Madrasat al-Firdaws in Aleppo Yasser Tabbaa Synopsis: Founded in 632/1235 by the Regent Queen Dayfa Khatun, the Madrasat al-Firdaws impresses us today by its female patronage, architectural merits, and by its long and unique inscriptions. Its eleven domes and magnificent mihrab emulate similar features in the earlier Shi‘i Mashhad al-Husayn while its exterior iwan, once…
Tag: Medieval Mediterranean Arts
Craft and Aesthetics in Byzantine and Early Islamic Textiles
Craft and Aesthetics in Byzantine and Early Islamic Textiles Elizabeth Dospěl Williams Synopsis: Textiles counted among the most valuable category of luxury objects circulating in the Sasanian, Byzantine, and early Islamic periods (7th-9th centuries). They played a key role in transmitting visual motifs in a wide geographic zone, and over many centuries. This presentation explores…
Mihrab at the Great Mosque of Córdoba
Mihrab at the Great Mosque of Córdoba Glaire Anderson Synopsis: This talk briefly introduces the architecture and decoration of the mihrab of the Great Mosque of Córdoba. Taking the form of a discrete chamber, and richly ornamented with carved marble and gold mosaics, the mihrab is the focal point of the mosque’s prayer hall as expanded…
Al-Aqmar Mosque
Al-Aqmar Mosque Jennifer Pruitt Synopsis: Cairo’s al-Aqmar mosque was founded in 1125 during the reign of the Fatimids. This presentation explores the mosque’s architectural features, façade ornamentation, and Isma‘ili Shi‘i symbolism. Its engagement with already existing structures and streets also highlights a major turning point in the city’s built environment, heralding a new trajectory for…
The Baths of al-Walid at Qusayr ‘Amra
The Baths of al-Walid at Qusayr ‘Amra Alexander Brey Synopsis: Qusayr ʿAmra (sometimes called Qasr ʿAmra) is an eighth-century bathhouse located in eastern Jordan. Decorated for the Umayyad crown prince al-Walid ibn Yazid before he ascended to the caliphate in 743, the baths are filled with an astonishing variety of figural imagery. Synthesizing work by…