Ctesiphon

Also known as Al-Mada'in, Mahoze, Mahuza

Ctesiphon ( ; , Tyspwn or Tysfwn; ; , ; ) 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.

AI overview

Ctesiphon was an ancient city located on the Tigris River in what is now Iraq, about 22 miles southeast of Baghdad, that served as a royal capital for Iranian empires for over 800 years during the Parthian and Sasanian periods. It matters historically because it functioned as the administrative center of the powerful Sasanian Empire from 226 until its conquest by Arab forces in the 630s-650s AD.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Ancient site.name: Ctesiphon
Ancient site.native_name: ()
Ancient site.image: Ctesiphon map-en_reformat.svg
Ancient site.caption: Map of the metropolis of Ctesiphon in the Sasanian era
Ancient site.map_type: Iraq
Ancient site.location: Salman Pak, Baghdad Governorate, Iraq
Ancient site.region: Mesopotamia
Ancient site.type: Settlement
Ancient site.relief: yes
Ancient site.excavations: 1928–1929, 1931–1932, 1960s–1970s
Ancient site.archaeologists: Oscar Reuther, Antonio Invernizzi, Giorgio Gullini
Ancient site.condition: Ruined

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Population: 500000
Area: 30
Image: Ctesiphon.jpg

Show 3 more facts

Commons category: Ctesiphon
inception: 0120-00-00
dissolved, abolished or demolished date: 0637-03-00

Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~14 min read

Article

15 sections

Contents

Names
Location
History
Parthian period
Sasanian period
Downfall of the Sasanians and the Islamic conquests
Modern era
Population and religion
Archaeology
Gallery
See also
References
Bibliography
Further reading
External links

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" (, ). In the late 6th and early 7th century, it was listed as the largest city in the world by some accounts.