Ctesiphon is an ancient city located on the territory of modern Iraq. It was once the capital of the Parthian kingdom. Over the thousands of years of its existence, it has repeatedly been plundered and destroyed (the war in Iraq at the beginning of our century did not bypass it).
It is known that in 197 the Roman emperor Septimius Severus sold into slavery at least 100,000 inhabitants of Ctesiphon. This number shows how huge this city was then. (For comparison - in Berlin more than a millennium, in the XIV century, only 8 thousand people lived, in Paris - 100 thousand people, in London - 50 thousand people).
But nowadays, almost nothing remains of the majestic city. Only a dilapidated brick arch, 37 meters high and 26 meters wide, has survived.
The thickness of its walls is about 7 meters, and even now in the heat it remains cool under it. Once the arch was part of a huge palace that impressed with its luxury, marble decoration and magnificent mosaics.
And today the arch surprises with its architectural and engineering perfection - it is not known how the ancient masters were able to create such a magnificent and durable huge structure that stood for at least two thousand years.
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Author: Natalia Trubinovskaya