Madinat al-Zāhira: Has Spain's Legendary Lost Palace-City Been Found

The location of the magnificent Madinat al-Zāhira has intrigued researchers for over a thousand years, now archaeologists believe they may have found it.

Credit: University of Cordoba

This city, remembered (though largely forgotten) as an architectural marvel blending Islamic, Roman, and Visigothic styles, and featured lavish palaces and gorgeous gardens. Madinat al-Zāhira (which translates to "The Resplendent City") was historically significant, built by the Umayyad caliphate of al-Andalus, a formidable Muslim empire that ruled the Iberian Peninsula. The city symbolized the end of that regime, as it was sacked during a civil war in 1010, wiping it from the map.

Recently, a researcher from the University of Córdoba presented compelling evidence suggesting that he may have discovered the city - in the Pendolillas Hills on the eastern edge of Córdoba - using ground-penetrating LiDAR technology.

As it was built to impress, the surveyed area of the once fortified city aligns with expectations, spanning approx. 300 acres (120 hectares). It would have been large enough to accommodate a monumental capital that served as the political and administrative headquarters Almanzor - a powerful ruler of the Spanish Islamic Umayyad al-Andalus empire.

If this truly is the long-lost and long-sought location of the legendary city of Madinat al-Zāhira, one can only hope that resources are made available to excavate the site. OGN will keep you posted.

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