CHAPTER XI
Madînat as-Salâm
Built by al-Manṣûr. Baghdâdh[1] was an ancient city, but al-Manṣûr colonized it, and added a city to it[2] which he began in the year 145. Hearing that Muḥammad and Ibrâhîm, the sons of ʿAbdallâh ibn-Ḥasan ibn-Ḥasan, had thrown off their allegiance to him, al-Manṣûr returned to al-Kûfah. In the year 146, he rransferred the public treasures [buyût al-mâl], repositories, and registers from al-Kûfah to Baghdâdh, and called it Madînat as-Salâm [the city of peace]. In the year 147, the wall of this city, with everything else connected with it, and the wall of ancient Baghdâdh were completed. Al-Manṣûr died in Makkah in the year 158 and was buried near the well of Maimûn ibn-al-Ḥadrami, an ally of the banu-Umaiyah.
Ar-Ruṣâfah. Ar-Ruṣâfah[3] was built for al-Mahdi by al-Manṣûr on the east side of Baghdâdh. This side was called ʿAskar [camp] al-Mahdi[4] because al-Mahdi camped in it on his way to ar-Rai. When he returned from ar-Rai, he settled in ar-Ruṣâfah, although it had occurred to al-Manṣûr to direct him to settle in Khurâsân. This took place in the year 151. Before al-Mahdi had occupied the
