Arch of Ctesiphon (Taq Kasra)

This LEGO Idea is to rebuild the Arch of Ctesiphon, also known as TAQ KASRA.

It is a unique landmark in the history of architecture, as it is the largest single-span vault in the world that was made of freestanding unenforced brickwork, representing a mysterious ancient ingenuity.  

 

The Arch was part of the royal palace complex in the ancient city of Ctesiphon, the main capital of Persia from the 2nd century BC to the 7th century AD.

 

Today, Ctesiphon doesn’t exist, and the Arch is the only surviving structure from the palace and the city. It was used by Parthian Empire succeeded by Sassanid Empire and offered proximity to the Roman Empire.

The Arch was about 37 meters high, 26 meters across and 50 meters long. It is located in today’s Iraq. Its cracked structures are gradually falling, and the latest collapse happened in 2020.

 

First, an architectural model was built based on available documents and various historical sources in real scale and in its complete form. This model was then refined for LEGO bricks, using Studio software, the final model is as close to reality at this scale as the existing LEGO bricks allowed. This model can be assembled in two-way, ‘then’ the original shape, and ‘now’ the current remaining relict as it is now.

 

It is so exciting to propose this model and LEGO Idea, building this mysterious architectural world history using LEGO bricks allows Taq Kasra, this wonder of human history to remain as a joyful source of inspiration for all who enjoy rebuilding the world, architecture, history, and travel. 

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