The construction of al-Madinat al-Zahra’ (Medina Azahara) began in 936 during the reign of ‘Abd al-Rahman III (912–961) and continued during the reign of his son al-Hakam II (961–976). It was burned in 1010 by the Berbers. The town was organized on three terraces descending toward the river Guadalquivir and occupied a surface of 115 ha, of which only five percent has been excavated. Although in ruins, the terraces were still visible in the twelfth century: al-Idrisi referred to gardens and orchards in the middle terrace. The Lower Terrace was probably overlooked by a reception hall that has not yet been excavated and by a pavilion of the Upper Garden. It had a quadripartite shape with a pool underneath the reception hall.
Sources: Court Chronicle, 10th century | Archaeological Analysis, 20th century
-Antonio Almagro, Luis Ramón-Laca
Resources:
La arquitectura en al-Andalus en torno al año 1000: Madinat al-Zahra (Open in Zotero)
Anales palatinos del Califa de Córdoba al-Hakam II (Open in Zotero)
Descripción de Espana (obra del siglo XII) (Open in Zotero)
Los jardines de Madinat al-Zahra’ (Open in Zotero)
The History of the Mohammedan Dynasties in Spain: Extracted from the Nafhu-t-tíb min ghosni-l-Andalusi-r-rattíb wa táríkh lisánu-d-dín Ibni-l-Khattíb (Open in Zotero)
El proyecto urbanístico del estado califal: Madinat al Zahra’ (Open in Zotero)
Originally published at:
Almagro, Antonio, and Luis Ramón-Laca. “Lower Terrace of the Alcázar, al-Madinat al-Zahra’.” Middle East Garden Traditions. Dumbarton Oaks, November 18, 2014. https://www.doaks.org/resources/middle-east-garden-traditions/catalogue#b_start=0&c6=Andalusian++Gardens. Archived at: https://perma.cc/J8KF-DV5P
