Geo Quiz

Mideastern Metropolis

In the Geo Quiz, we’re searching for the home of the Arabian Nights this time. This Arab city was once the capital of the Muslim world. It was here that the stories of 1001 Nights were collected. They include the yarns of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, Sinbad the Sailor, and Aladdin and his lamp.

The characters in many of these stories were able to change their appearance. And it seems folks in the modern-day city are doing the same. Or at least they’re having a plastic surgeon do a little nip and tuck.

So which ancient Arab city is enjoying a surge in cosmetic surgery?

… and that city is the capital of Iraq : Baghdad.

During the past seven years of conflict in Iraq, thousands of people were wounded and needed reconstructive surgery. Now, the violence has dropped. And there’s an rise in demand for more cosmetic transformations. The BBC’s Jim Muir introduces us to one of Baghdad’s busy plastic surgeons. (Audio available after 5PM Eastern)