Al-Mada'in (Arabic المدائن "The cities", also known under the Aramaic name "Mahoze", or as "Madayn") is the name of an ancient urban complex along the Tigris, in present-day Iraq, that was the site of the cities of Seleucia and Ctesiphon, and was also referred to as Seleucia-Ctesiphon.

The site has received considerable interest from Archeologists since the eighteenth century; the most famous landmark there is the Taq-i Kisra.

Sites (excavation cites, ancient suburbs ...):

• Seleucia
• Ctesiphon (previously Opis), whose exact location is not confirmed
• Coche (Also Choche)
• Asbanbar (Also written Isbanir, Asbanabr, Aspanbar, Asfanur)
• Veh Ardashir (Also Bahurasir)
• Vologesocerta (Balashkert), founded by Vologases I of Parthia
• al-Ma’aridh
• Tell al-Dhaba’I
• Tell Dhahab
• Umm an Sa’atir

The site partially overlaps with the modern town of Salman Pak.

Links

• Ctesiphon site description
• The Shahr (province) of Asuristan (extract from the Encyclopedia of Iran)