The houses of the ordinary people of Unau are built of clay or light-colored bricks, with flat roofs, tiny window openings in the exterior walls, and often with adjoining stables for the little ones. On the streets, there are a few cisterns with hinged lids that remain closed at all times except when drawing water, to keep the water clean.
Grove of Grace Halfway between the upper town and the Funduq lies the Grove of Grace, a light grove of almond trees and date palms with a public fountain fed by a foggara. Here, there is a constant coming and going of farmers, water carriers, slaves, and shepherds, so that anyone wanting to draw water here often has to wait a long time. The grove is also a place of relaxation and a popular meeting place for the people of Unau.
The Feggagir The Feggagir (Ez.: Foggara) are water channels that lead into the Unau Mountains, where the Thalusic winds rain down. These underground structures are considered cursed and avoided by Rastullah believers, as they were built under Middle Kingdom rule. Unau could not exist without them, but no Unau resident would admit it.
Funduq Like every oasis, Unau also has a large caravanserai in the town center. However, this Funduq is the largest of its kind, with its own bazaar in the center and even a meager pasture for camels and shadifs. Dormitories and stables are almost always well-filled; merchants from all parts of the Caliphate stay here. Attached to the Funduq is a smithy where one can have one's newly acquired shadif shod and one's new slave fitted with iron collars or bracelets. The owner of the Funduq, Hairan Ahmed ben Jedrech, is one of Unau's most important men. The building, constructed entirely of mud bricks, is the center of Unau's commercial life. The street between the Kannemünder Gate and the Funduq is lined with numerous shops where one can purchase typical Novadis products—leather goods, confectionery, dried goat meat, etc. Salt is, of course, the commodity; the usual unit here is the (table) salt slab, which measures a good one step times 25 fingers, weighs 100 stone, and costs 16 marawedis. The salt is also available ground, packaged in 40-ounce leather bags, each for 1 zekhin and 24 muwlat. Rare mineral salts for alchemists are also offered for sale at very high prices.
Kasimite Prayer House This prayer house was founded about 120 years ago by Mawdli Kasim ben Ilram, one of the fiercest opponents of the Unau School. His descendants and disciples, the Kasimites, today form an orthodox sect, compared to which the Kefter Mawdliyat appear moderate. The prayer room of the outwardly plain building is decorated with Rastullah's 99 laws, painted in ornate lettering on the walls so that the believer can always see them. The Kasimites' considerable temple treasury includes, among other things, a copper plate bearing Rastullah's footprint.
The 1,300-year-old original of The Seven Truths of the Human Spirit, highly valued by the philosophers of Aventuria, was stolen by the Al'Anfans during the Khôm War.
First Prayer House of Rastullah The prayer house of the Caliphs is the largest of its kind. The building is awe-inspiring, with its sandstone walls and massive cedar logs supporting the porch and, inside, the ceiling. However, the house is only available to the nine families, the Caliph's court, and a select few from the Lower City; all others can praise Rastullah in two other prayer houses.
Because the prayer house has access to the Upper City, it is constantly guarded by several Yellow Hearts. The High Mawdli Unaus, Abidallah ibn Hamadi, manages the prayer house with the sacred statue depicting Rastullah's eyes. The greatest treasure, however, is Rastullah's face, a larger-than-life bust made of an unknown, shimmering material that the Caliph brought from Mherwed.
Conquerors' Gate This double-leaf portal made of solid cedar wood, sometimes called the Kannemünde Gate, is the only entrance to the walled city. The gate's inlays depict scenes from the life of Caliph Omar, although the inlays have suffered greatly in the numerous wars fought over the city. The Caliph has already commissioned a repair of the gate, and it is likely only a matter of time before the materials and builder who meet Malkillah's wishes are found. Although the gate is always guarded by at least one warrior, it is only closed in times of war.
Salt Warehouses On the western edge of the city, outside the walls, are the funduq-style warehouses where the salt is stored for sale all over the world. Salt production is controlled by a few clans.
