Harqaleh Palace

Harqaleh (هرقلة) is a little known site from the Abbasid period located about seven kilometers west of al-Raqqa (الرقة). Built by Harun al-Rashid to commemorate his victory over Byzantine forces, there is debate as to whether the site served as a palace or as a monument. The site is roughly one hundred meters by one hundred meters square, with towers at each of the four corners. Much of the stone used to build the site was recycled from earlier Byzantine constructions, and it may not have been fully completed.