Abbasid Samarra

Abbasid Samarra is an archaeological city in Iraq’s Saladin Governorate that served as the Abbasid capital in the 9th century after its foundation under Caliph al-Mu’tasim. The site preserves large-scale urban, religious and palace monuments from a period when Samarra was the imperial seat of the Abbasid caliphate.

Key surviving features include the Great Mosque and the spiral Malwiya Minaret, the remains of extensive palace complexes and the grid-like plan of private and administrative quarters covering several square kilometres. The Malwiya minaret rises to about 52 metres and the mosque complex was one of the largest of its time.

Samarra was founded in the 9th century and served as the capital roughly between 836 and the late 9th century; the archaeological remains illustrate Abbasid city planning and monumental architecture. The site is located on the east bank of the Tigris, roughly 125 kilometres north of Baghdad, and is recognised for its outstanding early Islamic urban ensemble.

• UNESCO listing: Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 for its archaeological remains of a planned Abbasid capital from the 9th century.
• Malwiya height: The site's most visible monument, the spiral Malwiya minaret, stands at roughly 52 metres in height and was part of the Great Mosque complex.

What to See #

• Great Mosque and Malwiya Minaret: The Great Mosque of Samarra and its distinctive spiral minaret are the site's best known structures; the minaret rises to about 52 metres and has a broad external spiral ramp.
• Abbasid palace complex: The mid-9th century palace and administrative quarter established by the Abbasid caliphs form part of the archaeological city and illustrate the planned urban layout of the period.