According to a study, Jewish sites in Iraq include, over 250 synagogues, 48 Jewish schools, nine sanctuaries and five cemeteries. Most of them were abandoned and left in ruins between 1941 and 1951 when Jews were persecuted. These sites were well protected during the regime of Saddam Hussein. However, the situation deteriorated, after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Before the Jewish exodus, Iraq was home to one of the largest and oldest Jewish communities in the Middle East. Most of them lived in Baghdad, followed by Basra, Mosul, Kirkuk, Tikrit and other major cities. A significant community of Kurdish Jews also existed in Erbil. After Israel and Palestine, Iraq is home to next number of Jewish sites in the world, along with Syria. History of some of these sites dates back to more than thousand years. Baghdad. Baghdad had the highest concentration of the Iraqi Jewish population. Before the persecution, the city was home to 60 synagogues, schools, hospitals, and health clinics, which were owned by Jews. The number of functioning synagogues decreased as the Jewish population dwindled. By the 1970s, only few synagogues remained in Baghdad, which were in a good state. However, many were abandoned, as not enough Jews were to hold services in all those synagogues. Now only 100 Jews remained in Baghdad.