Khanaqin War Cemetery - Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Khanaqin, near the Iran-Iraq border, Iraq

Khanaqin War Cemetery

Take a Video Tour

Short video walkthroughs of the abandoned Khanaqin War Cemetery and its remaining memorial.

Khanaqin, on the Diyala River near the Persian (Iran) frontier, became a key wartime camp and transit hub in 1942 when the Polish Anders' Army arrived from the Soviet Union via Persia. The cemetery reflects this Polish presence, alongside British/Indian garrison burials and several graves connected to the Arab Legion during the 1941 Anglo-Iraqi War.

Quick Information

Location

Khanaqin, near the Iran-Iraq border

Commemorated

542 commemorated

WWI: 102 • WWII: 440

WW1 102 Indian burials. WW2 3 Arab Legion and 437 Polish Army

Status

Abandoned

Last Updated

25 October 2025

The casualties from Khanaqin War Cemetery are now commemorated on the Khanaqin Memorial at Baghdad North Gate Cemetery, where the CWGC erected a panel listing the names of those buried at this abandoned site.

Located about 160–180 km north-east of Baghdad, close to the Iranian border and the Persian Corridor lines of communication, Khanaqin War Cemetery expanded rapidly in 1942 when it hosted reception and transit camps for Polish forces and civilians evacuated from the USSR. The site features predominantly 1942–43 Polish military and civilian graves, with British/Indian forces interred across the same period, alongside occasional earlier graves associated with frontier policing and medical detachments.

Current Condition

Current condition (November 2025): The CWGC abandoned the site in 1965 and erected a memorial at Baghdad (North Gate). There is no boundary fence and no signage. The grave stones have been removed but the sub-bases and grave lines are clearly visible. The site, along with the former town next to it, was heavily damaged during the Iran-Iraq war. The memorial in the centre of the cemetery still stands, with a fence around it although it has a gap, and the inserts in the memorial are gone. The local museum holds some grave stone fragments in its collection, together with historical pictures of the camp. A relief of a Polish eagle made by soldiers stationed there can be seen on a rock face by the old camp, a few kilometres from the cemetery. No map of the cemetery is on the CWGC site.

Visual Documentation

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Video Photography

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Photographic Record

Photographs taken at Khanaqin War Cemetery in November 2025, recording the abandoned burial ground, the stripped central memorial and the Polish carvings at the old camp nearby.

The view from the hill above Khanaqin War Cemetery. The site lies in open desert a few miles from the town, with the fenced central memorial the only structure remaining.
The view from the hill above Khanaqin War Cemetery. The site lies in open desert a few miles from the town, with the fenced central memorial the only structure remaining.
The cemetery seen across open ground. There is no boundary fence and no signage of any kind, and vehicle tracks now run across the burial area.
The cemetery seen across open ground. There is no boundary fence and no signage of any kind, and vehicle tracks now run across the burial area.
Lines of grave sub-bases running across the site. The headstones were removed when the CWGC abandoned the cemetery in 1965, but the layout of the graves is still clearly readable on the ground.
Lines of grave sub-bases running across the site. The headstones were removed when the CWGC abandoned the cemetery in 1965, but the layout of the graves is still clearly readable on the ground.
Remains of the Second World War Polish graves, the concrete bases surviving in rows while the stones themselves are gone.
Remains of the Second World War Polish graves, the concrete bases surviving in rows while the stones themselves are gone.
The remaining central monument, its panels and inserts removed, enclosed by a metal fence which has a gap in it.
The remaining central monument, its panels and inserts removed, enclosed by a metal fence which has a gap in it.
The survey team at the central memorial during the November 2025 visit to Khanaqin.
The survey team at the central memorial during the November 2025 visit to Khanaqin.
Fragments of grave stones lying on the surface of the site. Further fragments are held in the collection of the local museum along with historical pictures of the camp.
Fragments of grave stones lying on the surface of the site. Further fragments are held in the collection of the local museum along with historical pictures of the camp.
The rock face by the old Polish camp, a few kilometres from the cemetery, carved by soldiers of the Anders' Army who passed through Khanaqin in 1942 and 1943.
The rock face by the old Polish camp, a few kilometres from the cemetery, carved by soldiers of the Anders' Army who passed through Khanaqin in 1942 and 1943.
Detail of the Polish inscriptions cut into the rock face near the camp site, weathered but still legible after more than eighty years.
Detail of the Polish inscriptions cut into the rock face near the camp site, weathered but still legible after more than eighty years.
Ruins near the cemetery. The site and the former town beside it were heavily damaged during the Iran-Iraq war.
Ruins near the cemetery. The site and the former town beside it were heavily damaged during the Iran-Iraq war.

Khanaqin Museum and Director Majid Shalyar preserving the remains of Khanaqin War Cemetery and the Polish Army

The Ethnographic Museum of the Khanaqin Cultural Centre holds the surviving fragments of grave stones from Khanaqin War Cemetery, together with historical photographs of the Polish camp. Director Majid Shalyar has gathered and displayed this material, and it is now the only physical record of the headstones removed from the cemetery.

The Ethnographic Museum of the Khanaqin Cultural Centre, where Director Majid Shalyar cares for the surviving material from Khanaqin War Cemetery and the Polish camp.
The Ethnographic Museum of the Khanaqin Cultural Centre, where Director Majid Shalyar cares for the surviving material from Khanaqin War Cemetery and the Polish camp.
A framed photograph in the museum showing the entrance to the Polish camp at Khanaqin, marked Oboz Polski, Polish Camp, 1942 to 1943.
A framed photograph in the museum showing the entrance to the Polish camp at Khanaqin, marked Oboz Polski, Polish Camp, 1942 to 1943.
Polish troops of Anders' Army on parade, one of the historical photographs of the camp held in the museum collection.
Polish troops of Anders' Army on parade, one of the historical photographs of the camp held in the museum collection.
Khanaqin at the close of the First World War, photographed in 1917 by William J. Crommett, displayed in the museum.
Khanaqin at the close of the First World War, photographed in 1917 by William J. Crommett, displayed in the museum.
Grave stone fragments from Khanaqin War Cemetery laid out in a display case at the museum, the only surviving pieces of the headstones removed from the site.
Grave stone fragments from Khanaqin War Cemetery laid out in a display case at the museum, the only surviving pieces of the headstones removed from the site.
A fragment carrying the Polish eagle, cut into the head of a Polish soldier's grave stone.
A fragment carrying the Polish eagle, cut into the head of a Polish soldier's grave stone.
A fragment bearing the initials J. L, the unit 5. Ba, and the date 1st April, part of a Polish soldier's headstone.
A fragment bearing the initials J. L, the unit 5. Ba, and the date 1st April, part of a Polish soldier's headstone.
A fragment reading FORCES, from the standard inscription used on the graves of the Polish forces buried at Khanaqin.
A fragment reading FORCES, from the standard inscription used on the graves of the Polish forces buried at Khanaqin.
Two fragments displayed together, one reading ORCES and the other carrying a surname ending in SLAK with the year 1942 and the age 31.
Two fragments displayed together, one reading ORCES and the other carrying a surname ending in SLAK with the year 1942 and the age 31.
A fragment with a Muhammadan inscription, evidence of the range of faiths represented among the burials at Khanaqin.
A fragment with a Muhammadan inscription, evidence of the range of faiths represented among the burials at Khanaqin.

Watch the films from this site

Each film recorded at this location has its own page with the full footage, background notes and links to the surrounding cemeteries.

Browse all cemetery films from the Iraq field survey

Related Articles & Content

The Polish Cemetery in Khanaqin: A Forgotten Memorial

Visit

This article recounts the story of the Polish cemetery in Khanaqin, Iraq, which dates back to World War II and contains around 438 Polish graves along with some Indian and Arab burials. It explains how Polish soldiers and civilians—many who died of disease—were laid to rest there during wartime in 1942, under British control of the region. The article laments the cemetery's deterioration and damage, attributing it to neglect, instability, and attacks by extremist groups since 2003. It notes that although efforts by Iraqi authorities and Polish archaeologists to restore the site have been made, they have so far failed to fully preserve or renovate the graves. Finally, it discusses the deeper integration of the Polish community in Khanaqin's social fabric and the urgency of protecting this historical memorial.

Source: KirkukNow

External Resources

Planning a visit: quick answers

Can you visit Commonwealth war cemeteries in Iraq?
Yes. Basra War Cemetery, the Basra Memorial to the Missing, Amara War Cemetery and Baghdad North Gate War Cemetery can all be visited, but access varies by site and usually needs advance arrangement, a local guide and, in some cases, permission from the authorities.
Do I need a visa or permits to visit?
Most visitors now travel on a visa on arrival or an e-visa, and some sites sit inside restricted or military-controlled areas where a separate permit or escort is required.
Are the cemeteries maintained?
Condition varies considerably. Some sites are cared for by local gardeners, while others remain damaged or overgrown, as documented in our field reporting.
Read the full guide to visiting Iraq's war cemeteries