Editing Culture of Iraq (section)

==Cuisine==
{{Main|Mesopotamian cuisine}}[[File:Maskooouf.jpg|thumb|''[[Masgouf|Masghouf]]'' fish, one of Iraq's national dishes, a [[Mesopotamia]]n cuisine dating back to ancient times, typically fish caught from the rivers of [[Euphrates]] and [[Tigris]], and grilled near the river bed|308x308px]][[File:Pergamonmuseum Ishtartor 05.jpg|thumb|The [[Lion of Babylon]] of The [[Ishtar Gate]] has remained a prominent symbol of Iraqi culture throughout history.|266x266px]]'''[[Iraqi cuisine]]''' or '''Mesopotamian cuisine''' has a long history going back some 10,000 years – to the [[Sumer]]ians, [[Babylonia]]ns, [[Assyrian people|Assyrians]],

and [[Persian Empire|Ancient Persians]].<ref name="Salloum">http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/3592 Foods of Iraq: Enshrined With A Long History. Habeeb Salloum.</ref> [[Clay tablet|Tablets]] found in ancient ruins in Iraq show recipes prepared in the temples during religious festivals - the first cookbooks in the world.<ref name="Salloum" /> [[Ancient Iraq]], or ''[[Mesopotamia]] was'' home to a sophisticated and highly advanced civilization, in all fields of knowledge - including the culinary arts.<ref name="Salloum" />

However, it was in the [[Islamic Golden Age]] when [[Baghdad]] was the capital of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] that the Iraqi kitchen reached its zenith.<ref name="Salloum" /> Today, the cuisine of Iraq reflects this rich inheritance, as well as strong influences from the culinary traditions of neighbouring [[Iran|Persia]], [[Turkey]], and the [[Syria region]].<ref name="Salloum" /> Some popular dishes include ''[[Kebab]]'' (often marinated with garlic, lemon, and spices, then grilled), ''[[Shawarma|Gauss]]'' (grilled meat sandwich wrap, similar to ''[[Döner kebab]]''), ''[[Bamia|Bamieh]]'' (lamb, okra, and tomato stew), ''[[Quzi]]'' (lamb with rice, almonds, raisins, and spices),  and salad in ''[[pita]]'', ''[[Kibbeh|Kubbah]]'' (minced meat ground with [[Bulgur|bulghur wheat]], or rice and spices), ''[[Masgouf|Masgûf]]'' (grilled fish with pepper and tamarind), and ''[[Maqluba]]'' (a rice, lamb, tomato, and aubergine dish). Stuffed vegetable dishes such as ''[[Dolma]]'' and ''[[Stuffed peppers|Mahshi]]'' are also popular.<ref name="ABC">{{cite book|last=Albala|first=Ken|title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia|year=2011|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|isbn=9780313376276|pages=251–252}}</ref> [[Kabsa|Machbous]] is also a popular dish in the south and south east of Iraq.

Contemporary [[Iraq]] reflects the same natural division as ancient [[Mesopotamia]],<ref name="OCF">{{cite book|last1=Davidson|first1=Alan|last2=Jaine|first2=Tom|title=[[Oxford Companion to Food|The Oxford Companion to Food]]|year=2006|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-19-280681-9|page=405}}</ref> which consisted of [[Assyria]] in the arid northern uplands and [[Babylonia]] in the southern alluvial plain.<ref name="OCF" /> ''[[Al-Jazira, Mesopotamia|Al-Jazira]]'' (the ancient Assyria) grows [[wheat]] and crops requiring winter chill such as [[apples]] and stone fruits.<ref name="OCF" /> ''[[Babylonia|Al-Irāq]]'' (Iraq proper, the ancient Babylonia) grows [[rice]] and [[barley]], [[Citrus|citrus fruits]], and is responsible for Iraq's position as the world's largest producer of [[Phoenix dactylifera|dates]].<ref name="OCF" />

''Kitab al-tabikh'' is the oldest surviving Arabic cookbook, written by al-Warraq in the 10th century. It is compiled from the recipes of the 8th and 9th century courts of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] in Baghdad. Some scholars speculate that al-Warraq may have prepared the manuscript on behalf of a patron, the [[Hamdanid dynasty|Hamdanid]] prince [[Sayf al-Dawla]], who sought to improve the cultural prestige of his own court in Aleppo as the court in Baghdad had started to decline.