Iraq

Hatra

WHS Score 3.4 Votes 14 Average 3.93

Hatra comprises the ruins of a fortified city that symbolizes Parthian power, which for a long time threatened that of Rome.

The fortifications consist of a circular double wall, the best-preserved example of a design typical for the region. Hatra in the 1st and 2nd century AD was a major trade center with a population of mixed descent, resulting in the veneration of Greek, Syrian, Babylonian and Phoenician gods in its main sanctuary. This can still be seen in the inscriptions and statues of its temples.

Community Perspective: Hatra suffered damage from ISIS, but has undergone emergency restorations and has reopened to visitors. Thomas managed to enter in 2021 and found hardly any statues left, but the structures were mostly intact. Clyde and Els went in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and found that the site had been patched up, including reinstating damaged sculptural figures and reliefs.

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Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Hatra (ID: 277)
Country
Iraq
Status
Inscribed 1985 Site history
History of Hatra
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • ii
  • iii
  • iv
  • vi
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
News Article
  • Sept. 12, 2022 aljazeera.com — Five years after ISIL defeat, Iraq ancient ruins open to tourists
  • Feb. 28, 2022 thearabweekly.com — Iraq unveils restoration work at ancient city of Hatra
  • April 27, 2017 dw.com — Iraqi forces retake damaged Hatra heritage site from IS
  • March 7, 2015 bbc.com — IS militants have begun destroying the ruins of the ancient city of Hatra
  • June 26, 2014 telegraph.co.uk — Hatra temple falls into Isis jihadist hands

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Insular
  • Archaeological site: Near Eastern
Travel Information
No travel information
Recent Connections
View all (19) .
Connections of Hatra
Individual People
Geography
  • Under control of ISIS
    Actions by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which occupied the area in mid-2014, have been a major threat to Hatra. (wiki) - On the 26th of April 2017, the ruins were eventually reclaimed by Iraqi soldiers
  • Tigris - Euphrates Basin
    – situated beween the Tigris and the Euphrates on the course of the intermittently flowing Wadi al-Tharthar which originates in the Sinjar mountains. Some sources state that since this river disappears into an internal drainage basin with its water accumulating in the Tharthar Lake (or Depression) it is not strictly a part of the wider Tigris-Euphrates basin
History
  • Parthian Empire
    "It is the best-preserved city of the Parthian empire" (OUV crit iii)
  • Mesopotamia
    Hatra was the best preserved and most informative example of a Parthian city... The city was famed for its fusion of Greek, Mesopotamian, Canaanite, Aramean and Arabian pantheons. (wiki)
  • Silk Roads
    Classic Land Route; "In the 2nd century BC, it flourished as a major staging-post on the famous oriental silk road to become another of the great Arab cities" (Silk Roads Programme)

    See en.unesco.org

  • Excavated by the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft
    "Excavated by the Deutsche Orientgesellschaft under the direction of W. Andrae at the beginning of this century" (AB ev)
Architecture
  • Temenos
    "A temenos (τέμενος) surrounded the principal sacred buildings in the city's centre." (wiki)

    See en.wikipedia.org

Damaged
World Heritage Process
Constructions
  • Walled cities
    "The well-preserved double city wall outstandingly demonstrates Hatra’s power to harness the circumstances of history" (Authenticity Statement, UNESCO website)
Timeline
Science and Technology
Visiting conditions
WHS Names
18
  • Location for a classic movie
    Director William Friedkin filmed in Hatra for the first scene in The Exorcist (1973, Best Motion Picture at the Golden Globes), in which a priest at an archaeology dig unearths an ancient talisman belonging to Pazuzu, an ancient Mesopotamian demon.

    See www.telegraph.co.uk

News
aljazeera.com 09/12/2022
Five years after ISIL defeat, Iraq…
thearabweekly.com 02/28/2022
Iraq unveils restoration work at a…
dw.com 04/27/2017
Iraqi forces retake damaged Hatra …
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.

Community Reviews

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First published: 06/06/25.

Clyde

Hatra

Hatra (Inscribed)

Hatra by Els Slots

I visited this WHS in September 2024 after visiting Ashur. I had double checked before my arrival in Iraq and during my visit to make sure everything was in order and that we had enough time to explore this WHS.

Like Palmyra in Syria, unfortunately Hatra featured quite a lot in the news during the quite recent period when ISIS controlled the area, with heartbreaking videos of barbaric acts and terror, with horrific scenes of destruction of "pagan" statues using sledgehammers and assault rifles. Luckily, most invaluable artefacts were saved and are now scattered around the world and in a whole room of the National Museum of Baghdad.

Already when approaching the site, you'll see countless destroyed houses and buildings which have been hit by heavy artillery or drones. The only signs of life visible are the very few shepherds and their tiny flocks. The military personnel here were on a higher alert here than anywhere I visited in Iraq, as some militia could still be hiding in some of the destroyed buildings and due to Hatra's proximity to the Syrian desert (desert storms or not uncommon here!). I noticed that some of the cones at military checkpoints were indeed makeshift cones made from used rocket shells! Many bombarded military tanks and vehicles were still on the sides of the long road leading from the main road to the archaeological site. Although most of the archaeological site has been cleared from any dangerous military devices, there were countless …

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First published: 06/05/25.

Els Slots

Hatra

Hatra (Inscribed)

Hatra by Els Slots

Hatra is one of the stars of the National Museum in Baghdad: it produced those funny statues of men with curly hair and a surprised expression, raising one hand as if to say “Hi!”. The ancient city, built by the Parthians, dates mostly from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. With its columns and capitals, it clearly was inspired by the “global” architectural trends of Classical Antiquity.

The archaeological site of Hatra lies a bit of a drive from the main highway, in the desert. This area has seen a lot of fighting with ISIS and still Shia militias keep an eye on its “back” as it borders the desert, which eventually leads to Syria. Regular villages in the area have been abandoned. You will still see bullet holes and find wasted bullets on the ground, but the site has been patched up, including reinstating damaged sculptural figures and reliefs. These don’t have the quality of those that you find in museums (they look a bit weathered), but I guess that has always been the case in the site’s modern history and is not a result of the recent conflict.

We arrived about an hour before sunset, a bit late, and we had to skip the introduction by the site manager to make the best of our time on the ground. It would have been worth having it, though, as the site lacks any interpretation. The core of the fortified city consists of what is essentially a multicultural …

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First published: 25/11/21.

Thomas Buechler

Hatra

Hatra (Inscribed)

Hatra by Thomas Buechler

We visited Hatra in November 2021, and we were not sure up to the last minute if we were allowed in. There was no pre-arranged permit, and we just drove to the main gate, northwest of Telol al baj where the military commander is holding office. Our guide had the necessary connections in Baghdad, but this is the Middle East and you never know. The waiting time was spent with shisha and tea, almost 3 hours, and our passports were scanned and sent to the capital. Suddenly the tension was gone, all smiles in the faces, and we were given the permits. The check-points further on the road were also informed, and we could enter the premises of the archaeological site of Hatra. What a relief! The city was known as "Beit Elaha" (House of God) and became an important religious centre in the Parthian Empire that flourished between the 1st and 3rd Centuries AD. The Roman emperors Trajan and Septimius Severus were not successful to conquer the city. However, about 240 AD Hatra fell to Shapur I, the ruler of the Persian dynasty, and was destroyed for the first time. Just 7 years ago, we sadly had to witness another destruction, this time of religious extremists. ISIS has bulldozed and blown up this great archaeological site, using picks, sledgehammers and assault riffles, and there is hardly any statues left as we wandered through the ruins. Later on we discovered some limestone statues of king Sanatruq I (the first king …

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First published: 03/05/15.

Anonymous

Hatra

Hatra (Inscribed)

Hatra by Els Slots

I was a Brigade Intelligence Officer for the 101st Airborne in 2003 and I did a site survey after the "ground war" was over. After coordinating with the caretaker and his family we set up tours for soldiers to view the site. We gave some donations to the family to help them with the tours. The goal was to do more than just guard the site but also to show our soldiers about the historical site. It really is a shame that ISIS has hurt not just the Iraqis but also the world with their destruction.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Anonymous

Hatra

Hatra (Inscribed)

Hatra by Els Slots

Hatra was a very impressive place. I was there in 2003 with the 101st airborne. There was a unit there securing the site from looters. The man who was the caretqaker there gave us a tour. I remember walking in to the city itself, the plaza was impressive, there was an arena fairly close to an altar to one of the gods I believe. The main building held the throne room, the court room and a temple. For me it was my first trip into something that old. I loved it.

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