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The Founding of al-Mutawakkiliyya

تأسيس المتوكلية

Samarra

In al-Baladhuri: al-Mutawakkil succeeded in Dhu al-Hijja 232, dwelt at al-Haruni and built much; he granted the people qati'as behind Sur man Ra'a in the preserve al-Mu'tasim had walled, and they spread through it; he built a congregational mosque at vast cost and had its minaret raised so the muezzins' voices would carry — visible from parasangs away — gathering the people who left the first mosque. Then he founded a city he named al-Mutawakkiliyya, between Karkh Fayruz and Qatul Kisra, absorbing the hamlet called al-Ma'huza, built its mosque, granted its qati'as and dwelt there in the first of 246 — a few months after founding it — dying there in Shawwal 247; al-Muntasir succeeded that night and moved back to Sur man Ra'a on Tuesday the tenth of Shawwal.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Early Abbasid Caliphate
Region
Levant & Iraq
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

In space

Samarra

Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph

Overview

Al-Baladhuri reports that al-Mutawakkil was installed as caliph in Dhu al-Hijja 232 AH, lodged at al-Haruni and built a great deal, then founded a city he named al-Mutawakkiliyya near Samarra. 1

The building

He granted people estates in the enclosure that al-Mu'tasim had fenced off. He built a congregational mosque, on which he spent a great deal, and raised its minaret until it could be seen from several farsakhs. Then he founded al-Mutawakkiliyya between al-Karkh, known as Firuz, and al-Qatul, known as Kisra. 1

His residence and death

He lodged in it at the beginning of 246 AH, and died in it in Shawwal 247 AH. He was succeeded by al-Muntasir, who moved away from it to Samarra. 1

Connections

Explore the connections

Had participant
Bugha, mawla of al-Mu'tasim (Bugha the Elder)· al-Mutawakkil ala Allah· al-Muntasir bi-Allah
Occurred at
Samarra

People and things also explored

Bugha al-Kabir's Pacification of the Armenian March· al-Askari shrine (Samarra)· Dome of Redress of al-Muhtadi· The Killing of Abu Faqqas by Flogging· al-Mufarraj ibn Sallam's Conquest of Twenty-Four Fortresses· al-Qummi's War on the Buja Lands· The Conquest of Barah· Death of al-Wathiq

Sources

  1. Futuh al-Buldan — al-Baladhuri (Mu'assasat al-Ma'arif edition) , p.418
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “The Founding of al-Mutawakkiliyya”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/founding-of-mutawakkiliyya/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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Bugha al-Kabir's Pacification of the Armenian March

In al-Baladhuri: al-Mutawakkil gave Armenia to Bugha al-Kabir, who at Badhlis seized Musa ibn Zurara — one who had favoured Yusuf's killing and aided it in anger for Buqrat — warred on the Khwaythiyya, slaying a great slaughter and taking many captives, then besieged Ashut ibn Hamza ibn Jajiq, patrikios of Busfurrajan, at al-Baq, brought him down from his fortress and carried him to Samarra, marched on Jurzan where Ishaq ibn Isma'il was overcome and killed in cold blood, opened Jurzan, and carried off the people of Arran and the Armenian surface-dwellers in Sisajan — the rebellious and disobedient, Christians and others — till that march stood sounder than ever it had been; then he came to Samarra in the year 241.