Which river flows through Baghdad, Iraq's capital city?

The river flowing through Baghdad, Iraq's capital city, is the Tigris.

The Tigris rises in the Taurus Mountains of eastern Turkey and travels southeast through Iraq. Baghdad was founded on the Tigris in the eighth century under the Abbasid caliphate, and the river became central to the city's trade, transport and water supply.

The Tigris runs roughly parallel to the Euphrates. The two rivers eventually join in southern Iraq to form the Shatt al-Arab waterway, which reaches the Persian Gulf. Their lower basin is commonly called Mesopotamia, a name meaning “between rivers” in ancient Greek.

A frequent mix-up places Baghdad on the Euphrates, but Baghdad is specifically on the Tigris. Other major Tigris-connected cities include Mosul and Tikrit. The river has supported irrigation and settlement for thousands of years, while modern dams and water management affect its flow.