BBC World Histories - 08.2019 - 09.2019

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SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Historic cities

An artist’s impression of

early Abbasid-era Baghdad,

a vast round city ranged

around the caliph’s palace

Baghdad

12th–13th century

Grand city of marble palaces and

spotless streets, centre of trade,

learning and the arts

Founded on a circular plan on the banks

of the Tigris in AD 762 by Caliph

al-Mansur, in the ninth century

Baghdad was the world’s largest city –

a centre of learning and the arts to rival

ancient Athens. It suffered a decline

from about 1000, but remained a

flourishing city and capital of the

Abbasid Caliphate until 1258, when it

was sacked by the Mongols, who killed

most of the population and destroyed its

vital canal system.

In the late 1160s or early 1170s,

Benjamin of Tudela – a Jewish traveller

from northern Spain – described a

round city, 20 miles in circumference.

At its heart was the vast palace of the

caliph, whom Tudela did not name

but whom he clearly saw as trustworthy

and benevolent, a good friend to

Baghdad’s large Jewish community.

The caliph lived most of the year

in seclusion, appearing in the city just

once a year during the festival of Eid

al-Fitr (marking the end of Ramadan,

the holy month of fasting), when he

was accompanied by princes from

across the Islamic world. On that occa-

sion “he rides on a mule, and dressed in

royal robes of gold and silver and fine

linen; on his head is a turban adorned

with precious stones and over the turban

is a black shawl as a sign of his modesty,

implying that all this glory will be cov-

ered by darkness on the day of death...

The road he takes along the riverside is

watched all year through so that no man

shall tread in his footsteps.”

Sixty years later, another man

described his visit: Yaqut al-Hamawi,

born in Constantinople, who was the

associate of a Baghdadi trader. He saw

Baghdad as “a veritable city of palaces,

made of marble. The buildings are

usually of several storeys, the palaces

and mansions gilded and lavishly

decorated, and hung with beautiful

tapestry and hangings of brocade or silk.

The rooms are tastefully furnished with

luxurious divans, costly tables, Chinese

vases and gold and silver ornaments.

“The water gates are guarded night

and day,” he continued. “Every

household is supplied with water at all

seasons by the numerous aqueducts

which intersect the town; the streets,

gardens and parks are regularly swept

and watered, and no refuse is allowed to

remain within the walls. An immense

square in front of the palace is used for

reviews, military inspections, tourna-

ments and races; at night the square and

the streets are lighted by lamps.

“The scene on the river is animated

by thousands of gondolas, decked with

flags, dancing like sunbeams on the

water, and carrying the pleasure-seeking

citizens from one part of the city to the

other. Along the quays lie whole fleets

at anchor, sea and river craft of all kinds,

from Chinese junks to old Assyrian rafts

resting on inflated skins.”

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