Early history The city was named al-Zubayr because one of the
Sahaba (companions) of Muhammad,
Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, was buried there.
21st century By 2008, the city of Zubayr had a population of around 240,000 people and had grown to merge into the
Basra metropolitan area with nearly 3 million inhabitants in total. As in Basra, the municipality of Zubayr currently has a
Shia majority and is barely distinguishable from Basra itself. But, contrary to Basra, Zubair is still home to a large
Sunni minority and they are still living peacefully and in coexistence with the majority
Shia Muslim population. ==Climate==