Abgar V, called Ukkāmā, was the King of Osroene with his capital at Edessa.
Icon of Abgar holding the mandylion, the image of Christ (encaustic, 10th century, Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai).
Abgar V on an Armenian banknote
Fresco from Varaga St. Gevorg church chapel showing king Abgar with image of Christ
Osroene or Osrhoene was an ancient region and state in Upper Mesopotamia. The Kingdom of Osroene, also known as the "Kingdom of Edessa", according to the name of its capital city, existed from the 2nd century BC, up to the 3rd century AD, and was ruled by the Abgarid dynasty. Generally allied with the Parthians, the Kingdom of Osroene enjoyed semi-autonomy to complete independence from the years of 132 BC to AD 214. Though ruled by a dynasty of Arab origin, the kingdom's population was of mixed culture, being Syriac-speaking from the earliest times. The city's cultural setting was fundamentally Syriac, alongside strong Greek and Parthian influences, though some Arab cults were also attested at Edessa.
Ancient mosaic from Edessa (2nd century AD) with inscriptions in the Aramaic language
Coin of king Abgar, who ruled in Osroene during the reign of Roman emperor Septimius Severus (193-211)
Coin of king Abgar, who ruled in Osroene during the reign of Roman emperor Gordianus III (238-244)
