Dara (Mesopotamia)
Δάρας (in Greek) | |
Ruins of rock-cut building in Daras | |
| Alternative name | Daras, Anastasiopolis, Iustiniana Nova |
|---|---|
| Location | Oğuz, Mardin Province, Turkey |
| Region | Mesopotamia |
| Coordinates | 37°10′40″N 40°56′28″E / 37.17778°N 40.94111°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Builder | Anastasius I |
| Founded | 505 |
| Abandoned | After 639 |
| Periods | Late Antiquity |
| Events | Battle of Dara Fall of Dara |
Dara or Daras (Turkish: Dara Antik Kenti; Kurdish: Darê; Greek: Δάρας; Syriac: ܕܪܐ) was an important East Roman fortress city in northern Mesopotamia on the border with the Sassanid Empire. Because of its great strategic importance, it featured prominently in the Roman-Persian conflicts (in 530, 540, 544, 573, and 604). The former archbishopric remains a multiple Catholic titular see. Today, the village of Dara, in the Mardin Province occupies its location.