The Qushla or ''The Qishleh'' (
Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
: القشلة) is an
Ottoman site in
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
,
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
. The Qushla lays at
al-Rusafa side of the Iraqi capital. The Ottoman
Wali
The term ''wali'' is most commonly used by Muslims to refer to a saint, or literally a "friend of God".John Renard, ''Friends of God: Islamic Images of Piety, Commitment, and Servanthood'' (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008); John ...
(governor)
Mehmed Namık Pasha started the building in 1881. The building was finished after him by the next Wali
Midhat Pasha
Ahmed Şefik Midhat Pasha (; 1822 – 26 April 1883) was an Ottoman politician, reformist, and statesman. He was the author of the Constitution of the Ottoman Empire.
Midhat was born in Istanbul and educated from a private . In July 1872, he ...
.
History
The location of site was chosen in the center of the old central region of Baghdad on the side of
al-Rusafa, an area significant for being the foundation of numerous palaces and sites that date back to the
Abbasid Caliphate
The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...
. The Turkish governor of Baghdad, Mehmed Namık Pasha, started building this building in 1861 and it became the seat of the state and its official departments. It included military barracks for the
Ottoman army
The Military of the Ottoman Empire () was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. It was founded in 1299 and dissolved in 1922.
Army
The Military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the years ...
who was responsible for protecting and providing security for Baghdad at the time. Then the next Wali of Baghdad, Midhat Pasha, completed the site. At the time, the barracks housed thousands of soldiers and a
clock tower
Clock towers are a specific type of structure that house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building ...
was placed to wake up the soldiers and inform them of the times of military training. Currently, the Qushla is a meeting place for many visitors to
al-Mutanabbi Street, and a place for cultural and social activities and art exhibitions.
See also
*
Ottoman architecture
Ottoman architecture is an architectural style or tradition that developed under the Ottoman Empire over a long period, undergoing some significant changes during its history. It first emerged in northwestern Anatolia in the late 13th century an ...
References
External links
Iraq Restores Historic Ottoman SiteAl-Qushla Building (UNESCO)
{{Iraq-stub
Buildings and structures in Baghdad
Ottoman architecture