Iraq · Basra Governorate · Basrah
Al Hārithah, Basrah — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Al Hārithah sits on the east bank of the Euphrates in the north-eastern part of Basrah Governorate, on the road linking Basra with Baghdad.
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Where to stay in Al Hārithah
Where visitors usually base themselves, and why.
Basra International Airport and the University of Basrah Campus both fall in the southern part of Al Hārithah, and that end is where a stay here makes practical sense. Flights and term-time business account for most of it. The main road through the town carries traffic between Basra and Baghdad, so a room on that axis buys an easy exit in either direction, though it also buys the noise that comes with a trunk route.
Central Basra remains the fuller option.
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Southern Al Hārithah
The airport and the University of Basrah Campus both sit at this end of Al Hārithah.Find hotels in Southern Al Hārithahdrivers moving between Basra and BaghdadThe Baghdad road
The main road through Al Hārithah is the link that carries traffic on towards Baghdad.Find hotels in The Baghdad roada fuller choice than the Euphrates bank at Al Hārithah offersCentral Basra
Basra city centre lies south of Al Hārithah and holds the bulk of the governorate's rooms.Find hotels in Central BasraHotel links are affiliate links: booking through them may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never affects how places are ranked. How this works
About Al Hārithah
What are the main landmarks in Al Hārithah?
Two institutions give the town its markers. Basra International Airport occupies the southern part, and the University of Basrah Campus stands near it, so the recognisable structures of Al Hārithah are an airport and a university campus rather than anything older. The Euphrates supplies the rest.
Its east bank runs the length of the town, and the main road to Baghdad crosses the ground behind, which is about as much relief as this stretch of Basrah Governorate provides.
What is the history of Al Hārithah?
Records give the name as Al Hartha, and the town's importance in Basrah Governorate has always run through its position rather than through any single foundation. The Euphrates bank set the line of settlement, and the road that links the centre of Basra with Baghdad passes through, which made Al Hārithah a place traffic had to cross rather than one it could skirt. Basra province lies south.
Later the southern edge took on Basra International Airport and the University of Basrah Campus, and those two changed what the town is for.
Where is Al Hārithah?
The east bank of the Euphrates carries Al Hārithah through the north-eastern part of Basrah Governorate, with Qurna closing it off to the north.
Common questions
What is the best area to stay in Al Hārithah?
Southern Al Hārithah: flights out of Basra International Airport. The Baghdad road: drivers moving between Basra and Baghdad. Central Basra: a fuller choice than the Euphrates bank at Al Hārithah offers.
Updated September 2026