Hatra

Hatra
الحضر (Arabic)
al-Ḥaḍr
The ruins of Hatra in 2019
Location within Iraq Location within Near East Location within West and Central Asia
35°35′17″N 42°43′6″E
Type	Settlement, temple
Cultures	Arab, Mesopotamian, Assyrian, Parthian
Satellite of	Parthian Empire
Location	Hatra District, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq
Region	Mesopotamia
History
Built	3rd or 2nd century BC
Abandoned	241 AD
Event	Fall of Hatra
Site notes
Area	300 ha (740 acres)
Condition	Ruins
Public access	Accessible
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Hatra
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, iv, vi
Designated	1985 (9th session)
Reference no.	277
Region	Arab States

Hatra (/ˈhætrə/; 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 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. It is considered the richest archaeological site from the Parthian Empire known to date.