Charax Spasinou

Charax Spasinou Latest News

Deep in the deserts of Iraq, the lost city of Charax Spasinou has finally been found.

About Charax Spasinou

• It was an ancient port city located at the confluence of the Tigris and Choaspes rivers, near the modern border of Iraq and Iran.
• Founded during the Hellenistic period, it was initially established by Alexander the Great.
• It was reportedly founded in 324 BCE, just a few years before Alexander’s death.
• He might have wanted it to cement control over Mesopotamia at a strategic river junction.
• Some sources say it was originally called Alexandria.
• The city passed to the Seleucid Empire after Alexander’s death until it was destroyed at some point by flooding.
• The city was later rebuilt by Hyspaosines, who became its first king and is recognized for founding the kingdom of Characene with Charax Spasinou as its capital.
• Due to its favourable location, Charax became a very important harbour in the Persian Gulf area and a major trading point between Mesopotamia (a region in the Middle East) and India. 
• The city was home to a succession of local rulers who minted coins from the late second century BC to the third century AD.
• Charax’s prominence waned around AD 224–28 with the rise of the Sassanian Empire, marking the end of Characene’s political significance.

Source: TOI

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