Abbasid Samarra
| سامَرّاء | |
The spiral minaret of the Great Mosque of Samarra
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 Shown within Iraq
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| Location | Samarra, Saladin Governorate, Iraq |
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| Coordinates | 34°20′27.562″N 43°49′24.755″E / 34.34098944°N 43.82354306°ECoordinates: 34°20′27.562″N 43°49′24.755″E / 34.34098944°N 43.82354306°E |
| Type | City |
| History | |
| Builder | Al-Mu'tasim, Abbasid Caliphate |
| Founded | 836 |
| Abandoned | circa 892, with partial settlement thereafter |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Ruined |
Samarra is a city in central Iraq, which served as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate from 836 to 892. Founded by the caliph al-Mu'tasim, Samarra was briefly a major metropolis that stretched dozens of kilometers along the east bank of the Tigris, but was largely abandoned in the latter half of the 9th century, especially following the return of the caliphs to Baghdad.
Due to the relatively short period of occupation, extensive ruins of Abbasid Samarra have survived into modern times. The layout of the city can still be seen via aerial photography, revealing a vast network of planned streets, houses, palaces and mosques. Studies comparing the archeological evidence with information provided by Muslim historians have resulted in the identification of many of the toponyms within the former city.
The archeological site of Samarra was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2007, calling it "the best preserved plan of an ancient large city." The modern city bearing the same name lies within the Abbasid ruins.
The toponym Samarra is known to have existed prior to the Islamic period. Classical authors mention the name in various forms, including the Greek Suma (Σουμᾶ), the Latin Sumere and the Syriac Šumara.
The formal name of the Abbasid city was Surra Man Ra'ā (Arabic: سر من رأى), meaning "he who sees it is delighted". This name appears on coins and was adopted by some medieval writers. Other sources, however, use Sāmarrā (سامرا) or Sāmarrā' (سامراء) as variants of the pre-Islamic name, and the latter form eventually became the standard spelling.
Samarra was founded by the eighth Abbasid caliph al-Mu'tasim (r. 833–842) in 836. Al-Mu'tasim's immediate motivation for the decision was a need to find housing for his newly formed Turkish and other army regiments. These troops, who were from groups that had previously held only a marginal role in the Islamic world, were deeply unpopular among the residents of Baghdad, and violent incidents had repeatedly broken out between the soldiers and Baghdadis. Al-Mu'tasim therefore resolved in ca. 835 to depart from Baghdad, the usual seat of the Abbasid caliphs since 762, and create a new capital city of his choosing.
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