Abbasid Palace

The Abbasid Palace (القصر العباسي) is an ancient Abbasid complex and an Iraqi historical palace located near the Tigris river on al-Rusafa side of Baghdad, Iraq. North of al-Mutanabbi Street and a part of al-Maidan area. The palace dates back to the 12th century and was built by Abbasid Caliph al-Nasir (although this is disputed) and was used as a walkable and observant fort for the Caliph. The Abbasid Palace is one of the few remaining examples of Abbasid-era buildings in Baghdad along with al-Mustansiriya Madrasa, al-Khulafa Mosque, and more.

The Abbasid Palace is considered one of the most important archaeological buildings in Baghdad due to its age and Islamic architecture which is considered distinct from later Arab architecture styles. The area in which the palace is located in, as well as the palace itself, are a part of a tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Background
The palace was said to be built under the reign of Abbasid Caliph al-Nasir and includes special examples of Islamic architecture and façade of that time. The palace was left abandoned until 1980 under the leadership of former president Saddam Hussein when the palace was restored to its current form and also served as the headquarters for the former Iraqi House of Culture and Arts.

Debate on the Palace's origins
Researchers and historians studying the palace gave it many names according to their opinions and research. It was first called Iwan al-Qala'a or the Palace of the Castle. They also debated on which of the Abbasid palaces this one was. Some historians, including Iraqi historians Mustafa Jawad and Ya'qub Sarkis, supported the idea that it was the palace of al-Nasir, relying on historical and schematic evidence, including what Andalusian traveler Ibn Jubayr mentioned on his trip to Baghdad where he reported seeing Caliph al-Nasir as he descended with his boat to his palace at the top of the eastern side on the Tigris River's shore. This matches with the location of the palace as it is at the top of the eastern side along with the old wall of Baghdad that still has its foundations remaining in the wall of the palace. Al-Nasir demolished the walls and built this palace in its place between 1180 and 1184. Although it was also argued that the palace may belong to Caliph al-Mustansir and that the building was a madrasa called "al-Sharabi Madrasa" instead of a Caliph's palace. Nevertheless, the complex became known as the "Abbasid Palace."

Recent development
In May 2018, a ceremony was held inside the Abbasid Palace that included poetry readings accompanied by playing the oud, followed by the playing of Sufi compositions by a band, maqam songs from the Iraqi heritage, a plastic art exhibition and a folklore bazaar that included accessories, handmade carpets and handicrafts. The event saw a crowded and diverse audience and also the supervision of Director General of the Department of Public Cultural Relations, Falah Hassan Shaker. This event also gave two main messages. The fist is sending a message to the world that Iraqis are proud of their heritage and civilization, with everyone participating in reviving the occasion, and the other message was aimed towards the Iraqi government with the need to pay attention to Iraqi archaeological sites and heritage buildings. The supervisor of the Baghdad file, the City of Literary Creativity, Dr. Sadiq Rahma, praised the event, saying, “The Abbasid Palace is a new creative space in which we can hold future activities, and the activity of the Department of Cultural Relations today is one of the best cultural activities, especially after its rehabilitation, which was completely neglected.”

On March 26, 2022, the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities, Hassan Nazim, visited the Abbasid Palace to inspect the complex in order to restore and preserve it after its role as an important heritage landmark was recognized.

Gate
The gate of the complex is located on the western side of the building which faces the Tigris River and it leads to the rectangular courtyard. The gate to the palace consists of an altar with a roof decorated with carvings and benches designated for guards and servants. It is the entrance to the palace and the altar to the side of the Grand Palace. It is more than 21 meters long and is surrounded by two niches in the form of a large, full circle, and is engraved with Qur’anic verses. It is considered the largest heritage Abbasid arch in Baghdad in the ornate Islamic architectural style.

Layout
The palace is notable for its special architectural carving style in Islamic architecture which is similar to that of al-Mustansiriya Madrasa. Inside the complex is a rectangular courtyard with a large fountain in the middle, the courtyard is distinguished by brick decorations of different sizes and shapes. Surrounded by the courtyard are corridors and vestibules and each of which is more than 26 meters long and more than nine meters high. The corridors contain muqarnas and open up to the courtyard through pointed arches. Entering the palace, one can feel cold air surrounding them, this is because the building was designed to be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The bricks of the building that were used for walls and ceilings were exposed to high temperatures so that they can be more durable and solid. Decorative bricks were exposed to medium and light temperatures so that the sculptor and engineer could make decorations and sculptures out of them. The walls of the building are thick which made the palace fortified and durable. The ground floor includes 18 rooms while the second floor contains 22. Among the rooms is a Iwan, madrasa rooms and a prayer mosque. Parts of the complex are also decorated with arabesque motifs which originated in Baghdad. The bricked arches and iwans of the palace include vaulted recesses and are filled with carved geometric decorations.