In the 7th and 8th centuries, numerous new cities were founded in what is now Iraq, often in the vicinity of existing settlements. The international conference, whose contributions are presented here, examined this phenomenon and the accompanying processes of transformation, using the case study of al-Hira as a starting point. The volume combines source-based contributions on the history of events and historical topography with the presentation and analysis of the results of settlement archaeological investigations and excavations that have been carried out in the area of historic al-Hira since 2015. Supplementary papers use comparisons to place the case study of al-Hira in a supra-regional context.