Support Iraqi Ruins
Images 1 (3/2006)
Images 2 (4/2006)
Images 3 (12/2007)
Article 1
(Heritage House #9)
Article 2
(The Middle Gate)
Article 3
(The City of Ashur)
The Middle Gate of Baghdad
Long years ago in (488 A.H. – 1095 A.D), by Abbasian period the Caliph Al-Mustathher Billah decided to surround Baghdad by a fence with a trench, in order to protect the city from any attack.
The fence sets up from Tigris in the north near Medicine City (Madinat Al Tip) and finished in the east gate near to the Republican Bridge nowadays.
The
fence was finished completely in the reign of Caliph Al Mustarshed Billah in
(517 A.H. – 1123 A.D.), the fence remained about 8 century until it had been
destroyed by the Ottoman ruler Madhat Pasha. What has been left over from
the fence a pole located beside (The people hall) in a place called Bab Al
Muaadham, and other pole called the middle gate which used to be called in
the past khurassan gate or Al Dhafaria gate. It located near by the tomb of
(Omar Al Sahrawardi) adjancey to the highway (Muhammad Al Kasim)
nowadays. 
The
Middle gate is one of the most important building now, it consider one of
the most ancient Abbasian building which are still erected. Middle gate is a
cylindrical, huge and high tower, joined from its bottom two arcades. The
first one linked the gate with Baghdad city and the second one linked it
with the outer of city.
The gate described by power and strength where as it was remained firm in the face of all the attacks that opposed Baghdad.
So it
is considering a great curved sample to curved entrance which was used in
round city of Al Manssor as they used to call
(Baghdad). 
As a result for the careless and damaged that faced the gate so it had loss most of the artistic and archaeological features, what had remained from the tower which was built by backed bricks on all long of walls, arcade passages. In the upper part of the arcade there where a line from backed bricks arabesque contain memorial writings sculptured on the baked bricks with decoration in the upper outer section.
The State Board of Antiquities and Heritage had decided to maintain this great archaeological feature of Baghdad.
The work took apart in June 2002; however it has been stopped during the war events in March 2003. Work restarted again in 11 November 2003 till 29 February 2004.
The first season of the work started by investigation and drilling with walls bases of the outer fence, the digging get along the fence about 100m, distance and 4-8m, to limit the fence path.
In
the second season, the work completed by restored and rebuild the out fence,
two towers and ten of the supports in a height between 6-9m. Initially it
was planed to 10m however, only 65% of works have been
done. 
Maintaining the main tower of the Gate: a-The damaged bricks of the out wall of the tower have been replaced and finished building the above covering and also maintained the old firing posts.
b-
There are engraving sentences on the tower which get damaged, therefore,
after the Investigation about it in the historical sources they had been
restored and strengthen what remain from them. The decoration of the west
part of the gate has been
restored. 
The inside halls and the tower dome had been restored by replacing and cleaning the damage bricks, however, only %90 of the work done as you see in the pic 5, 6, 7.
3-
Restored the west passage which view on Baghdad city opposition to the
historical tomb of Omar Al Sahrawardi. Restored the vaults of two arcades
and the two out fence of the passage also rebuilt the two outset halls of
the passage, 90% of the work done as in the picture 6,7,8
4-
The construction committee restored the north passage then built the arcades
which lies on the sides of the passage depending on its bases which were
before the work, arcade typing in the halls covering fixing up and repair
the cracks. In this part %80 of the work done as in the pic 9,
10 
5-
Investigated and restored the fence of the trench.
a- An investigation carried on the north part and the round part of the fence trench, which is surrounded the gate for 45m and adjancey the main fence 3m deeply also tacked up the heavy water?????.
B- Restored the around part of the trench fence by cleaning the old bases and height with it for 2m also repaired the grand roof of the outer fence by bricks the dimension of the bricks 25*25 cm. 90% of the work done as in the pic 11,
Eventually after the war events and as a result of the lack of security and system the site become a subject of trespasses from peoples; some of them built houses, some others who are carpenters take the site as a store for wood. The construction site has been occupied by a family who is living in it and using as a place to sell fuel in black market. They also use the site as pen for there animals. That family use violence against any member from the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage when they try to do other survey for the site, however they inform the police about all these violations but nothing occur.
Finally the whole work of the project to maintain that archaeological feature has stopped because the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage stopped the fund to complete the project.
