'Abd al-Rahman III, the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic lands of southern Spain, commissioned a great palace-city in 936 (324 a.h., by the Islamic calendar). Called Madinat al-Zahra' ("shining city" in Arabic), it was located near his capital at Córdoba and included residences, reception halls, a mosque, markets and gardens. Madinat al-Zahra' was destroyed by Berbers from North Africa in 1010 (400 a.h.). Sculpture from the site was reused in medieval churches and secular buildings.
