Further on about 188 km from Aleppo (105 Km from Deir
Ezzor) a road crosses the Euphrates to the left and leads to Raqqa,
6 km away. One of those cities that after an impressing flow of
rural immigrants, has known such a vigourous growth that it looks
today rather like an immense village. It can also claim a long
past since it was founded in the 4th century B.C by Alexander
the Great when it was selected by Haroun Al Rasheed as a summer
residence. It was built in 772 by the Caliph Al Mansour on the
same plan as the round city of Bagdad. You will see the Bagdad
gate, a monumental brick construction of the Abbassid period opened
in a wall still party preserved, and 2.5 km from there the ruins
of palace of the early 9th century
Nothing remains of the Abbasside Great Mosque, as it was to totally
destroyed then reconstructed: its minaret was raised again by
Noureddin in 1166
Jabar Citade
is one of the Seleucid fortresses. Situated to the west of Raqqa,
it stands on a spit of land and is reflected in the blue waters
of the Euphrates.
During the Roman-Byzantine period, it was named Sergiopolis in
the honor of Saint Sergius. It looks like an emerald oasis on
the way of commercial caravans. The Arabs Gassanites had an interest
in it and made it their capital. Al – Munzir Bin Jableh
built his palace there
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At the Omayyad period, the caliph Hisham Bin
Abdul Malek lived and hunted there. When the news of Holagu's
crimes in Bagdad reached the inhabitants of Rasafeh, they
left to Salamieh and deserted. Ar'Rasafeh remained with
its huge buildings to tell about its glory . |
