Iraq after the Muslim Conquest - Michael G. Morony

ADMINISTRATION

Fig. 3. The iwan Kisra at Mada'in (after Dieulafoy). Engraving by Barclay in
J. Dieulafoy, La Perse, La Chaldee et la Susiane (Paris, 1887), facing p. 556.

which had originally been placed on the northeast side of the masjid,

was rebuilt of unbaked brick and clay against the south (qih/a) wall

of the masjid, and a maq$iira was built in front of the door leading

to the palace to protect the governor from attack while he was wor-

shiping.^166

In fact, the Muslims continued to use the royal buildings at Mada'in

for public purposes beginning with the fall of the city of 637, when

Sa'd set up a pulpit in the great Sasanian audience hall (the [wan

Kisra) and used it as a masjid.^167 Afterwards, we are told, the first

governors of Mada'in, Salman ai-Paris! and I:Iudhayfa ibn al-Yaman,

"resided" at the [wan Kisra,168 and in 661, during his brief claim to

the caliph ate, al-I:Iasan ibn 'All went to Mada'in and settled in the

White Palace of the Sasanians,169 In 696 the local governor, Mu!arrif

ibn al-Mughira, held an audience in the [wan (see fig. 3).170

166 Baladhurl, FutulJ, pp. 277, 347-48.

167 Tabarl, Ta'Tzkh, 1,2441,2443,2444.

168 Ya'qubi, Les pays, tr. G. Wiet (Cairo, 1957), p. 163.

169 Dinawari, AkhbiiT at-tiwiil, p. 231; Tabari, Ta'nkh, I, 2.

170 Tabari, Ta'Tzkh, 11, 980.