| The round city of Baghdad in the 10th century, the peak of the Abbasid Caliphate. Illustration: Jean Soutif |
Story of cities #3: the birth of Baghdad was a landmark for world civilisation
The foundation of al-Mansur’s ‘Round City’ in 762 was a glorious milestone in the history of urban design. It developed into the cultural centre of the world
Justin MarozziWednesday 16 March 2016
If Baghdad today is a byword for inner-city decay and violence on an unspeakable scale, its foundation 1,250 years ago was a glorious milestone in the history of urban design. More than that, it was a landmark for civilisation, the birth of a city that would quickly become the cultural lodestar of the world.