Samarra

Samarra is a town of about 201,700 inhabitants (2002), located on the east bank of Tigris, in the province of Salah ad Din in Iraq, 125 km north of Baghdad.

Samarra was one of the largest cities of ancient times. Sites of interest include the "Great Mosque" with its special sprial minaret, built in 847 when Samarra was capital of the Muslim world for 56 years in the 9th century.