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Samarra

Samarra · سامراء

City overview

Samarra stands on the Tigris north of Baghdad in Salah al-Din Governorate. Modern urban areas, Abbasid archaeology and religious complexes form its setting. The World Heritage archaeological property is not the whole modern administrative city. Living space, archaeological remains and surrounding natural sites should be differentiated rather than reducing Samarra to one minaret.

Mahdi Almasi · 2017-12-27 · CC BY 4.0 ↗

Great Mosque and Malwiya, Samarra

1 / 1 · Great Mosque and Malwiya, Samarra

Mahdi Almasi · 2017-12-27 · Read original · CC BY 4.0

Display crop only; original file unchanged

City facts

Population

203,089people

2024-11-25 census · City / urban centre

2024 census urban scope; CityPopulation compilation of Iraqi statistics, not governorate population.

Sources & licences · 1

Area

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No city release with verified boundary and year found; provincial or national values are not substituted.

GDP · current US dollars

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No city release with verified boundary and year found; provincial or national values are not substituted.

GDP per capita · current US dollars

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No city release with verified boundary and year found; provincial or national values are not substituted.

The Tigris and the modern city

Samarra stands on the Tigris north of Baghdad in Salah al-Din Governorate. Modern urban areas, Abbasid archaeology and religious complexes form its setting. The World Heritage archaeological property is not the whole modern administrative city. Living space, archaeological remains and surrounding natural sites should be differentiated rather than reducing Samarra to one minaret.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Samarra

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:41:16.058236+00:00
Content revision
1376762986 2026-09-26T02:46:11Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

UNESCO World Heritage Centre · Samarra Archaeological City

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:40:58.900435+00:00
Content revision
—
Licence
Unverified

Planning an Abbasid capital

Al-Muʿtasim established the new Abbasid capital in 836. Palaces, garrison settlements, mosques and roads formed an extensive planned city. UNESCO inscribed the archaeological property in 2007. Its significance includes relationships among buildings, not only individual monuments. Visible walls, terrain and archaeological plans should be read together rather than inventing vanished structures from photographs.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Samarra

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:41:16.058236+00:00
Content revision
1376762986 2026-09-26T02:46:11Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

UNESCO World Heritage Centre · Samarra Archaeological City

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:40:58.900435+00:00
Content revision
—
Licence
Unverified

Malwiya and Abu Dulaf

The Great Mosque and Malwiya demonstrate Abbasid monumental religious space; Abu Dulaf offers a related but distinct case. Their spiral minarets are not the same tower, and images need precise subjects. Palace remains have different functions and layouts. Materials, courtyards, arcades and axes can be compared while preserving each building’s chronology and conservation record.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Samarra

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:41:16.058236+00:00
Content revision
1376762986 2026-09-26T02:46:11Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

UNESCO World Heritage Centre · Samarra Archaeological City

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:40:58.900435+00:00
Content revision
—
Licence
Unverified

Al-Askari and religious life

Shia tradition associates Al-Askari with the imams Ali al-Hadi and Hasan al-Askari. It differs from the Great Mosque in site, building type and history. Damage and restoration events have their own chronology rather than the date of the archaeological city. Residents, pilgrims and institutions use these spaces, and religious associations require explicit attribution.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Samarra

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:41:16.058236+00:00
Content revision
1376762986 2026-09-26T02:46:11Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

UNESCO World Heritage Centre · Samarra Archaeological City

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:40:58.900435+00:00
Content revision
—
Licence
Unverified

Conservation and reading routes

Study the archaeological city, mosques and minarets, palaces, shrine and surrounding water landscapes as separate groups. Heritage designation explains importance and conservation needs, not automatic access to every site. Lake Tharthar belongs to the surrounding region rather than the riverbank centre. Photographs identify subjects and dates; imaginative reconstructions do not replace real remains.

Sources & licences · 3

Wikipedia contributors · Samarra

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:41:16.058236+00:00
Content revision
1376762986 2026-09-26T02:46:11Z
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Author history

UNESCO World Heritage Centre · Samarra Archaeological City

Coverage
Cited background only; see dated evidence capture. Current statistics are separate fact records.
Source publication date
—
Source read date
2026-10-13
Last content verification
2026-10-13T00:40:58.900435+00:00
Content revision
—
Licence
Unverified

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