The Parthians introduced distinct and revolutionary elements to the traditions of art and architecture found throughout the Near East. Columned halls were largely abandoned and replaced by massive open halls, or iwans, roofed by barrel vaults as found at Seleucia and Labbana (Ashur) in Mesopotamia. Façades of major buildings were covered with an elaborate decoration of arches, niches and blind windows and friezes of stucco plaster with stylised naturalistic and geometric motifs became popular. Rather than the brick architecture of Ashur the buildings at Hatra, 50 kilometres away, were made in fine limestone masonry. This may reflect western influence, perhaps from the wealthy trading city of Palmyra in Syria, although what were locally available building materials must have had a strong influence.

In the 1st to 3rd centuries AD a widespread fashion existed for free-standing sculpture of life-size images of deities, princes, warriors, merchants and wives richly dressed in Parthian fashion with elaborate jewellery. One of the most significant artistic developments was the abandonment in the 1st century AD of the Near Eastern tradition of portraying human heads in profile. Parthian figures were shown from the front. This became the norm in Mesopotamia and Iran until the fall of the Parthians but lasted longer in the west when it was absorbed into early Christian art.