Hatra
Iraq · Asia
About
Hatra (; Arabic: الحَضْر (Arabic pronunciation: [al.ˈħadˤr]); Syriac: ܚܛܪܐ) was an ancient city in Upper Mesopotamia located in present-day eastern Nineveh Governorate in northern Iraq. The ruins of the city lie 290 km (180 mi) northwest of Baghdad and 110 km (68 mi) southwest of Mosul. It is considered the richest archaeological site from the Parthian Empire known to date.
Hatra was a strongly fortified caravan city and capital of the small Kingdom of Hatra, located between the Roman and Parthian/Sasanian Empires. Hatra flourished in the 2nd century, and was destroyed by the Sassanid Empire and deserted in the 3rd century alongside other Neo-Assyrian populated states such as Assur, Adiabene, Osroene and Beth Nuhadra. Its ruins were discovered in the 19th century.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.