Irak-Arabi (Arabian Irak), the most south-easterly district of Turkey in Asia, almost conterminous with ancient Babylonia (q.v.), lies between the lower courses of the Tigris and the Euphrates, and includes the lands adjacent thereto. The region comprises the ruins of the ancient cities of Babylon, Seleucia, and Ctesiphon, and the modern towns of Bagdad, Basra, and Meshed Ali. The population is estimated to number nearly 2,000,000, chiefly nomads. Since 1867 cholera has been almost constantly prevalent.
Irak-Arabi
Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 6: Humber to Malta, p. 197
Source scan(s): p. 0208