Karbala (; BGN: KarbalÄ’; also spelled Kerbala, Kerbela, Karbila) is a city in Iraq, located about 100 km southwest of Baghdad at 32.61°N, 44.08°E. In the time of Hussayn ibn ˤAlÄ«'s life, the place was also known as al-Ghadiriya, Nainawa, and Shathi'ul-Furat. The estimated population in 2003 was 572,300 people.