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photograph that won it. It is a picture of one of the so-called Seven
Wonders of the World, the Arch of Ctesiphon in Iraq. This is the largest unsupported arch on earth and I took the photograph while I was training out there for the RAF in 1940. I was flying over the desert solo in an old Hawker Hart biplane and I had my camera round my neck. When I spotted the huge arch standing alone in a sea of sand, I dropped one wing and hung in my straps and let go of the stick while I took aim and clicked the shutter. It came out fine.
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322:. In order to make this possible a number of techniques were used. The bricks were laid about 18 degrees from the vertical which allowed them to be partially supported by the rear wall during construction. The quick drying cement used as mortar allowed the fresh bricks to be quickly supported by those that were previously laid.
423:
You may not believe it, but when I was eighteen I used to win prizes and medals from the Royal
Photographic Society in London, and from other places like the Photographic Society of Holland. I even got a lovely big bronze medal from the Egyptian Photographic Society in Cairo, and I still have the
314:—presumably under or behind the arch—was more than 30 m (110 ft) high and covered an area 24 m (80 ft) wide by 48 m (160 ft) long. The top of the arch is about 1 meter thick while the walls at the base are up to 7 meters thick. The
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attacks in 2015-2016; Akbarzadeh feared that it might be destroyed soon, and therefore felt urgency to film his documentary. The film explores the history and architecture of Taq Kasra with many scholars and archaeologists in various countries.
325:
The Taq Kasra is now all that remains above ground of a city that was, for nine centuries—from the 2nd century BC to the 7th century AD — the main capital of the successor dynasties of the
Persian empire:
539:
563:
821:
440:'s Diyala Project to restore the site at a cost of $ 100,000. The Ministry of Culture also invited a Czech company, Avers, to restore the site. This restoration was completed in 2017.
271:, and is the only visible remaining structure of the ancient capital city. The archway is considered a landmark in the history of architecture, and is the second largest single-span
816:
eventually no less than four
Sasanian rulers were quoted as its builders: Shapur I (241–273), Shapur II (310–379), Khosrau I Anushirvan (531–579) and Khosrau II Parvez (590–628).
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hall, open on the facade side, was about 37 meters high, 26 meters across and 50 meters long, the largest man-made, free standing vault constructed until modern times.
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of the audience hall of the
Sassanids who maintained the same site chosen by the Parthians and for the same reason, namely proximity to the
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432:'s government in the course of the 1980s, when the fallen northern wing was partially rebuilt. All works, however, stopped after the 1991
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On March 7, 2019, a partial collapse further damaged the Taq Kasra, just two years after its latest restoration was completed.
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The exact time of the structure's construction is not known with certainty. Some historians believe it was constructed under
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who ruled
Sassanian Persia from 242 to 272 AD and some other believe that construction possibly began during the reign of
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in 637. They then used it as a mosque for a while until the area was gradually abandoned. In the early 10th century, the
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Swiss journalist's photos of Taq-e Kasra in 1970s: "Taq-e Kasra; a
Persian archaeological sight outside Persia
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of the Arch of
Ctesiphon in Iraq which was subsequently auctioned by the Dahl family to raise funds for the
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2009: Iraqi officials and
American military officers discuss plans to renovate the existing structures.
968:"Master Builders: Influence of Sassanid Architecture Reached far Beyond their Borders - Kaveh Farrokh"
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mentioned that a credit of about $ 600,000 would be required for the restoration of Taq Kasra.
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1066:"Taq Kasra Partially Collapses | Taq Kasra : 3rd-century Persian Monument in Iraq"
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462:, based in the Netherlands, made the first full-length documentary film about Taq Kasra:
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The
Seventy Wonders of the Ancient world The Great Monuments and How they were Built
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Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate: from contemporary Arabic and Persian sources
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dug up the ruins of the palace to reuse its bricks in the construction of the
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monument, dated to c. the 3rd to 6th centuries, which is sometimes called the
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1045:"Diyala Project | The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago"
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The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland
728:. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 155–159.
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In 1888, a serious flood demolished the greater part of the edifice.
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vol. 3. Leiden, Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV. 2009. 237. Print.
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1080:"Magnificent Taq Kasra to be restored by Iranian budget, expertise"
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Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume III/2: Awāʾel al-maqālāt–Azerbaijan IV
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who remarked "the Romans had nothing similar or of the type."
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Because of the vicissitudes of historical transmission,
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In January 2021, Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage
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The arch was part of the imperial palace complex. The
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Buildings and structures completed in the 6th century
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The monument was in the process of being rebuilt by
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captured by the Arabs during the conquest of Persia
926:(2nd ed.). Oxford: Clarendon Press. pp.
872:
819:Kurz, Otto (1941). "The Date of the Ṭāq i Kisrā".
1690:
1635:Traditional water sources of Persian antiquity
871:Reade, Dr Julian (1999). Scarre, Chris (ed.).
413:. The photo made £6,000. In his autobiography
367:The monument is also the subject of a poem by
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371:, who visited the ruins in the 12th century.
1630:Traditional Persian residential architecture
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750:Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War
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267:. It was the facade of the main palace in
405:took an award-winning photograph using a
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779:"L'expédition de Ctésiphon en 1931-1932"
334:. The structure left today was the main
259:. It is located near the modern town of
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383:visited and studied the structure with
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1165:Global Heritage Fund page on Ctesiphon
517:1923 Iraqi postage stamp, designed by
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993:"Taq Kasra: The Archway of Ctesiphon"
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468:. The monument had been in danger of
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397:, then undergoing pilot training at
1155:Taq Kasra Online Information Center
1098:"Taq Kasra: Wonder of Architecture"
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411:Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre
162:Location in Ctesiphon, modern Iraq
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465:Taq Kasra: Wonder of Architecture
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879:. Thames & Hudson. pp.
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764:Taq-I-Kasra (Arch of Ctesiphon)
301:campaign against the Byzantines
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943:"Ctesiphon, palais sassanide"
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1699:Archaeological sites in Iraq
1127:"Taq Kasra Documentary Film"
493:1824 drawing by Captain Hart
393:In 1940, the British writer
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1668:List of ab anbars of Qazvin
905:Ancient building technology
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16:Persian archeological site
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1027:"Boy: Tales of Childhood"
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571:National Museum of Iran
379:In 1851, French artist
247:) are the remains of a
195:), also transcribed as
752:. Oxford: Osprey, 2007
303:in 540 AD. The arched
128:Architectural style(s)
123:ca. 3rd-6th century AD
1704:Sasanian architecture
777:Schmidt, J.H (1934).
716:Keall, E. J. (1987).
438:University of Chicago
96:33.09361°N 44.58083°E
1678:List of ziyarat-gahs
1625:Islamic architecture
1207:Iranian architecture
1160:Archent: Taq-i Kisra
766:. worldheritagesite.
692:Persian architecture
682:Al-Ukhaidir Fortress
521:, featuring the arch
132:Iranian architecture
62:Asbanbar quarter of
1618:Theory and analysis
762:Chris, ed. (2008).
645:Taq Kasra, Madain,
630:Taq Kasra, Madain,
615:Taq Kasra, Madain,
600:Taq Kasra, Madain,
585:Taq Kasra, Madain,
448:Ali Asghar Mounesan
279:in the world after
92: /
1651:Architects of Iran
1452:Traditional cities
1133:. 10 December 2016
1086:. 12 January 2021.
903:Wright, G. R. H.,
345:The structure was
318:was built without
101:33.09361; 44.58083
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997:amusingplanet.com
735:978-0-71009-114-7
482:Taq Kasra Gallery
460:Pejman Akbarzadeh
257:Arch of Ctesiphon
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49:Tāq Kasrā in 2022
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1659:s, castles, and
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1409:Persian Garden (
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30:
26:
20:
1660:
1656:
1438:Windcatchers
1410:
1135:. Retrieved
1131:TaqKasra.com
1130:
1121:
1110:. Retrieved
1106:the original
1101:
1092:
1084:Tehran Times
1083:
1074:
1048:
1039:
1031:the original
1005:
996:
987:
975:. Retrieved
971:
962:
950:. Retrieved
946:
936:
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912:
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899:
874:
829:(1): 37–41.
826:
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786:
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772:
763:
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749:
744:
725:
505:1864 drawing
463:
457:
445:
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427:
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407:Zeiss camera
392:
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385:Pascal Coste
378:
366:
344:
340:Roman Empire
324:
309:
290:
256:
216:
212:
200:
196:
172:
171:
28:
1534:Khorramabad
1221:Pre-Islamic
1023:Dahl, Roald
952:29 December
800:9 September
419:he writes:
312:throne room
201:Taq-e Kesra
197:Taq-i Kisra
99: /
75:Coordinates
29:Native name
1693:Categories
1579:Shahrisabz
1559:Persepolis
1549:Nakhchivan
1499:Gur-e-Amir
1228:Achaemenid
1137:2017-12-16
1112:2019-08-30
977:21 January
698:References
395:Roald Dahl
375:Modern era
358:Taj Palace
354:al-Muktafi
261:Salman Pak
239:, meaning
225:ایوان خسرو
213:tâğe kasrâ
87:44°34′51″E
68:Al-Mada'in
1714:Khosrow I
1709:Ctesiphon
1574:Samarkand
1484:Ctesiphon
1428:Shabestan
1384:Imamzadeh
1359:Chahartaq
947:achemenet
677:Sasanians
458:In 2017,
332:Sassanids
328:Parthians
277:brickwork
269:Ctesiphon
230:romanized
192:ṭāq kisrā
186:romanized
173:Tāq Kasrā
84:33°5′37″N
64:Ctesiphon
22:Taq Kasra
1554:Nishapur
1443:Yakhchāl
1404:Panjdari
1344:Andaruni
1339:Ab anbar
1332:Elements
1313:Khaneqah
1264:Ilkhanid
1238:Sasanian
920:(1922).
843:25221709
789:: 1–23.
666:See also
320:centring
299:after a
293:Shapur I
249:Sasanian
209:طاق کسری
181:طاق كسرى
59:Location
35:طاق كسرى
1661:ghal'eh
1539:Mashhad
1524:Kashmar
1514:Isfahan
1489:Derbent
1479:Bukhara
1464:Andijan
1318:Mosques
1303:Bazaars
1274:Safavid
1269:Timurid
1247:Islamic
1214:Periods
1172:(Photo)
881:185–186
724:(ed.).
477:Gallery
403:Baghdad
369:Khaqani
362:Baghdad
336:portico
287:History
253:Persian
245:Khosrow
232::
221:Persian
205:Persian
188::
1604:Tehran
1594:Tabriz
1584:Shiraz
1564:Qazvin
1519:Kashan
1399:Kucheh
1374:Hashti
1369:Gonbad
1349:Biruni
1323:Takyeh
1259:Seljuk
887:
841:
732:
177:Arabic
112:Height
1644:Lists
1529:Khiva
1509:Herat
1504:Hatra
1494:Ganja
1433:Talar
1418:Qanat
1411:hayāt
1394:Kariz
1296:Types
930:–254.
839:JSTOR
783:Syria
720:. In
687:Hatra
401:near
273:vault
251:-era
215:) or
120:Built
1609:Yazd
1589:Susa
1544:Merv
1469:Baku
1459:Amol
1423:Sahn
1389:Iwan
1379:Howz
1354:Burj
979:2017
954:2016
885:ISBN
802:2017
730:ISBN
647:Iraq
632:Iraq
617:Iraq
602:Iraq
587:Iraq
569:The
470:ISIS
330:and
305:iwan
265:Iraq
241:Iwan
1657:Arg
1569:Qom
1474:Bam
928:253
831:doi
791:doi
416:Boy
360:in
243:of
199:or
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