Madinat al-Zahra is considered to be one of the most significant archaeological sites of Islamic culture in the western Mediterranean region. The foundation of the city as the residence of Caliph Abd al-Rahman III in 936 marked the formation of a large palace city, comparable to al-Qahira in Egypt and al-Mansuriya in Tunisia.
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) surveys were carried out in the Upper Basilica Building of the caliphal palace city of Madīnat az-Zahrā, as part of a research project at the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) in Madrid and the Technical University (TU) of Berlin. The survey aimed to identify buried architectural remains and water conduits beneath the building.
Covering an area of 3,150 m², the investigation revealed subsurface structures down to depths of about 1.4 m, including traces of early construction phases and sections of hydraulic systems.
