Al-Mada'in

Coordinates: 33°06′N 44°35′E / 33.1°N 44.583°E / 33.1; 44.583

Al-Mada'in

Location of Al-Mada'in, Iraq

Great arch of Taq-i Kisra, 1921

Al-Mada'in, meaning "The cities", (Arabic المدائن, Aramaic Maḥuza or Madayn; Hebrew: מחוזא) is the name given to an ancient metropolis formed by Ctesiphon and Seleucia (also referred to as Seleucia-Ctesiphonon) on opposite sides of the Tigris River in present-day Iraq. It was one of the cites of an early Babylonian Talmudic yeshiva, founded by Rava, as well as the original seat of the Exilarch. During the beginning of 6th century Mar-Zutra II formed a politically independent state where he ruled from Mahuza for about 7 years.

The site has received considerable interest from Archeologists since the 18th century; the most famous landmark there is the Taq-i Kisra. Madain was the capital of the Persian Empire under the Sassanid Dynasty. When the Persian empire was defeated by the Moslem Forces. The city was destroyed. The arabs did however build a new city about 20 miles to the north as the capital for the new Islamic empire, they called that city Baghdad.

Excavation sites and ancient suburbs include:

• Seleucia
• Ctesiphon (previously thought to have been Opis, whose exact location is not confirmed)
• Coche (Also Choche)
• Asbanbar (Also written Isbanir, Asbanabr, Aspanbar, Asfanur)
• Veh Ardashir (Also Bahurasir)
• Vologesocerta (Balashkert), founded by Vologases I of Parthia
• al-Ma’aridh
• Tell al-Dhaba’I
• Tell Dhahab
• Umm an Sa’atir

The site partially overlaps with the modern town of Salman Pak.

See also

• Nehardea
• Pumbedita
• Sura (city)
• Talmudic Academies in Babylonia
• Pumbedita Academy
• Mahuza
• Nehardea
• Firuz Shapur
• Sura Academy
• Fallujah
• Talmudic Academies in the Land of Israel

External links

• Ctesiphon site description
• The Shahr (province) of Asuristan (extract from the Encyclopedia of Iran)