City of Madinat al-Zahra

Various writers have cited 936 as the date when the city's construction began. The city flourished for approximately 80 years[1]. It was practically abandoned in the twelfth century and, in the sixteenth century, it was no longer considered as the palatial city of the Umayyads but a Roman ruins. Excavation work and studies begun in 1911 have unearthed part of the original city[2].

Enormous sums of money were spent in the construction and decoration of the city of Madinat al-Zahra, and many different materials were imported from various countries, including Syria, Tunisia, and France. This urbanistic project, which was one of the most ambitious projects of the caliphate period, was part of a political, economic, and ideological programme initiated by ʿAbd al-Raḥmān III after his proclamation as caliph. He wanted to demonstrate his new-found political power to the rival Fatimid Caliphate, whose expansionism in the Maghrib was threatening old Umayyad interests in the region.

The Palatine city comprised the caliph's court, and the administrative departments and organs of the caliphate. Literary sources mention eastern craftsmen from Baghdad, Damascus, and Constantinople, Byzantine mosaicists (from Rome and Carthage), marblers, and a whole range of craftsmen with different specialities. The plan is very irregular—this is partly due to the fact that the city was built on the slopes of the Djebel el-‘Arus, creating variations in height. It was surrounded by a wall with doors and rectangular towers, and laid out in a hierarchical way on three terraces. The upper part, where the air was fresher and there was a view of the Guadalquivir River, comprised buildings reserved for the court and administration. Below were extensive gardens and a menagerie, and the Median where the craftsmen and merchants lived. Below the second terrace was the Arab-plan mosque, with five naves perpendicular to the qibla wall. Movement through the city was by means of sloping, vaulted streets, and steps, some of which bear traces of dark red decoration.

The upper area, where most of the excavations have taken place, is divided into two main areas. The area to the west comprised the private living quarters of the caliph and the dignitaries. Some of these dwellings had a large courtyard, around which were arranged the living areas. Some of these buildings, which were given names, such as the Dār al-Mulk (house of power), have a basilical plan. There are some interesting traces of decoration in a particularly sumptuous house, known as the house of Ja‘far. The famous fountain with twelve animals may have originated in the house's courtyard, and the bronze stag in the Córdoba[3] museum may have belonged to this fountain.

The other area to the East comprises semi-public and official areas. These were accessed after crossing a vast esplanade and travelling down a road from Córdoba, used by ambassadors and distinguished guests. Here is found the Dār al-Jund, a large basilical-plan residence, which no doubt belonged to an important dignitary. The Salon Rico, the reception hall of Abd al-Raḥmān III, is practically in the centre of the city. It opened onto a large ornamental lake and gardens that have now been recreated. Adjacent to the hall are private baths. The hall had a tripartite plan with a basilical centre for the caliph's throne. The arches rest on marble columns alternating in pink and blue, like those in the part of the Great Mosque of Córdoba constructed by al-Hakam II. The sumptuous decorative elements have survived: arch-stones alternating in red and white, finely worked marble capitals and column bases, and tufa slabs ornamented with geometric and floral motifs with red bordering. Some of the motifs are similar to those in the part of the Great Mosque of Córdoba constructed by al-Hakam. The signatures on the bases and capitals of the columns and literary sources mention the names of craftsmen and the master masons (Badr, Nasr, Fatah, and Tariq), some of whom had travelled a great distance to work on the city.

[2] Only a tenth of the site has been unearthed—excavation work is currently underway.

[3] Corpus file