The fortified half-round city of al-Rafiqa.

A.  This city was founded by the caliph al-Mansur around AD 772, soon surrounded by additional suburbs and palace complexes, most of which remained unfortified. (after N. Hagen et al.)

1.--fortified wall surrounding al-Rafiqa, with a moat all around except outside the southern wall overlooking the Euphrates River;

2.--North Gate;

3.--Bab al Sibal, East Gate;

4.--Bab Baghdad, south-eastern gate;

5.--West Gate;

6.--main mosque;

7.--cistern;

8.--surviving grid pattern of streets;

9.--Qasr al-Banat small palace;

10.--main palace of the caliph Harun al-Rashid;

11.--"Ayyubid citadel, late 12th or early 13th century;

12.--suburb of 9th or 10th century;

13.--suburb o al-Raqqa al-Muhtariqa;

14.-- 15.--irrigation and drainage canals;

16.--defensive wall built by Tahir ibn al-Husayn.

B. North Gate of al-Rafiqa (after N. Hagen et al.)