Dictionary of islamic architecture

See also:
Central Asia, Merv
Further reading:
G.A.Pugachenkava, ‘Puti razvitiya arkhitekturi Iuzhnogo
Turkmenistana pori rabovladeniya’, 
Trudi
IuzhnoTurkmenistanskoi Arkheologicheskoi Ekspeditsii
6,
1958.
Turkmenistan

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294
Ukhaidhir
Early Abbasid palace in the desert of south-western Iraq.
The palace stands in the desert west of the city of
Kerbala and east of the oasis of Shithatha. The building
is made out of rough-hewn limestone blocks and mud
plaster with baked brick used for roofing vaults,
resembling earlier Sassanian structures (cf. Kharana
in Jordan). The palace may be divided into two
structural phases, a central palace core and an outer
enclosure wall added slightly later. The exterior
curtain wall is composed of tall blind niches
alternating with solid semi-circular buttress towers.
On top of the wall there was a parapet which was
cantilevered over the niches allowing a continuous
series of slits (machicolation) which could protect the
lower parts of the wall from attack. The main gateway
is set between two quarter-round towers and contains
a slot for a portcullis. To the right of the entrance on
the outside there is a large stable block. The central
core of the palace contains a mosque, a bath house
and a main reception hall. The upper floor is reached
by ramps running up at right angles to the axis of
the main gateway. There are small tunnels running
over the main vaults which provided cool-ing and
ventilation.
Recent survey work in the vicinity of Ukhaidhir
has demonstrated the development of the area
during the early Isalmic period, starting with the
small palace at Tulul Ukhaidhir several kilometres
to the north of the main palace. In addition there is
an outer mud-brick enclosure containing a variety
of mud-brick buildings which are now only visible
as humps.