Karbala or Kerbala is a city in central Iraq, located about 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorate, and has an estimated population of 711,530 people (2018).The city, best known as the location of the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, or for the shrines of Hussain and Al Abbas, is considered a holy city for Shia Muslims. Tens of millions of Shi'ite Muslims visit the site twice a year.