City of conflict

Basra, Iraq's second biggest city and principal port, is no stranger to armed conflict.

Its location, near the Gulf, and its prosperity have often made it a target. The city has also had experience of British occupation.

Basra was founded in the seventh century by the caliph Umar I to serve as a military base for his armies.

It became a wealthy cultural centre and a jumping off point for Arab trading ships heading for the far east. But war was never far away.

The Persians and Turks fought over Basra and in the 14th century the Mongols destroyed much of the city.

During the first world war the British decided to take Basra to protect the area's oilfields from the Germans and Turks.

"I do not care under what system we keep the oil," Arthur James Balfour, first lord of the Admiralty and later foreign secretary said, "but I am quite clear it is all-important."

The British force easily secured the poorly defended Faw peninsula - as the coalition has done this time - and then marched on Basra, which was defended by around 4,500 Turkish troops.

Difficult conditions, including driving rain and heat mirages, initially hampered them, but after being bombarded by artillery, the Turkish force withdrew. The British suffered around 500 casualties, the Turks more than 1,000.

Following the success at Basra ,the British decided to march on Baghdad in what the press dubbed the "Mesopotamian picnic". In fact, the forces were forced to retreat.

The British remained in Basra until 1930, during which period the map of the region was redrawn to form the country now known as Iraq. After the first world war the construction of a railway line to Baghdad and the building of a modern harbour restored the city's importance.

In the second half of the 20th century many oil refineries were built in the area. Petroleum products, grains, wool and dates became the principal exports.

Basra was hit hard by Iranian forces in the 1980s. The city was also bombed during the 1991 Gulf war.

Today Basra consists of three areas: Ashar, the old commercial centre; Margil, which includes the port and modern residential areas; and Basra proper, the old residential area.

It had been hoped that the latter's picturesque streets might have been the backdrop for images of the area's predominately Shia people welcoming coalition troops.