BASSO RA, BUSSORA, or BASRAII, a t. of Asiatic Turkey, pashalic of Bagdad, is situ ated on the western bank of the Euphrates, here called the Shat-el-Arab, about midway between the mouth of the Tigris and the Persian gulf, from which it is 70 m. distant. Lat. 30' 30' n., long. 47° 34 e. There are many gardens within the walls of the city. and many plantations of roses around it, but it is very dirty. The river, which is navi gable up to B. for ships of 500 tons, is there divided into a number of channels, and by evaporation and frequent overflowing makes the climate very unhealthy. The inhabit ants, once 150,000, now only 5000 in number, arc for the most part poor Arabs and Per sians; the officials and military alone are Turks. Commerce is in the hands of Armeni ans. Most of the houses are low huts, built of unburned bricks. An extensive trade is carried on in the exchange of the productions of Turkey and Persia with those of India, and also in European goods, particularly articles of British manufacture. Amongst the
strong are stron and beautiful horses, and dates, which are grown in great abundance. Caravans travel to Persia, and also by Bagdad and Aleppo to Constantinople. It has steam communication with Bombay and Bagdad. To guard against the incursions of the Arabs, a wall of about 94 m. in length has been erected in the neighboring desert, at all the gates of which a watch is maintained. B. was founded in 636 by the caliph Omar, and soon became one of the most famous and opulent cities of the east. The possession of it has been the subject of many contests between the Turks and the Per sians. It is a place of great note in the history of Arabic literature.