Muhammad Ali Sadiq Mohsen
Under the supervision of Asst. Lect. Ali Khalil Ibrahim Shamto

Islands and Gardens in Basra

Sindbad Island: Located in Shatt al-Arab opposite the civil airport in Al-Maqal at a distance of (8) km from the center of Basra Governorate (Al-Ashar and Old Basra area) and at a distance of about (7) km from the Shatt al-Arab Canal and to the south of Al-Muhammadiyah Island at a distance of (400) m. It can be reached by boats as it has two marinas. It can also be reached by an old wooden bridge called Sinbad Bridge, which was built in World War II and connects the island to the port of Al-Maqal and the airport grounds on the western bank of the Shatt al-Arab. Its other end connects it to the eastern bank of the Shatt al-Arab. Another modern bridge is Khalid bin Al-Walid Bridge, which connects the island to Al-Maqal on one side and to the Touma area on the other. It is a movable bridge that allows ships and steamers to pass. The island contains a number of tourist facilities, including a cinema, apartments for newlyweds, a small club, multi-purpose halls, game halls, restaurants, swimming pools, as well as parks and gardens. The island was used as a military site in the nineties until now, which resulted in the damage of many of its facilities as a result of inconsistent use, but it can be rehabilitated and reopened. Public parks: They represent an important aspect of tourism and entertainment activities. The governorate lacks the spaces allocated to each individual in parks when compared with their counterparts in developed countries (34). Most of the parks and gardens are concentrated in the northern part of Basra city and in its south due to the fertile, well-drained soil and its location above the Shatt al-Arab and the Al-Khora and Al-Sarji rivers and the density of palm trees and the possibility of expanding agriculture in addition to the low price of land at the outskirts of the city. Among the most prominent parks are the north of the city in the Al-Maqal area, which includes the Andalusian Gardens, and it has an amusement park that was established in 1971 by the General Authority for Ports and Port Gardens in addition to Sinbad Island. As for the other concentration, For gardens, it is located in the south of the city, in the Al-Khor and Al-Sari parks, which constitute a tourist and recreational attraction for residents and visitors, and from which river boat trips with their own character depart (35), in addition to the Corniche area, along which gardens, small restaurants, kiosks, and other things are spread. There are other activities that attract tourists, such as the presence of crossings used to transport citizens and vehicles between the two banks of the Shatt al-Arab between al-Ashar and al-Tanuma, which can be developed and transformed into attractive tourist facilities, as well as the old confluence of the Tigris and Al-Fart rivers in the Qurna area, which is (74) km north of Basra, where the General Corporation for Summer Resorts and Tourism has established a modern rest house, and it can also be reached via the Al-Hammar Marsh, through which fishing and bird hunting trips can be undertaken, especially in the winter, and enjoying the natural scenery.