Iraq: Qasr Al Ashiq Fortress
Not far from the Great Mosque of Samarra lies nearly abandoned Qasr Al Ashiq Fortress, an Abbasid era stunning fort, dating to 877-882 CE. The rectangular fort has massive walls and a moat surrounding the inner space, which is not accessible at the moment. You are likely to have the fort all to yourself, there’s nobody around. The fort was excavated and restored in the 1980s and definitely looked spectacularly grand. It’s also part of the Samarra’s UNESCO complex.
