Ancient City of Raqqa
unknown (Islamic)
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Alternative Titles
Ancient City of al-Rafiqa
Ancient City of Kallinikos
City of Al-Rafika
Raqqah
Date
772Description
general view, view of modern construction in town, 1971 or earlier "City in northern Syria on the east bank of the Euphrates River, 250 km east of Aleppo. The site has long been occupied: the antique city of Kallinikos was succeeded by al-Rafiqa, a new settlement founded by the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur next to it in 772, which later took the name of Raqqa. Harun al-Rashid (reg 786–809), disliking Baghdad, made Raqqa his capital for part of his reign. It declined in importance in the following centuries, despite a brief revival under the Zangid dynasty (reg 1127–1222). Although the city was virtually deserted by the early 20th century, it has been reborn, and the modern town is fast enveloping the medieval site. Nearly all of Raqqa was built in brick. Substantial parts of the original congregational mosque, rebuilt by the Zangid ruler Nur al-Din in 1165–6, and the city walls remain, along with the 12th-century Baghdad Gate, long attributed to the city’s founding. An extramural congregational mosque and cemetery outside the Baghdad Gate survived until the 1980s. Excavations since the 1950s in the area outside the walled city uncovered mansions of the late 8th century. Like the residences at Samarra’ (see Samarra’, §2), they are decorated with carved stucco, but they do not show the Bevelled style identified with Samarra’. A 12th-century palace (rest.) has a basilical reception hall facing a courtyard with three iwans, and muqarnas brackets and squinch fillings. Excavations have revealed evidence for the production of early Abbasid glazed wares, as well as the medieval lustrewares traditionally attributed to the site (see Islamic art, §V, 3(ii))."
Type of Work
CitySubject
City walls, Capital cities, Ruined cities, Harun al-Rashid, Caliph, ca. 763-809, Islamic cities and towns, Architecture, Islamic --Syria, Nur al-Din, Atabeg of Syria, 1118-1174, Mansur, Abu Jafar, Caliph, ca. 712-775
Rights
Rights Statement
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Item is Part of
124912