British Academy: The UK's National Academy for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Rescuing Islamic urbanism: Samarra and the Caliphs
Professor Alastair Northedge (Université de Paris) on behalf of the British School of Archaeology in Iraq
The 9th-century Abbasid city of Samarra, north of Baghdad, is now being destroyed through neglect, misuse, and military action but the BSAI-sponsored archaeological survey will ensure that knowledge of this important Islamic centre is preserved for posterity.
The British School of Archaeology in Iraq was the sponsor of this survey and publisher of the final report. Professor Northedge’s work on Samarra was also sponsored by the Fondation Max van Berchem, Geneva.
For further information, visit: www.britac.ac.uk/institutes/iraq; www.dur.ac.uk/derek.kennet/samarra.htm
Summary
The Abu Dulaf spiral minaret at
Samarra, 859-861 AD. Photography
© Paul Fox
Samarra, on the Tigris north of Baghdad, was the second, short-lived capital of the Abbasid caliphate (836-892 AD). It is one of the finest surviving plans of an ancient capital city, preserved as earth mounds, and offering the possibility of a range of urban studies not practicable elsewhere. The survey project, begun in 1983, started on the ground and has subsequently exploited aerial and satellite imagery. The first volume, Historical Topography of Samarra, was published in 2006. The second volume, Archaeological Atlas of Samarra, publishing the maps and plans of the circa 6000 buildings spread over 58 km2, is now ready for publication.
Samarra played a central role in the development of Arab and Islamic culture: a turning point in the development of Islamic art, and the city where much Arab literature, particularly poetry, was composed. The notion of Samarra still resonates among Arabs from Tangier to Baghdad, as well as with Turks and Iranians. The candidature of Samarra as a UNESCO World Heritage site was voted on in June 2007.
In the present insecure situation in Iraq, lack of government control has led to substantial degradation of the remains by ploughing, and military action has bulldozed a lengthy earth wall across the centre of the site, in addition to the recent destruction of the Askari Shrine. Detailed surface recording proved to be an economic and positive way to secure knowledge of Samarra for the future, at a time when little can be done to influence events on the ground.