کربلا
Al-Ukhaidir is a great fortified palace of the early Abbasid period, standing alone in the desert about 50 kilometres south-west of Karbala. It is usually…
Al-Ukhaidir is a great fortified palace of the early Abbasid period, standing alone in the desert about 50 kilometres south-west of Karbala. It is usually dated to around 775 and attributed to Isa ibn Musa, a nephew of the first Abbasid caliphs. Its massive outer walls, about 20 metres high and lined with round towers, enclose a palace of courtyards, vaulted halls and a mosque, and it is one of the best-preserved buildings of its age anywhere in the Islamic world. It is a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site and can be visited as a day trip from Karbala or Najaf.