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al-Raqqa

الرقة

al-Raqqa on the Euphrates in the Jazira; Iyad ibn Ghanm took it by treaty after five days of siege — lives, wealth and city secured, the land left in their hands on kharaj — writing them an aman forbidding new churches and the display of clapper, paschal or cross; beside it rose al-Rafiqa, built in year 155 on Madinat al-Salam's model for the Khurasani army, al-Rashid building its palaces while Ali ibn Sulayman moved al-Raqqa's markets into the space between.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Rashidun Caliphate
Region
Levant & Iraq
Review
Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it

Overview

Raqqa is a city on the Euphrates, one of the districts of al-Jazira. 1 It is part of al-Jazira. See The conquest of Raqqa.

The conquest

Iyad ibn Ghanm conquered it by treaty after five days of siege, on terms of their persons, property and city. He confirmed the land in their hands in exchange for kharaj. A covenant of security was written for them with conditions: that they not establish a church, and that they not display a bell (naqus), a horn (ba'uth) or a cross. 1

Al-Rafiqa

Beside Raqqa is al-Rafiqa, which was built in the year 155 AH on the model of the City of Peace, and in which troops from Khurasan were settled. Al-Rashid built its palaces, and Ali ibn Sulayman transferred to it the markets of Raqqa. 1

Connections

Explore the connections

Site of
The Conquest of al-Raqqa· The Building of al-Rafiqa· The Killing of Mansur ibn Jamwana
Has part
al-Rafiqa
Part of
The Jazira

People and things also explored

The Conquest of the Jazira· Abu Ja'far al-Mansur· The Building of al-Rafiqa· al-Rafiqa· Dhimma (the covenant of protection)· Jizya (capitation on treaty peoples)· War between al-Ashraf's and Jalal al-Din's armies· Battle of al-Firad (12 AH)

Sources

  1. Futuh al-Buldan — al-Baladhuri (Mu'assasat al-Ma'arif edition)
  • al-Farghani, Elementa astronomica (Golius, Amsterdam 1669)
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “al-Raqqa”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/place/raqqa/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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Wing

Place

Cities, sites and routes on a map that moves through time. Related

The Conquest of the Jazira

In al-Baladhuri through the Raqqa judge Dawud ibn Abd al-Hamid's family from Maymun ibn Mihran: 'the whole Jazira is Iyad ibn Ghanm's conquest, after Abu Ubayda's death — Umar appointed him to it, Abu Ubayda having left him over Syria; Umar gave Syria to Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan then Mu'awiya after him and ordered Iyad to raid the Jazira'; Sulayman ibn Ata says Abu Ubayda dispatched him to the Jazira and died while he was there, Umar then confirming him; al-Waqidi's report — the soundest they had on him — is that Abu Ubayda died in the Amwas plague of year 18 having appointed Iyad, and Umar's letter reached him giving him Hims, Qinnasrin and the Jazira, so he marched for the Jazira on Thursday the middle of Sha'ban year 18 in five thousand, Maysara ibn Masruq al-Absi on the vanguard, Sa'id ibn Amir ibn Hudhaym al-Jumahi on the right wing and Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal al-Sulami on the left — some say Khalid ibn al-Walid held his left wing, some that Khalid marched under no banner after Abu Ubayda, staying at Hims till his death in year 21, or dying at Medina.