Karbala --is a city in south-central Iraq, southwest of Baghdad. It is one of the holiest cities in Shi'a Islam, after Mecca, Medina, and Najaf.

Karbala is important because it is the site of the Shrine of Imam Husayn (also spelled Imam Hussayn or Imam Hussain), the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and a much-revered Shi'a martyr. It is also home to the Shrine of Abbas, Husayn's loyal half-brother.