Al-Hirah

Al-Hirah

Infobox Settlement
official_name =Al-Hira
other_name =
native_name =
nickname =
settlement_type =
motto =


imagesize =
image_caption =


flag_size =
image_

seal_size =
image_shield =
shield_size =
image_blank_emblem =
blank_emblem_type =
blank_emblem_size =


mapsize =
map_caption =


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
image_dot_

dot_mapsize =
dot_map_caption =
dot_x = |dot_y =
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =bottom
pushpin_map_caption =Location in modern day Iraq
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =
subdivision_type1 =
subdivision_name1 =
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =
subdivision_type3 =
subdivision_name3 =
subdivision_type4 =
subdivision_name4 =
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
leader_title2 =
leader_name2 =
leader_title3 =
leader_name3 =
leader_title4 =
leader_name4 =
established_title =
established_date =
established_title2 =
established_date2 =
established_title3 =
established_date3 =
area_magnitude =
unit_pref =Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_total_km2 =
area_land_km2 =
area_water_km2 =
area_total_sq_mi =
area_land_sq_mi =
area_water_sq_mi =
area_water_percent =
area_urban_km2 =
area_urban_sq_mi =
area_metro_km2 =
area_metro_sq_mi =
area_blank1_title =
area_blank1_km2 =
area_blank1_sq_mi =
population_as_of =
population_footnotes =
population_note =
population_total =
population_density_km2 =
population_density_sq_mi =
population_metro =
population_density_metro_km2 =
population_density_metro_sq_mi =
population_urban =
population_density_urban_km2 =
population_density_urban_sq_mi =
population_blank1_title =Ethnicities
population_blank1 =
population_blank2_title =Religions
population_blank2 =
population_density_blank1_km2 =
population_density_blank1_sq_mi =
timezone =
utc_offset =
timezone_DST =
utc_offset_DST =

latd=31|latm=53|lats= |latNS=N
longd=44|longm=27|longs=|longEW=E
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m =
elevation_ft =
postal_code_type =
postal_code =
area_code =
blank_name =
blank_info =
blank1_name =
blank1_info =
website =
footnotes =

Al Hīra (Arabic,الحيرة) was an ancient city located south of al-Kufah in south-central Iraq. It was a significant city in pre-Islamic Arab history. Originally a military encampment, in the 5th and 6th centuries CE it became the capital of the Lakhmids.

The Arabs were migrating into the Near East from the 9th century BCE. In the 3rd century CE parts of southern Mesopotamia had a substantial Arab population. Under the Sasanid Empire, southern Mesopotamia was sometimes called Arabistan. The first historical Arab kingdom outside Arabia, Hīra (4th-7th centuries), in southern Iraq, was a vassal of the Sassanians, whom it helped in containing the nomadic Arabs to the south. The rulers of Hīra, identified as Lakhmids, were recognized by Shapur II (337-358 CE).

Hīra was either Christian or strongly influenced by Christianity. The Sassanian Emperor Bahram V won the throne with support of Mundhir, Lakhmid Prince of Hīra, in 420.

In 542, Khosrau I of Persia stopped the Byzantine general Belisarius at Callinicum, south of Edessa (southeastern Turkey), with the help of al Hīra. In 602, Khosrau II deposed Numan III of al Hīra and annexed his kingdom. Islam overran the Sasanid Empire in the 7th century.

There is evidence for a parallel Arab kingdom in today's Syria, called Ghassan and founded under Byzantine auspices. Around 527, al Hīra and the Ghassanids engaged in a proxy war for their respective imperial suzerains. Some claim that the first Arabic kingdom was founded in Hatra, in northern Iraq.

Following the Siege of Hira, the city was captured by Muslim army of Rashidun Caliphate under the command of Khalid ibn Walid in May 633 A.D.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hirah — Hirah, Reich u. Stadt in Nordarabien, von 200–635, von da an die Provinz der Khalifen …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Ḥīrah, Al- — Ancient kingdom, Middle East. Occupying the area of the lower Euphrates River valley and the upper part of the Persian Gulf, it was ruled by the Lakhmids (3rd century AD–602), who themselves were subordinate to the Sāsānian dynasty of Persia. Its …   Universalium

  • Al-Hirah — Al Hira  Pour l’article homonyme, voir Hira.  Al Hira (ar) الحيرة …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Lakhmids — Map of the cities of Mesopotamia at the time of The Lakhmids. The Lakhmids (Arabic: اللخميون‎), Banu Lakhm (Arabic: بنو لخم‎), Muntherids (Arabic: المناذرة‎), were a group of Arab Christians who lived in Southern Iraq …   Wikipedia

  • Islamic arts — Visual, literary, and performing arts of the populations that adopted Islam from the 7th century. Islamic visual arts are decorative, colourful, and, in religious art, nonrepresentational; the characteristic Islamic decoration is the arabesque.… …   Universalium

  • Arabia, history of — Introduction       history of the region from prehistoric times to the present.       Some time after the rise of Islam in the first quarter of the 7th century AD and the emergence of the Arabian (Arab) Muslims as the founders of one of the great …   Universalium

  • Al-Nabigha — (Arabic: النابغة الذبياني / al Nābighah al Dhubiyānī; real name Ziyad ibn Muawiyah; c. 535 – c. 604), was one of the last Arabian poets of pre Islamic times. Al Nabigha means genius in Arabic. His tribe, the Banu Dhubyan, belonged to the district …   Wikipedia

  • Iran, ancient — Introduction also known as  Persia        historic region of southwestern Asia that is only roughly coterminous with modern Iran. The term Persia was used for centuries, chiefly in the West, to designate those regions where Persian language and… …   Universalium

  • Kufa — [ right|300px|thumb|Kufa, in present day Iraq] Kufa (Arabic, ar. الكوفة ArTranslit|al Kūfah) is a city in modern Iraq, about 170 km south of Baghdad, and 10 km northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates River. The estimated… …   Wikipedia

  • Sassanid Empire — Infobox Former Country native name = Eranshahr ساسانیان conventional long name = Sassanid Empire common name = Sassanid Empire national motto = continent = Asia region = Persia country = Iran era = status = government type = Monarchy year start …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”