Al-Ukhaidir Fortress

The Castle or the Palace of Uchaidir (775 AD) around 120 kilometers southwest of Baghdad in Al Anbar province was a country palace of the Umayyad. In sources and publications of the name is also listed with Ukhaidir, Ukhaidher, Ukhayder and Ukhaydir.

Appearance

His three-division reflects the usual in many nomad camps construction resists: In the middle of a large courtyard at the head of which the audience hall and private apartments of the ruler are. Are grouped around small courtyards "houses" of Entourage at the two lateral third. The monumental, 17 -meter-high facade is divided by 48/2 round towers and attached between the twin arches

Excavations

The British historian and archaeologist Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell (1868-1926) met in their travels in March 1909 a huge ruin of stone and wood, which had been described at that time by anyone yet archaeologists scientifically. The locals called this place " Uchaidir " and she worked for days on the careful measurement of originating from the sixth century castle, which she described years later as the finest example of Sasanian art. The present appearance of the castle dates back to restoration in recent decades.