Situated in the north of modern day Iraq the ancient city of Hatra is a true gem of the history and architecture that once rose in Mesopotamia. Trade made this trade hub in the middle of the desert a rich city that brought up impüressive structures that still stand out of the sand today. Massive fortifications, gigantic temples and a unique blend of cultural influences make Hatra one of the most interesting archeological sights of Iraq.
How to visit Hatra
As of now, there are no Hotels in Hatra so you will need to visit as a daytrip. It will be best to stay in Mosul, with lies about 2h drive to the north. This is also where you can purchase your entrance tickets at the moment. There have been reports of people who could visit with a ticket bought on site, but some also have been sent home by the guards. So play it safe and get your ticket in advance at this counter here📍.
At the moment there is no public transport from Mossul to Hatra. So you will need to hire a driver in Mossul and arrange transport including a waiting time for visiting the ruins.
Where to Find Hatra
Best Things To Do
Cities like Hatra evolved as a trading hub along the ancient silk road, where options for food and shelter for the passing caravans were scarce. Its strategic position along different trade routes between that brought exotic good to the roman empire let Hatra flourish at the early 2nd century. Traders left more than just high tarifs – they also exchanged knowledge and ideology creating this interesting cultural mix than can be found in architecture, art and religion of Hatra. That’s this parthian city hosts an interesting blend of roman-greek mythology and mesopoatiam cultures.
But als the wheel of history spins, Hatra became a victom of its strategic position. When the Sassanid Empire took over power in Persia, forced the romans to withdraw from that part of the middle east as well. With Hatra being one of the last stands to be conquered. But instead of flourishing under its new rulers, it was than abandoned and forgotton over time, buried under sand.
It was only in the 20th century that Hatra was rediscovered. It’s remarkable architecture along with the artifacts were in a fantastic state upon its finding, much better than other known ruins of the Parthian Empire. That spraked great interest among archeologists as this helped to understand life in ancient Mesopotamia. Also UNESCO acknoledges its significance by designating Hatra a World Heritage Site.
During the unstable years of the early 2000s Hatra alongside with other sites of historic value suffered great damage. The “islamic state” caputured the ancient city to put up camp here from 2014 until 2017. During this time they intentionally destroyed many cultural artifacts such as statues and decorations. Also they used the temple walls to to shooting trainings. Even though Hatra could be liberated and that area is safe nowadays, you can still find many remains of this dark passage in recent history
Luckily, most cultural objects found in Hatra had already been moved to museums long before the war in Iraq. This time i am not talking about british museum, but for example the splendig National Museum of Baghdad. It hosts a large collection just for Parthian History and Hatra, very rewarding visit!
Objects in other museums were either destroyed or sold on the black market – sparking hope that one day they might turn up again.
Good to know
Location: here📍
Cost: 25.000 IQD. Tickets can be purchased here📍
How to get there: No public transport. You will need a private driver. You should find someone in Mossul for about 75.000 IQD
Opening Hours: daytime hours..
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