Ctesiphon

Ctesiphon was an ancient city on the Tigris near modern Baghdad and a principal capital of the Parthian and Sasanian empires. Its monumental palace complex included the great vaulted hall known as the Taq Kasra.

Seleucia: A Hellenistic city on the Tigris, founded by Seleucus I and later a major center of trade and administration. Ctesiphon grew across the river from Seleucia, near the political and commercial center it came to rival.
Taq Kasra: The surviving monumental brick iwan of the Sasanian palace complex at Ctesiphon. Its vast vaulted hall is the best-known architectural remnant of the city.
Battle of Ctesiphon (363): A battle in 363 CE in which Roman forces under Julian reached Ctesiphon but did not capture it. Julian's failed attempt to take the city exposed the limits of a deep Roman campaign.
Battle of al-Qadisiyyah: A battle in the 630s in which Arab Muslim forces defeated a Sasanian army during the conquest of Iraq. The defeat helped open the route to Ctesiphon and the Sasanian heartland.
Parthian Empire: An Iranian empire that ruled much of the Near East from the third century BCE to the third century CE. Ctesiphon became a principal royal center as Parthian power expanded westward.
Sasanian architecture: The architectural tradition of the Sasanian Empire, known for monumental brick construction, domes, and vaulted iwans. Ctesiphon's royal buildings exemplified Sasanian methods of monumental construction.
Capture of Ctesiphon (637): The conquest of Ctesiphon by Arab Muslim forces during the collapse of Sasanian rule. The city's fall marked the end of its place as the Sasanian capital.
Al-Mada'in: An Arabic name meaning “the cities,” used for the cluster of settlements that included Ctesiphon and nearby Seleucia. After the conquest, Ctesiphon was incorporated into a broader urban landscape known by this name.
Arsacid dynasty: The Iranian ruling dynasty that founded and governed the Parthian Empire. The Arsacid rulers made Ctesiphon a seat of royal authority.
Iwan: A vaulted rectangular hall, open on one side, used in Persian and Islamic architecture. The iwan form defines the monumental hall preserved at Ctesiphon.

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