al-Hadath (al-Mahdiyya)

الحدث

al-Hadath, the Jaziran frontier-city at the Darb al-Hadath which Banu Umayya called al-Salama out of omen; its old fortress was taken by Habib ibn Maslama in Umar's days, and al-Hasan ibn Qahtaba chose its city-site returning from the raid of year 162 — al-Mahdi ordering it built before Tarsus — and Ali ibn Sulayman ibn Ali founded it in mud brick, named al-Muhammadiyya then al-Mahdiyya and al-Hamadiyya for al-Mahdi's death at its completion in year 169; four thousand fighters were levied for it from Syria, the Jazira and Khurasan at forty dinars' pay and three hundred dirhams a man, with two thousand transferred from Malatya, Shimshat, Sumaysat, Kaysum, Duluk and Ra'ban; its unsound brick fell to the snows and the Romans occupied it until al-Rashid rebuilt, fortified and garrisoned it.

Depth

At a glance

Era: The Early Abbasid Caliphate
Region: Levant & Iraq
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Overview

al-Hadath: a frontier port on the Jazira side, at the Hadath pass. The Umayyads called it al-Salama, seeking a good omen. Habib ibn Maslama conquered its old fortress in the time of Umar. ¹

Building the city

al-Hasan ibn Qahtaba returned from a raid in the year 162 AH and chose the site for the city. al-Mahdi ordered that it be built before Tarsus, and Ali ibn Sulayman ibn Ali built it of mud brick. It was named al-Muhammadiyya, then al-Mahdiyya and al-Hamdiyya, because al-Mahdi died when it was finished in the year 169 AH. ¹

Four thousand fighters were assigned to it from al-Sham, the Jazira and Khurasan, with a stipend of forty dinars and three hundred dirhams for each man. Two thousand men were moved to it from Malatya, Shimshat, Samosata, Kaysum, Dulak and Ruban. ¹

Its building collapsed under the snow and the Byzantines took it. Then al-Rashid rebuilt and fortified it and garrisoned it with men. ¹

See the founding of al-Hadath.