Al-Hira
al-Ḥīra الحيرة | |
A 15th-century Persian miniature describing the construction of Khawarnaq in Hira, the capital city of the Lakhmids; miniature painting by Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād. | |
| Location | Iraq |
|---|---|
| Region | Najaf Governorate |
| Coordinates | 31°59′N 44°23′E / 31.98°N 44.39°E |
| Type | Ancient city |
| History | |
| Founded | 3rd century CE (Kingdom of the Lakhmids) |
| Periods | 3rd-7th centuries CE |
| Cultures | Lakhmid, Sasanian |
| Satellite of | Sasanian Empire |
| Associated with | Lakhmid Arabs |
| Events | Battle of Hira (633 CE, Arab conquest of Iran) |
Al-Hira (Arabic: الحيرة, romanized: al-Ḥīra Middle Persian: Hērt ) was an ancient Lakhmid Arabic city in Mesopotamia located south of what is now Kufa in south-central Iraq.
The Sasanian government established the Lakhmid state (Al-Hirah) on the edge of the Arabian Desert near Iraq in order to both prevent direct confrontation between the two empires (Persian and Rome) and to gain its support in battles against Rome.