Zubaydah's tomb in a cemetery outside the Gate of Tahir
Zubaydah bint Ja'far ibn al-Mansur (c. 765 – 831) was an Abbasid princess and the wife the caliph Harun al-Rashid, who was also her cousin. She was the most famous of the Abbasid princesses, with her charitable and pious foundations made her a well-beloved figure during her time, such that even after her death, her memory lived on as a character in the collection of tales known as the One Thousand and One Nights.[1]
Biography[]
Zubaydah was born to Ja'far ibn Abdallah al-Mansur, and was thus the granddaughter of the caliph Al-Mansur.[2] She grew up in the court of her grandfather who, according to legend, gave her name, "Little Butter Ball", to describe her being the best part of the family, like how butter was the best product of milk. After marrying Harun, she became an important and capable political leader, as well as a patron in her own right. The most famous of her endeavor was the improvement of the pilgrimage route leading from Iraq to Mecca, which she directed extensive resources and time to do so. This route came to be known as the Darb al-Zubaydah, or Zubaydah's Trail. She also built her self a massive and lavishly furnished palace in Baghdad, where she hosted her own intellectual debates, recitations and discussions with various scholars and poets.[1]
After her husband died in 809, her son al-Amin succeeded as the next caliph. However, a civil war soon erupted between Al-Amin and his half-brother al-Ma'mun, who held the upper hand and besieged Baghdad from August 812 to 813. Throughout the conflict, Zubaydah supported her son, and moved away from his palace to stay with him the Round City during the final days of the fighting. Follow al-Amin's capture and execution, Zubaydah was exiled from the city for a few years but eventually returned. She died in 831 and was buried in a tomb surrounded by a cemetery near of the Gate of Tahir.[1]
Legacy[]
After her death, her tomb became a frequently visited spot for pilgrims who were about to start the hajj and wishing to thank the queen for her charitable works.[1]
In the 860s, her tomb was visited by the Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq while he was in Baghdad to eliminate the Order of the Ancients.[3]
Appearances[]
- Echoes of History (first mentioned)
- Assassin's Creed: Mirage (tomb only)
