Taq Kasra, also called the Arch of Ctesiphon or Iwan of al-Mada’in, stands in the district of al-Mada’in, about 35 kilometres south-east of Baghdad. The monumental brick vault is the most recognizable surviving fragment of ancient Ctesiphon, a city that served as a capital under Parthian and Sasanian rulers. Today it rises from a low, open landscape, separated from the dense capital by a road journey and by the river plain that once made this region a strategic centre.
The name iwan refers to a vaulted hall open at one end, a form used across Persian and later Islamic architecture. Taq Kasra’s scale has made it famous: ALIPH describes it as a sixth-century structure, around 37 metres high, and one of the world’s largest brick vaults built without centring support. The dramatic opening is part of a palace façade, not a freestanding triumphal arch. Understanding that architectural context helps visitors see the surviving wall as a fragment of a much larger royal complex.
