Haras (unit)
| Haras الحرس | |
|---|---|
| Active | 660s – 1250s |
| Allegiance | Caliphate |
| Branch | Caliphal Army |
| Type | Personal bodyguards |
| Role | The personal bodyguards of the caliphs. Haras members were known to guard the caliph even during private meetings, at night and during prayers at the mosque |
| Size | Size of the haras varied |
| Equipment | Lances or short spears (hirab), Iron clubs or maces (Umud), Whips, Swords, Chains |
The haras (Arabic: الحرس; "the Guard") was a personal bodyguard unit of the caliphs during the Umayyad and the Abbasid periods. The haras was also instituted in the Umayyad Emirate of Córdoba in modern-day Spain.