Samarra

I visited this WHS in September 2024. Samarra lies on the east bank of the Tigris river and it was founded in 836 by the Abbasid caliph al-Mutasim as a new administrative capital and military base. Since the WHS is made up of 10 loosely named locations, it was hard to tell whether I covered all or most of them during a full day exploring Samarra and its surroundings. During the Iraqi Civil War (2006-2008), Samarra was in the "Sunni Triangle" of resistance and even now, the military personnel at checkpoints wear different uniforms and fly different "religious/political" flags.

Ever since the end of Iraqi civil war in 2007, the Shia population of the holy city has increased exponentially and acts of violence and terror are quite common in the area. The city is also home to the al-Askari Shrine, containing the mausolea of the 10th and 11th Shia Imams, as well as the place from where Muhammad al-Mahdi, known as the "Hidden Imam". is believed by the Twelver Shias to have entered a state of occultation. This has made it an important pilgrimage centre for the Imami Shias. For non-Muslims, the mosques of Najaf and Karbala are for more interesting both for their interior as well as their exterior architecture.

The obvious highlights are its two spiral minarets and what remains of their mosques. At the time of its construction, the Great Mosque of Samarra was the world's largest mosque. Its spiral minaret, known as Malwiya (meaning …

Although best known for its Spiral Minaret, Samarra is much more. It’s the archaeological site of a city that was the short-lived capital of the Abbasids. They built it as a planned city in the countryside, away from the populace of Babylon, to create “a new royal culture revolving around sprawling palatial grounds, public spectacle and a seemingly ceaseless quest for leisurely indulgence". Consider it an early version of one of those new capitals that you also see in Brazil (Brasilia), Indonesia (Nusantara), Myanmar (Naypyidaw). The site is spread across 10 locations in and around the modern city of Samarra, and several of those were visitable in April 2025, although the checkpoint density still is higher here than elsewhere in Iraq.

We started at the Great Mosque. It lies in a particularly ugly patch of the city, almost like an industrial estate. A rope prevented us from coming too close and entering either the mosque or the minaret. The latter, shaped like a Mesopotamian ziggurat, is still picture-perfect. Of the mosque, not much else remains than the outer walls. Both are subject to a restoration project (the official reason given for not being allowed to enter), but no work seemed to be ongoing.

When you go out of the city and cross into the desert, the remains of the Abbasid city walls can still be seen clearly. We drove on for some 15km to the Abu Dalaf mosque. I enjoyed it tremendously from the start: its …

In theory Samarra could be a very interesting site. This is the only islamic site of Iraq, so its imporatance in Iraqi culture in unquestionable. . Samarra was the capital of the Abbasid caliphate from 836 CE, when Caliph Al-Mu'tasim founded a new capital at the banks of the Tigris, till 892, when al-Mu'tadid returned the capital to Baghdad. The period between these dates was one of the most dramatic, turbulent half century in the history of the caliphate. Majestic buildings were erected and events that are crucial in the formation modern Iraq (and the Shi'ite world) happened here. (The death of the 12th and the occultation of the 13th imam.) On the other hand Samarra is not far from Baghdad, an easy day trip on the northern motorway. This is the theory.

The reality is, that Samarra is even now not the most welcoming city in Iraq. The population is predominantly Sunni, but the law enforcement is provided by a Sadrist Shi'ite militia (Saraya al-Salam - their emblem, the peace dove is ubiquitous on grafitties in the city). There are no such restrictions now, that Wojciech described, tourists can enter the area after identity check, without leaving the passports with the militiamen, but - unlike in Baghdad or other major cities - you can still feel the tension in the air. The most illustrious - and best kept up - building in the city, the al-Askeri moque is not part of the World Heritage Site - understandably by …

Samarra is a true symbol of Iraq. The spiral minaret of the Great Mosque is perhaps the most famous monument in this country, more famous than the monuments of Babylon. Although Samarra is quite close to Baghdad, it has been virtually inaccessible for many years. The reason was primarily security concerns - Samarra is an extremely important place for Shi'ite Islam. Even now, in November 2021, Samarra is under special protection - when entering, at the checkpoint on the main road, we had to leave our passports and pick them up on the way back.

Samarra's UNESCO inscription contains many places, but there is no doubt that its focal point is the ruins of the 1,200-year-old Grand Mosque (once the largest in the world), which includes a wonderfully reconstructed spiral minaret. You can climb this minaret and admire the ruins of the Grand Mosque from above, just be careful not to fly down - there are no barriers (the top of the minaret has been destroyed), and the wind blows very hard! There is an entrance fee of IQD 25,000 (~USD 17) but it is worth paying - the site is quite well preserved. You can even buy a souvenir - a small replica of the spiral minaret.

Samarra was taken by the Islamic State, but for a very short time and these barbarians did not manage to seriously destroy anything - Shi'ite mosques were practically intact. In Samarra, we also visited another monument that cannot be missed …

In 1975 we visited Samarra and we were astounded by the spiral minaret which stand out prominently in the desert surroundings. Climbing on the spiral outside staircase, was interesting and our guide said, the higher you climb, the luckier you get! The mosque nearby was admirable, so my Italian husband said and the view from the top was breathtaking, as the ruins from afar were clearly seen

A great experience.