Palatine Cities in Islam

The study of the nature and evolution of palatine cities in Islam is no easy matter, and the issue has been paid little attention to date, collectively or individually; there are, however, some notable exceptions, among them the Alhambra. In general, the seat of power and the residence of the ruler were to undergo a radical transformation during the Middle Ages; the transition from the camp-cities of Kūfa, Baṣra, and Fusṭāṭ to the early palatine cities, such as Bagdād or Samarra, was swift. One of the reasons behind this quick evolution was the rapid growth of royal courts (especially the Abbasid), which over time demanded an ever greater range of services and personnel around the exercise of power.

These cities present a full urban scheme, although sometimes reduced to its most basic expression, owing to space limitations: perimeter wall; residential area for palace officials and guests; central mosque; baths, commercial and industrial area; and, of course, the palatial area itself.

The main function of these cities is, first and foremost, to display power – the power of the emir or sultan that inhabits it and the dynasty to which they belong. This function is clear in the first palace-city to have been built in al-Andalus, Madīnat al-Zahrā’.