Bab Al-Halba Tower Between Repeal and Excavation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31973/aj.v1i136.1272Keywords:
Bab Al-Halba, Tower, BaghdadAbstract
For a century, the base of Bab Al-Halba tower remained lying under the excesses, rubble and wheel remnants, the tower was subjected to vandalism, weakness and deliberate destruction by the Ottoman government after losing the First World war and it turned into a trace after it was visible.
After that, the researchers started to argue about the nature of this material, the controversy has continued about the nature of the voussoir's material from which the entrance of the arch of Bab Al- Halba Tower was constructed, it is one of the gates of the eastern wall of Baghdad, naming as that according to the land in where Bab Al - Halba was built, this land was a race track or playground for the Chaugan sport at that time before building the tower (Table No.1).
Bab Al- Halba was known locally as Bab Al- Talsim,(·) this naming came late, relatively to the decoration of the bricks that adorn the spandrels of its entrance arch (Table No.2), The people at the time considered it as a talisman to protect the city from the evils of enemies , Ibn al-jawzi(part 9, p81), The tower was also known as Baroud Khana(·) ,relatively to the gunpowder in which it was stored , also known to the residents of Baghdad as Bab Al –Sheikh , for it is near to the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Al- Gilani, and the tower was translated by Guy le strange as the White Gate, (ak kapi) , However, the latter did not explain the reasons of the naming, Which is most likely a nickname given to places that maintain their peace in times of wars and invasions.
The reasons of this controversy attributed to several major things including:
The tower is un prominent as it was demolished on 11 of March 1917 at the end of First World War, when it was blown up by Ottoman troops at the time of their withdrawal from Baghdad; while the British troops were advancing in order to undermine the opportunity and prevent using the ammunition that deposited inside the tower, which it was set up for defending the wall, that led to scatter the tower into fragments and fall into piles of stones, and from that time till now the historical sources or archaeological discoveries have not mentioned yet the place of the tower or any indication of the structural foundations of it; that what we going to discuss after investigating between the folds of documents in the department of documentation of the state board of antiquities and heritage, and as a result no trace remains except what was discovered by pure coincidence , so it has not been highlighted during a period of nearly a century , as well as the historical sources (Non- specialized) did not mention the structural details of the arch in particular beside that , the identification of the type of structural details which have been used in making the voussoirs , whether they are joggled or were made as an interlocked for decorative purposes , in addition to the outstanding archaeological buildings in Baghdad and the nearby ones that date back to close periods of time from the construction of the tower in particular and the antiquity of Iraq in general from the outstanding ones or those that have been removed for great reasons did not provide us with examples for the type of voussoirs. What we get exclusively in this site are all that we have mentioned before of reasons that did not help the researchers in the field of architectural decorations of the bricks or even help those who searched in the buildings façades in making comparison between those voussoirs and the opinion of the researcher towards the nature of the building materials of the voussoirs, (al-Tamimi, 2014, footnote5, p.44). Therefore, most of the researchers including the owner of the research have relied on researchers who preceded us to know and seek the nature of voussoirs whether they are joggled or just architectural decorations that were carried out perfectly on the form of joggled; so, we present this study to stand on this problem and to give a new opinion, beside to look for the reasons of discovering the base of the tower which has not been published yet.
The nature of the research necessitated that it be organized into three topics:
-The first topic: A brief history of eastern walls of Baghdad between revocation, maintenance and documentation.
-The second topic: An exploration of the tower and the excavation and restoration works.
-The third topic: Methods of making joggled voussoirs, as well as the results of the research, an English summary and list of research sources and references.
- -al- talisman ,for more See - Al-Shahristani, Imam Abi Al-Fateh Muhammad bin Abdul Karim, (died 548 A.H) Al-MILAL WA AL-NAHL , investigated and commented by Ahmed Fahmy Mohamed, library of science books ,Beirut,2009,p2,p349; Ibn Khaldun, Abd al-Rahman, “Introduction” Kitab al-Ibr and the Diwan of the almubtada wa al khubar in the Days of the Arabs, Ajam, and Berbers and their Contemporary from the Great Sultan, Al-Muthanna Library, Baghdad, without history, vol.1, p. 496-498; Al-Tahanawi, Muhammad Ali, Encyclopedia of Idioms and Sciences, Presentation, Supervision and Participation by: Dr.George Zenari ,Lebanon library,Lebanon,1996,p1,p57.
- - Gunpowder is a store of gunpowder, which is a Turkish term. Consulting by prof. Dr. Imad Al-Din Salloum Al-Abbasi Specialist in oriental -
Farsi languages, College of Languages, on 3/12/2017 AD
Downloads
References
Al- Allaf, Abdul Karim, Old Baghdad, second edition, exported: His Excellency Professor Grand Muhammad Reza al-Shabibi, Presented: Ibrahim al-Wa`id, Arab Encyclopedias, Beirut, (1420 AH- 1999 AD).
Al- Dhahabi, Shams al-Din Muhammad bin Ahmed bin Othman (died: 748 AH), Siyar aʻlam al-nubalā, under the supervision of Shuaib Arna'oot, investigated: Salah Al-Samir, Al –Resala Institution, Beirut, and Part: XII, (1406AH-1986AD).
Al- Enzi, Marwan Salem Abdul-Ghafoor, Grape Leaf in Islamic Decoration to the end of the third century AH / ninth century AD, Unpublished Master's degree presented to the Advisory Board of college of Art, Baghdad University, department of Archeology, 2003 AD.
Al -Tamimi, Najat Ali Muhammad, " History of Excavation, Investigation and Conservation of Bab Khorasan Site in the Eastern Baghdad Wall (1938 -2014 AD), journal of basic education college, issue: 101, volume: 24, 2018AD.
Al -Tamimi, Najat Ali Muhammad, Voussoirs & Interlocking Stone in Arab Islamic Architecture up to the year 656 AH / 1258 CE, Unpublished PhD thesis, Baghdad university, College of Arts, Department of Archeology, Baghdad, 2014 AD.
Al-Adhami, Khaled Khalil, Wall Decorations in the Relics of Baghdad, Dar Al-Rasheed Publishing, Beirut, 1980 AD.
Al-Baghdadi, Ismail Pasha, The Gift of those who know, Arab Heritage Revival House, Beirut, Part II, 1955AD.
Al-Droubi, Abdul Al- Ghani, Al-Baghdadi News and Councils, Al- Rabita Press, Baghdad-1958AD.
Al-Hamwi, Shihab al-Din Abu Abdullah Yacout, Glossary of Countries, Arab Heritage Revival House, Beirut, Part: III, 1979AD.
Al-Qahwati, Hussein, the History of Iraq between the First and Second Ottoman Occupations, Master's thesis, Baghdad, 1983AD.
Al-Salabi, Ali Muhammad, The Ottoman Empire Reasons for Rise and Causes of the fall, second edition, knowledge House for printing and publishing, Beirut, 2005AD.
Al-Shahristani, Imam Abu Al- Fatah Muhammad bin Abdul Karim, (died: 548 AH), Boredom and Bees, Investigated: Ahmed Fahmy Muhammad, House of scientific books, Beirut, Part: II, 2009AD.
Al-Shammari, Ibrahim Sarhan, The tower of Arab Islamic architecture in Iraq until the end of Abbasid era, unpublished Master's degree, Baghdad University, college of Art, Department of Archeology, 1986AD.
al-Suyuti, Jalal al-Din Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Baker (died: 911AH), History of the Caliphs, investigated: Muhammad Mohiuddin Abd al-Hamid, Al - Saada Press, Egypt, 1952 AD.
Al-Tahanawi, Muhammad Ali, Index of Arts and Science Terminology, supervised: Dr. Rafik Al-Ajam, investigated: Dr. Ali Damerji, transferred the Persian text to Arabic: Abdullah Al-Khalidi, translated: George Zinari, Lebanon library, Lebanon, Part I, 1996AD.
Al-Zarkali, Khair Al-Din, Al- Aalam, fifth edition, Dar al-Alam for millions, Beirut, Part: I, 1980 AD.
Asim Muhammad Rizk, Lexicon of Architecture and Islamic Arts, Madbouly Library, Egypt, 2000 AD.
Candler, Edmund, the Long Road to Baghdad, London, Vol. II, 1919.
Ein galvanisches Element aus der Partherzeit? In: Forschungen und Fortschritte. Band 14, 1936.
Hassan, Ali Nuri, Historical Memory of Baghdad 766-2017, Dabouq Company of printing, Beirut, Lebanon -2017AD.
Huart, Clément, Baghdad Plans, translated: Naji Marouf Baghdad, 1961.
Ibn Al-Athir, Izz al-Din Abi al-Hassan Ali bin Abi al-Karam Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Abdul Karim bin Abdul Wahid al-Shaibani, Complete in History, Sader and Beirut House for Printing and Publishing, Part X ,1966AD.
Ibn al-Jawzi, Abi Faraj Abd al-Rahman bin Ali bin Muhammad bin Ali (died: 597 AH), Regular in the History of Kings and Nations, Dar Al-Maaref Ottoman press, Hyderabad Deccan, no year.
Ibn Jubair, Abu al-Hassan Muhammad bin Ahmed, Journey of Ibn Jubair to Egypt, Arab land, Iraq, Levant and Sicily in the Era of the Crusades, investigated: Dr. Hussein Nassar, Egypt Printing House, no date, no year.
Ibn Khaldun, Abdul Rahman '' Introduction" The Book of Lessons, and Diwan Al-Mubtada and Al-Khobar in the history of the Arabs and Berbers, and those of their contemporaries with the greatest interests, al-Muthanna Library, Baghdad, Part I, no date.
Jawad, Mustafa "Journey of Nippur '', translated: Mustafa Jawad, Sumer Magazine, volume: 20, Part: I - II, 1964 AD.
Kahala, Omar Radha, Dictionary of Writers of whose Classified Arabic Books, Muthanna Library, Arab Heritage Revival House, Part: V, Beirut.
Käte Fück: König: Im verlorenen Paradies. Neun Jahre Irak. In: Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft. Band 95 (Neue Folge Band 20), Nr. 3/4, 1940.
Makdisi, George, al-Islam al-Hnbli, Arab Research and Publication Network, Beirut, 2017.
Mustafa Jawad and Ahmed Sousa, Detailed Map of Baghdad Guide (in old and new Baghdad plans, Library of Civilizations, Beirut, 2011.
Niebuhr, Carsten, and Nippur Trip to Iraq in the Eighteenth Century, translated: Mahmoud Hussein Al- Amin, Reviewed and prepared its indexes Salm al-Alousi, Ministry of Culture, Jordan, 2012AD.
Qudssi, Areen Shokat Salama," bin sir wtir": theorizing, aljmaaah life, and building the institution in Sufism Abu Hafs Omar Al- Sahrawardi, presented: Beirndtka, scientific book house, Beirut, 2012AD.
Rajab, Ghazi Muhammad, Arab Architecture in the Islamic era in Iraq, Baghdad, 1989AD.
Sarkis, Elian, The Arabic Publications Glossary, Library of Ayatollah al-Marashli al-Najafi, Bahman Press, city of Qom, Part: I, (1410AH -1990AD).
State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Department of Investigations and Excavations, Remote Sensing Section.
State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Department of Studies, Documentation Section, report of November 1979 AD, about restorations and excavation works of eastern Wall of Baghdad and its entrances.
State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Department of Studies, Documentation Section, a report of discovering talisman gate and works of excavations and restorations at this ancient monument gate, 1979-1980 AD, (18 –H. T).
State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Department of Studies, Documentation Section, a report about restoration and excavation works at eastern wall of Baghdad and Bab al-Wastani for the month of January 1980AD.
State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, Department of Studies, Documentation Section, a report of discovering Bab al-Talisman and works of restoration and excavation at this ancient monument gate 1979-1980, (18 –H. T).
Streck Maximilian, plans of Baghdad and ancient rivers of Iraq "Historical Planning Study" translated: Khaled Ismael Ali, The Iraqi Academy of Science, Baghdad 1986AD.
Suleiman, Amer, Aspects of the ancient Iraq civilization –Iraq in History, Dar Al-Hurriyah Public Printing, Baghdad, 1983AD.
Walter Andrae: Babylon: Die versunkene Weltstadt und ihr Ausgräber Robert Koldewey, (Hrsg.) Walter de Gruyter & Co., Berlin, 1952.
Wilhelm könig, Im verlorenen Paradies. Neun Jahre Irak. Rohrer, Baden. Bei Wien u. a. 1940.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright and Licensing:
For all articles published in Al-Adab journal, copyright is retained by the authors. Articles are licensed under an open access Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, meaning that anyone may download and read the paper for free. In addition, the article may be reused and quoted provided that the original published version is cited. These conditions allow for maximum use and exposure of the work.
Reproducing Published Material from other Publishers: It is absolutely essential that authors obtain permission to reproduce any published material (figures, schemes, tables or any extract of a text) which does not fall into the public domain, or for which they do not hold the copyright. Permission should be requested by the authors from the copyrightholder (usually the Publisher, please refer to the imprint of the individual publications to identify the copyrightholder).
Permission is required for: Your own works published by other Publishers and for which you did not retain copyright.
Substantial extracts from anyones' works or a series of works.
Use of Tables, Graphs, Charts, Schemes and Artworks if they are unaltered or slightly modified.
Photographs for which you do not hold copyright.
Permission is not required for: Reconstruction of your own table with data already published elsewhere. Please notice that in this case you must cite the source of the data in the form of either "Data from..." or "Adapted from...".
Reasonably short quotes are considered fair use and therefore do not require permission.
Graphs, Charts, Schemes and Artworks that are completely redrawn by the authors and significantly changed beyond recognition do not require permission.
Obtaining Permission
In order to avoid unnecessary delays in the publication process, you should start obtaining permissions as early as possible. If in any doubt about the copyright, apply for permission. Al-Adab Journal cannot publish material from other publications without permission.
The copyright holder may give you instructions on the form of acknowledgement to be followed; otherwise follow the style: "Reproduced with permission from [author], [book/journal title]; published by [publisher], [year].' at the end of the caption of the Table, Figure or Scheme.
How to Cite
