinese books "Taiping Huanyu Ji" and "Seyi Journey".