HILLAH, AL-

town, central Iraq. It lies on the Al-Hillah Stream, the eastern branch of the Euphrates River, and on a road and a rail line running northward to Baghdad. The town was founded in the 10th century as Al-Jamiayn ("Two Mosques") on the east bank of the Euphrates; in the 12th century a new town was founded opposite on the west bank and in 1102 was called Al-Hillah. The town was on the pilgrimage route between Baghdad and Kufa, then one of the most important cities in Iraq, venerated by Shi'ite Muslims as the site of the assassination of 'Ali, the fourth caliph. Al-Hillah is now a prosperous river port and grain market. In the 19th century Al-Hillah Stream's flow gradually decreased, restricting local agriculture, but the Hindiyah Barrage, built in 1913, diverted more water into the channel. Pop. (1985 est.) 215,249.