Al-Ukhaidir Fortress

The palace-fortress of Ukhaidir (or Ukhaydir) stands beside a wadi on the edge of the Arabian desert. It has a high external wall with round towers and a number of internal courtyards. The construction, in stone, was influenced by the style of the Sassanian (Persian) empire which had been overrun by Arab armies a century earlier. One can see Ukhaidir as a staging post on the road to the Alhambra. It encloses an outdoor space, but it is not a garden in the horticultural sense of the word

The Fortress of Al-Ukhaidir or Abbasid palace of Ukhaider is located roughly 50 km south of Karbala, Iraq. It is a large, rectangular fortress erected in 775 AD with a unique defensive style. Constructed by the Abbasid caliph's As-Saffah's nephew Isa ibn Musa, Ukhaidir represents architectural innovation in the structures of its courtyards, residences and mosque. Excavations at Ukhaidir were conducted in the late 19th century by Gertrude Bell. Ukhaider was an important stop on regional trade routes, similar to Atshan and Mujdah. The complex comprises a primary hall, a big Iwan, a reception hall and servants quarters. The fortress exemplifies Abbasid architecture in Iraq by demonstrating the "despotic and the pleasure-loving character of the dynasty" in its grand size but cramped living quarters.

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