Publication Date
92-180/ 808-796
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;30;ar
Library Location
Raqqa, Syria
Date
92-180/ 808-796
Notes
The palace is considered part of the large royal complex located north of the current city of Raqqa (Al-Rafiqa), which was established by Harun Al-Rashid. He chose Al-Rafiqa as his residence in the period between 180 and 192 / 796 and 808 AD. The complex includes seven palaces and two residences, all covering an area of about 10 km2. The dimensions of the largest palace among them, which is the Al-Salam Palace, are 350 x 300 meters, and it was the residence of the Caliph. As for the other palaces, which were named A, B, C, D, and the eastern and western palaces, it appears that they were the residence of the Caliph’s family and the royal entourage. The historian Al-Tabari, who died in 310 / 923, mentions that the Caliph’s wife, Zubaida, and his heirs, Al-Amin, Al-Ma’mun, Al-Qasim, and Al-Mu’tasim, resided there. The newly expanded residence was a military command center and an administrative center for the Abbasid state, where the Caliph's wealth was kept. The new capital also housed a wide range of industrial activities. The remains found outside the northern wall indicate workshops for the production of pottery and glass on a large scale. The plan of the palace is a parallelogram facing north-south, its length is 115 meters, the width of the southern wall is 74.6 meters, and the width of the northern wall is 69.7 meters. The outer wall is equipped with circular supports 1.4 m wide. The palace gate, which is 17 meters wide, is located on the northern façade, and is preceded by a wall with supports surrounding an external garden. The wall is 1.5 meters thick, and was built of sun-dried bricks, and strengthened in some places with baked bricks. The main entrance leads to the western wing of the palace, which was occupied by court officials. It consists of a wide sky-space paved with baked bricks, surrounded by a portico. Many fragments of engraved and colored plaster decorations were found in this area, which gives information about its basic decoration system. Three doors in the southern wall lead to a group of formal rooms that include two halls, one of which is paved with glass bricks. The eastern wing, which can be accessed through three separate doors from the official quarters, includes the residential area, which in turn includes the kitchen, bathrooms, and a spacious guest quarters with a sky court. Both the official and private wings of the palace are complemented by a walled garden to the south. The external and internal walls of the palace that were visible to the public were covered with a layer of white plaster, and the official and important areas, especially the gates, were decorated with friezes of relief stucco decoration, mainly in the shape of vine leaves. Despite their similarity to Umayyad decorative models, Raqqa's decorations are directly inspired by classical models, especially those found in the desert city of Palmyra, about 180 km to the south. The many archived objects, numbering approximately 400 pieces, which include fragments of engraved and colored plaster decorations, engraved and gilded wooden panels, glass objects, and jewelry, indicate the palace's luxurious furnishings.
Sample Text
Verena Daiber “Palace B” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;30;ar
