Samarra

Samarra

Sāmarrā (Arabic: سامَرّاء‎) is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, 125 kilometers (78 mi) north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700.

The official name as referenced by coins was the Arabic phrase “Surra man ra’a” (Arabic: سر من رأى‎), which translates to “who sees it rejoices”. But in vernacular it was always called Samarra.

In 2007, UNESCO named Samarra one of its World Heritage Sites.