Qatari lost heart back in Bagdad (4)
I believe the answer is:
iraq
'bagdad' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both locations as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's an association between them I don't understand?
'qatari lost heart back' is the wordplay.
'lost heart' means to remove the middle letters.
'back' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'qatari' with its middle taken out is 'qari'.
'qari' in reverse letter order is 'IRAQ'.
'in' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for iraq that I've seen before include "Country of Baghdad and Basra" , "Middle Eastern nation" , "Country containing ancient Mesopotamia" , "troubled state" , "Basra's country" .)