Dictionary of islamic architecture

See also:
fortification
madafa
Arabic term for guest house, or room for guests.
Madinat al-Zahra
Tenth-century palace city (now in ruins) 6 km west of
Córdoba in southern Spain.
The complex was begun by Abd al-Rahman II and
completed by his son al-Hakim II. The complex
was named after Abd al-Rahman’s favourite wife
Zahra
and located near springs at the foot of the
Sierra Morena. The complex was founded as a
palatial residence and administrative centre away
from the crowded capital at Córdoba and had a
staff of 20,000 people including guards, officials
and families. It was finally destroyed by fire in
1010 by the caliph’s vizier al-Mansur who resented
the caliph’s personal residence. Material from the
palace was re-used by Pedro the Cruel to build
his palace in Seville.
The complex was built on three terraces
surrounded by gardens with pools and water
channels. On the lowest terrace is a garden pavilion
built for Abd al-Rahman as a formal reception and
ceremonial centre. This consisted of four pools and
the pavilion itself known as the Salón Rico which
has intricate decoration carved in stone to match the
stucco work of the maqsura at the Great Mosque in
Córdoba. This pavilion is associated with a hammam
in an arrangement common to the desert palaces of
Syria. Across a bridge from the Salón Rico is the main
mosque of the complex with an arcaded courtyard
leading on to the sanctuary five aisles deep. Next to
the mosque is the Dar al-Yund (army headquarters)
which consists of a cruciform basilical hall with
triple-arched arcades and a ramp leading out on to
the parade ground.
The upper part is occupied by the caliph’s
personal residence known as the Dar al-Mulk. This
consisted of several apartments based around
courtyards which in turn enclosed a central hall.
It is likely that these apartments were at least four
storeys high although they are now much
damaged.
The complex is a useful example of how the
Spanish Umayyads tried to copy the architecture
and protocol of their more powerful ancestors. In