Wasit, Iraq

For other uses, see Wasit (disambiguation).

Wasit (Arabic,واسط) is a place in Wasit Governorate, south east of Kut in eastern Iraq.

History

The city was built by al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf on the west bank of the Tigris across the river from the historical city of Kashkar.

During Ottoman times, it was the head city of the sanjak of Wasit.^{[citation needed]}

To quote UNESCO:

Wasit is an Islamic city built in the last quarter of the first Hijri century (the 7th century L.C) by Al-Hajaj bin Yousif AL-Thaqafi, as an administrative centre for Iraq. As an ancient city its circumference is 16 KM., It was. Abandoned in the tenth Hijri century after the change in the River (Tigris) bed. Its remains stood sound and sate due to its distant site away from constructive and agricultural influence. Most of its buildings are of bricks. Investigations took place there between 1936-1942, then in 1985. ItslargemosquewasClearedoutwith four stages from the seventh hijri, to the first hijri century with some parts of its emarate house which is next to the mosque at the qibli side. A building knewn as the minarate was cleared out, including a tomb and a school date back to the seventh hijri century, a residence district was also cleared out in the late thirties. Preservations tock place on some parts of the minaret due to walls been worn out, but no real maintenanance was carried out.

World Heritage Status

This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on September 7, 2000 in the Cultural category.