Abbasid Palace of Baghdad

The building known as the Abbasid Palace stands beside the river in old Baghdad, a two-storey brick structure around a courtyard with tiers of pointed arcades and an iwan whose vault carries elaborate muqarnas, the honeycomb corbelling that is one of the signatures of the period. It dates from the late twelfth or thirteenth century, and whether it was a palace or a madrasa has been argued both ways; some scholars identify it with the Sharabiyya madrasa. Whichever it was, it is one of the few substantial pieces of Abbasid civil architecture left standing in the city that the dynasty built. The brickwork is the point: laid in patterns, cut and set into panels, and worked into the vaults overhead.

What to look for

• Muqarnas vaulting - honeycomb corbelling in the iwan ceiling.
• Tiered arcades - two storeys of pointed arches around the court.
• Patterned brickwork - the decorative laying and cutting of the brick.
• The river setting - the building standing on the Tigris bank.

When to go

November to March for comfortable weather; the courtyard is open to the sky. Mornings give the best light on the brick. Opening hours are irregular and worth confirming.

Practical notes

The interior is empty and there is no display or interpretation. Whether the building was a palace at all is unsettled, and the signage does not explain that. Opening is unreliable. The surrounding quarter is congested.

Nearby

The Mustansiriya madrasa is close; the Qishla lies south.