Ukhaydir

the ruins of a fortified palace of the Abbasid caliphs dating from the second half of the eighth century; located southwest of Karbala in central Iraq. Ukhaydir, an outstanding monument of early medieval Iraqi architecture, was surrounded by a wall with towers and vaulted gates. The north gate leads to the symmetrical palace, which incorporates interior courtyards, iwans, a square main hall, and a mosque. The first three stories of the structures of Ukhaydir, made of worked limestone, have survived.