Samarra, the ancient city famous for the Malwiya Minaret, is in Iraq.
Located on the east bank of the Tigris River, Samarra lies about 125 kilometers north of Baghdad. It became the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate in 836 under Caliph al-Mu'tasim and remained the seat of the caliphate until 892. This period produced a vast planned city with palaces, mosques, gardens, and ceremonial avenues.
The Malwiya Minaret is Samarra's best-known landmark. Its unusual spiral ramp rises beside the Great Mosque of Samarra, built in the ninth century. The minaret's form is distinctive among Islamic architectural monuments and is frequently used as a visual symbol of Iraq's Abbasid heritage.
Samarra is sometimes confused with Baghdad because both cities were important Abbasid centers along the Tigris. The archaeological city was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007, although the site has also faced serious conservation challenges.