Hatra
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What is Hatra?
Hatra, situated in present-day northern Iraq, was a religious and trading hub within the Parthian empire, flourishing in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. This well-preserved ruined city, located 180 miles northwest of Baghdad and 68 miles southwest of Mosul, likely originated in the 3rd or 2nd century BCE under the Seleucid kingdom.
Hatra rose to prominence as the capital of Araba, prospering due to its location on caravan trade routes and becoming an important religious center known as Beit Elah ("House of God"). The city withstood invasions, including Roman sieges, but was ultimately destroyed around 240 CE by Shāpūr I of the Sasanian dynasty. Today, Hatra stands as the best-preserved example of a Parthian city. In 1985, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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Where is Hatra located?
Hatra was a religious and trading center, located in the Al-Jazīrah region of present-day northern Iraq, about 180 miles northwest of Baghdad and 68 miles southwest of Mosul. Founded possibly in the 3rd or 2nd century BCE, under the Seleucid kingdom, Hatra rose to prominence as the capital of Araba, a small semiautonomous state under Parthian influence. Because of its strategic position along caravan trade routes, the town prospered and became an important religious center. The city is the best-preserved and most-informative example of a Parthian city. In 1985, Hatra was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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When was Hatra built?
Hatra was likely established during the 3rd or 2nd century BCE, under the Seleucid kingdom. It grew to prominence as Araba's capital, a small, semi-independent state under Parthian influence. Because of its location on caravan trade routes, the city flourished to become a religious center. Hatra was ruled in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE by a dynasty of Arabian princes whose written language was Aramaic, and it became known as Beit 'Elahā ("House of God"), a reference to the city’s numerous temples.
Hatra is the best-preserved example of a Parthian city. It is encircled by inner and outer walls and supported by more than 160 towers. In 1985, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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Why is Hatra considered important in history?
Hatra is historically significant as a well-preserved religious and trading center of the Parthian Empire, flourishing in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. Its strategic location along caravan routes boosted its economy and religious importance. Known as Beit Elahā ("House of God"), Hatra housed temples honoring various gods, including Mesopotamian, Greek, Aramean, and Arabian deities. The city's circular military design helped it resist invasions, including Roman sieges. Today, Hatra is the best-preserved example of a Parthian city.
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What were some unique features of Hatra’s architecture?
Hatra, encircled by inner and outer walls supported by over 160 towers, followed a circular military plan. The city's architecture included iwans, or three-sided halls with an open archway, a feature that would later become characteristic of Islamic architecture. The facades were decorated with engaged columns. The temples, including the Great Temple with its vaults and columns, were located in a temenos (temple enclosure) in the city center. The Shamash temple, had a square central chamber, ambulatory, and outer wall with a staircase to the roof. Numerous sculptures and statues have also been discovered in the city.
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What happened to Hatra over time and why is it now a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Hatra, located in present-day northern Iraq, was founded in the 3rd or 2nd century BCE. It flourished as a religious and trading center within the Parthian empire during the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. The city withstood invasions until it was destroyed in 241 CE.
Hatra is the best-preserved example of a Parthian city, featuring inner and outer walls and a temple enclosure. In 1985, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site because it is the most informative example of a Parthian city. Although a major restoration project was supported by the Iraqi government in the 1990s, the site was looted of a number of important artifacts during that time. In April 2015, videos emerged that showed members of the extremist group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant smashing statues and decorations around the site.
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Hatra, ruined city located in the Al-Jazīrah region of present-day northern Iraq, 180 miles (290 km) northwest of Baghdad and 68 miles (110 km) southwest of Mosul. A religious and trading centre of the Parthian empire, it flourished during the 1st and 2nd centuries bce. The city survived several invasions before being razed in 241 ce. It is an important archaeological site with well-preserved ruins.
Hatra was probably founded in the 3rd or 2nd century bce, under the Seleucid kingdom. It rose to prominence as the capital of Araba, a small semiautonomous state under Parthian influence. Because of its strategic position along caravan trade routes, the town prospered and became an important religious centre. In the 1st and 2nd centuries ce Hatra was ruled by a dynasty of Arabian princes whose written language was Aramaic, and it became known as Beit ʾElāhāʾ (“House of God”), a reference to the city’s numerous temples. Among the gods honoured were the Sumero-Akkadian god Nergal, Hermes (Greek), Atargatis (Aramean), and al-Lāt and Shāmiyyah (Arabian), along with Shamash, the Mesopotamian sun god.
Built in a circular plan of military tradition, Hatra was able to turn back many attacks, including sieges by Roman forces in 116/117 (led by the emperor Trajan) and 198/199 (under the emperor Septimius Severus). About 240 ce, however, the city fell to Shāpūr I (reigned c. 240–272), ruler of the Persian Sāsānian dynasty, and was destroyed. According to legend, al-Naḍīrah, the daughter of the king of Hatra, betrayed the city and permitted Shāpūr to conquer it, slay the king, and later marry her. Tradition also holds that Shāpūr soon killed his bride.
German archaeologists systematically studied the site between 1907 and 1911, and important Iraqi investigations were undertaken from the mid-20th century. Hatra is the best-preserved and most-informative example of a Parthian city. It is encircled by inner and outer walls nearly 4 miles (6.4 km) in circumference and supported by more than 160 towers. A temenos (temple enclosure) surrounds the principal sacred buildings in the city’s centre. The temples cover some 3 acres (1.2 hectares) and are dominated by the Great Temple, an enormous structure with vaults and columns that once rose to 100 feet (30 metres). Numerous sculptures and statues have also been discovered in the city. In 1985 Hatra was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Although a major restoration project was supported by the Iraqi government in the 1990s, the site was looted of a number of important artifacts during that time. Likewise, though it suffered no damage during the Iraq War (2003–11), a number of artifacts that had been excavated there came up missing when the National Museum of Iraq was plundered in the chaos that followed the start of the conflict.
In April 2015 videos emerged that showed members of the extremist group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant smashing statues and decorations around the site. It was also reported that parts of the site had been bulldozed.