Did Baghdad used to be called something else?

Yes, before it became known as Baghdad, the city was part of the ancient region of Mesopotamia and was associated with various settlements. One of the earlier names linked to the area was "Ctesiphon," which was the capital of the Parthian Empire and later the Sassanian Empire. Baghdad was founded in the 8th century by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mansur and has been known by this name since its establishment.