Palace of the Green Dome
The Palace of the Green Dome (Arabic: قصر القبة الخضراء), also known as the Caliphal Palace[1] or the Palace of the Golden Gate (Arabic: قصر باب الذهب)[2] was the residence of the Abbasid caliph and the royal family in Baghdad. Located at the center of the Round City, it was surrounded by lush gardens with a number of official and military buildings in the surrounding complex.
The palace suffered considerable damage during the Siege of Baghdad in the early 9th century and ceased being used as a royal residence, becoming neglected. The building was eventually destroyed in 941, when heavy rainfalls, and possibly a thunderbolt strike, led to its collapse.[3]
History[edit | edit source]
In the 860s, the Zanj rebels led by Ali ibn Muhammad planned to attack the palace to capitalize on the caliphate's political instability caused by Abu 'Abdallah and al-Musta'in's fighting for the throne.[4] After learning that Qabiha, the late caliph al-Mutawakkil's concubine, was the Order of the Ancients' leader in Baghdad, the Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq decided to infiltrate the palace to eliminate her.[5]
Taking advantage of the Zanj rebels' attack on the complex, Basim opened the palace's gates to let the rebels in so that they would create as much chaos as possible and allow him to reach Qabiha undetected. Once inside the palace, Basim encountered both Abu 'Abdallah, who told him where he could find Qabiha, and the concubine's servant Makira, whom he tailed to Qabiha's study. After unlocking the entrance to Qabiha's hideout, Basim confronted and chased her to the palace's bathhouse.[5]
When Qabiha revealed her knowledge of Basim's true nature, the Hidden One hesitated to kill her, prompting his master Roshan, who had secretly followed him, to assassinate the Order leader instead. Following an argument between Basim and Roshan, the latter left the palace after warning her apprentice against investigating a temple in Alamut that Qabiha had spoken of. Basim was able to escape the palace as well, though not before Abu 'Abdallah alerted the guards to his presence, causing them to pursue the Hidden One.[5]
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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The Zanj rebels gathered in front of the palace's gate -
An eunuch letting Basim through one of the palace's locked doors -
Basim confronting Makira in Qabiha's study -
Basim facing Qabiha in the palace's bathhouse -
Basim fighting guards in the palace's courtyard
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage (first appearance)
- Echoes of History (mentioned only)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage
- ↑ Echoes of History – Baghdad Soundwalks – Episode 8: The Palace of the Golden Gate
- ↑
Palace of the Golden Gate on Wikipedia
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Head of the Snake
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Assassin's Creed: Mirage – The Serpent's Nest