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Illustration: The Arch of Ctesiphon (Taq Kasra)
Single-line illustration from the museum’s identity guide.

Landmark 03 / 10

The Arch of Ctesiphon (Taq Kasra)

  • Ctesiphon
  • 3rd or 6th century CE · Sasanian period
  • Height 37 m · width 26 m · depth 50 m

Engineering story

How does an arch stand with no inner support?

Why it matters

An arch works in compression, not tension. The Sasanians met its sideways thrust with three things: the thickness of the side walls, an arch sharper than a semicircle that turns more of the thrust into vertical force, and a brick bond that spreads the stress. The largest open brick arch in the world; its western half still stands.

In the documentary series16. Sasanian Period, Lakhmid al-Hira and Early Christian ArchitectureThe largest open brick arch in the world
On the map