Ctesiphon
Iraq · Asia
About Ctesiphon
Ctesiphon was an ancient city in modern Iraq, on the eastern bank of the Tigris, about 35 kilometres (22 mi) southeast of Baghdad. Ctesiphon served as a royal capital of the Iranian empires for over eight hundred years, in the Parthian and Sasanian periods. Ctesiphon was the administrative capital of the Sasanian Empire from 226 to 637 (when it was conquered by the Arabs), or until the conclusion of the Muslim conquest of Persia in 651 AD.
Ctesiphon developed into a rich commercial metropolis, merging with the surrounding cities along both shores of the river, including the Hellenistic city of Seleucia. Ctesiphon and its environs were therefore sometimes referred to as "The Cities" (Mahuza, Arabic: المدائن, romanized: al-Mada'in). In the late 6th and early 7th century, it was listed as the largest city in the world by some accounts.
During the Roman–Parthian Wars, Ctesiphon fell three times to the Romans, and later fell once during Sasanian rule. It was also the site of the Battle of Ctesiphon in 363 AD. After the Muslim invasion and conquest, the city fell into decline and was depopulated by the end of the 8th century, its place as a political and economic center being taken by Baghdad, the Abbasid capital. The most conspicuous structure remaining today is the Taq Kasra, sometimes called the Arch of Ctesiphon.
Ctesiphon travel guide
Understand
Ctesiphon was the capital of the Sasanian Empire from 226 AD to its capture by the Arabs in 637 AD. The city has now largely disappeared. The palace of Taq Kasra is the only structure remaining above ground. The palace is considered an architectural landmark with its arched iwan hall, open on the facade side, about 37 meters high 26 meters across and 50 meters long. This made it the largest man-made, free standing vault constructed until modern times. The throne room—presumably under or behind the arch—was more than 30 m (110 ft) high and covered an area 24 m (80 ft) wide by 48 m (160 ft) long. It is unclear exactly when Taq Kasra was built, some historians believe the founder is Shapour I who ruled Persia from 242 to 272 AD while other believe that construction began during the reign of Anushiruwan the Just after a campaign against the Byzantines in 540 AD. A number of artifacts belonging to Ctesiphon can be seen at the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin.
Getting there
By car There are roads connecting nearby Baghdad to Salman Pak.
See
1 Arch of Ctesiphon (Tāq Kasrā). Only visible remaining structure of the ancient city of Ctesiphon. It is the world's second largest single-span unreinforced brick vault/arch, dated to the 3rd-6th Centuries AD. (updated Nov 2021) 2 Salman Al-Farsi Mosque. Contains the burial place of Salman the Persian, an early companion of Islamic prophet Muhammad. (updated Nov 2018)
Do
Salman Pak Sweets Factory Hussein Alchukrgi
Sleep
There are no hotels in Ctesiphon or Salman Pak. Baghdad is nearby, however, and it's home to several hotels.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.