Karbala (Arabic: كربلاء‎; Karbalā’; also referred to as Karbalā' al-Muqaddasah) is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Baghdad. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 572,300 people (2003).The city, best known as the location of the Battle of Karbala (680), is the holiest city for Shia Muslims before Mecca, Medina and the noble sanctuary in Jerusalem. It is home to the Imam Hussein Shrine.