AHI155 10/6

Alhambra in Cordoba, Spain

Gur-i-Amir, Samarkand, 1403
Open to larger public=>utilized as mosque/other social services
Entrance on the street=>invited to come in
Brick covered with tiles=>different way of presenting the exterior
Making sure building has presence on skyline of city
-high neck and tall dome
-multi-colored tiles
with different techniques(building with layers and
dimensions)/different ideas of ornamentation
10/8
Byzantine Empire and the Sasanian Empire
Byzantine believed to be inheritors of greek roman antiquity
Official religion: greek orthodox Christianity
City of Palmyria, Syria
2nd century-3rd century ad
based on urbanistic principle of antiquity
elements that define greco-roman cities=>
columns and arches for temples
grid plan->elaboration of definite urban type
water ways and aqueducts->major infrastructure
many eastern mediterannean cities were re-shaped by Greco-roman
Influences during greco-roman period despite their ancient histories
from the beginning of human activities
deep tradition of building cities forever being transformed
nothing happens in a vacuum
Palmyria adopted universal civilization of roman empire (not actually
constructed by romans) local adaptation and treatment
-palmyra funerary sculpture
local society adapted and transformed these forms (i.e drapery)
-Map of Madaba, from Madaba, Jordan in the Church of St. George
mosaic represents a map of the world from Christian perspective
where Jerusalem is the center
main feat. => central colonnade bisecting
*interest in/importance of mosaic as a medium! Design through means of
littles stones put together in particular design to create something (person
place or thing or just decorative)
especially in buildings and IMPORTANT buildings
*use and display of special language of the group->language that has
religious importance

Language that you speak and language of scripture =.ie. Hebrew

there is a protocol to treating objects that bear a special right
*importance of mapping as representation of the world informed by local
religious belief
all these societies each had special language in special alphabet that was
THEIRS and had common practice of using special language in privileged
spaces (temple, church, meeting house) conveys a special resonance!
tessaray(little stones) can employ more valuable material
just because greek orth was official religion of empire, there were
other religion coexisting in their empire
this plays special aspect in their separate areas
Petra, Jordan
Another example like Palmyra
Sassanian Empire
Ctesiphon, Iraq
Main building material=>local brick that can be baked in different
ways
Brick is lighter than stone, so in terms of spanning arches->it offers
diff kind of possibilities for spanning space
Ctesiphon had largest spanning arch at one point in history
Was remembered in poetry and stories
Trays

Illustrate ruler killing significant animal

Beginning of Islamic Empires

Judaism and several forms of Christianity along with non-Abrahamic
religion were prevalent in late antique Arabia
Goddess figures!!!
Arabic language was spoken by various groups.
Oral transmission of poetry provide corpus of pre-islmaic Arabic
poetry
Mecca was major political and economical city in Arabia
Had particular area within it, referred to locals as the sacred
area=>hence religious center and significant to many religious
group
th
First half of 7 century AD=>appearance of new religion-Islam
Particular community becomes politically and religiously dominant in
Arabia and the Middle East

According Islam
A moment of Revelation begins everything
When Muhammad receives the word of god from Gabriel
What are the implications of this: God speaks in historical time in a specific
language that is significant in that specific time
=>Arabic is the only language to understand God->its the most sacred
society where oral performance from god to Muhammad become an
important art form
collection of God sayings existed as an oral as a performed text and was only
written down later
once later written down, the collection of messages became the Quran
Recitation
everything else is an interpretation if it wasnt the exact Arabic message that
God gave to Muhammad at that time and place
Muhammad was from Mecca
Mecca had that one sacred enclosure the Haram al Sharif
After Islamic community become dominant in Mecca>Muhammad made decision to dedicate space to Islam and all
other religious representations were removed
=>became known as The Sacred Mosque in Mecca (today in
Saudi Arabia)
*it is advisable for Muslims to conduct major pilgrimage to
Mecca
*within the center of the Mosque is the Kaba ( a cube)
covered with textile cover that is renewed every year
prophet communicated to people about the Qibla
the Qibla=>the direction
Spent a lot of time in Medina as well
Muslims came to habit of gathering in the home of Muhammad in
Medina usually on Fridays to sit together
Constructed by straw, brick and palm trunks-local materials at hand
Had essential rectangle courtyard and some rooms
Part of courtyard was covered by awning=>where member of
community would gather with Muhammad and discuss issues
His home was transformed into the Mosque of the Prophet
His home would be the prototype of mosques everywhere
*An ideal
For example: one of the earliest Mosque->Great Mosque of
Kufa, Iraq 638
Rectangle/central courtyard/areas of courtyard are
covered and supported by series of
courtyard/constructed from local materials/very
simple

Theres a Qibla side where the community congregated

Obila wall integrated into design of mosque indicates
direction to pray
Mosque of the Prophet, Medina
Importance of the Arabic language
The collection of messages that God sent to Muhammad is words of God
Language is as important as the meaning of the message itself.
Milestone on the road between Jerusalem and Damascus
Words of God were preserved orally
Later, a profession arose for people who memorized the words
The oral performance by the specialist becomes an important activity
The Quran also gets written down and becomes an object
Special representation of the book also becomes an important activity
The calligraphy therefore becomes an important focus of creativity
The first Islamic dynasty: The Umayyads
Ruled for less than 100 yrs but most closely studied
Public buildings=> meant for citizens
Private buildings=> meant for ruling family
Son and father kings went to great lengths to develop a unified
Umayyad building style
What they do in Medina, we cannot analyze because its been built
over
New vision of Islamic community, and new vision of ruling
Communicating message of God to humans
Earliest moments of its development->inviting other people to
the religion is an important agenda, its relatively easy to
convert to Islam
They just have to participate in community activities and be
dedicated to responsibilities/principles of Islam
The Umayyads are expanding
Rates of conversion are uneven
General tendency is that rulers are muslim but people are
rather diverse/not all believe in the same things/diff groups
Ideas of rulership: who has the right to rule? Who
should/should not rule?/how should one rule?
*adult males were only ones allowed to vote and participate
When Muhammad passed, people debated over who should be
the next leader

By 660, the Umayyad family became the ruling group

Not an easy process
Some muslims believed that they were not the right
group to rule=>believed that it should be Ali (the
prophets son-in-law)
The office of the Umayyads:
Caliphs-the successor to the prophet
Doesnt have the communication with God like
the prophet
But has the capability to lead the people
Has duty to be an example in political and
spiritual matter
Important claim=>the ideal is that the entire
community of muslims should have one ruler i.e.
THE CALIPH
If you are the caliph->you potentially have
jurisdiction over all the muslims/people no
matter where they are geographically
A sense of infinite power
Capital was established in Damascus
Moves from peninsula to eastern mediterannean
Establish themselves as dynasty and state/to impose
themselves on their subjects-both muslims and nonmuslims
Also inherited political structure of the Byzantine
empire that was there last before them
Seize opportunity with great ambition
Large efforts into patronage
Their public building campaign
Transformed sacred site=> Mosque of the
Prophet in Medina and Jerusalem
*very ambitious
rectangle located on mt. moriah
Umayyads created this space and constructed the noble sacred
enclosure(Haram Al Sharif) in the space, within the enclosure
they had 2 buildings
*The Farthest Mosque
*The Dome of the Rock 691 AD
prepared the site-the stone platform
placed the dome of the rock on the stone platform and is
approachable on all four sides (flight of stairs leading to
arches)
octagonal building surmounted by a dome
the bottom layer is a skin of quartered marble (Umayyad layer)

very expensive treatment->quartering brings out

pattern of the stone required high technology at the time/plus
marble is just expensive on its own
very prized in byzantine imperial churches
golden glass mosaic
also prevalent in byzantine imperial architecture
theres a band of writing above the arches and mosaic->meant
to be read or not?
there are 2 inner corridors(an ambulatory)
of piers and columns

*they dont pick old spots=>the pick sacred spots with important
significance/deep meanings to transform
to establish their mark on structures that have deep
historical/spiritual associations
mt. moriah had a temple there before
Umayyads creates it into a campus of public monuments
10/15

Dome of the Rock

The access to this site: 4 approaches from cardinal points/flight of
stairs to stone platforms/free standing colonnade that frames
An octagon surmounted by a dome: was a form familiar to people
living under byzantine empire. Important cultural reference point.
Form similar to byzantine martyrium=>houses special objects in
byzantine religious architecture tradition
*marks special place or object
analogous with Dome of the Rock because it too houses the special
ROCK
Exterior of the wall: lower part is quartered marble
Interior: 8 sided building
2 corridors/ambulatory
divided by sets of columns and pillars that hold up the
roof and surmounted by arches
center is the ROCK
upper part of wall are covered in gold & glass mosaic (along
with raw jewels) decoration=>very expensive
SUBJECT MATTER OF DECORATION:
Floral design throughout mosaic/plants coming out of
vases/Plants are adorned with jewels and jewelry
*why are plants wearing necklaces?
and above that is a blue band with gold writing

First instance where Arabic makes an appearance in

monumental architecture

Hagia Sophia 6th century Constantinople (present day Istanbul)

Quartered marble walls and above quartered marble are gold and glass
mosaics which are also very high up
Content: virgin and child surrounded by two men ( rulers and patrons of the
church)
A scene that depicts humans
Representation of words=>greek=>a special language in Byzantine at the
time
Umayyads made a connection
Replication tells us about empire, power, taste, and class
In manners of highest level of byzantine art
Dynastic ambition/imperial ambition
Put themselves through art at the same level
OBVIOUS difference: did not represent humans (especially humans
specific to the religion)
Made sure the content of the images were different
o we see where they made conscious decisions to differentiate but
havent understood the reason why
and there are really no clear cut reason
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Not a campus=>surrounded by urban fabric/buildings
Whereas the dome of the rock had a special void differentiating the
monument from the rest
Martyrium shape with dome surmounting it
Umayyads referenced this same form=>competition with the Church
of the Holy Sepulcher
BUT Dome of the Rock is up above on a platform AND on a hill.
Building dominates the skyline of the city
Dynastic victory over the church and other faiths
*literally throwing shade
THE ROCK
Theres a little cave underneath the actual rock
What is the meaning of the rock?
No evidence or text from Umayyad period that details it
But there are texts that explains the meaning AFTER the Umayyads
Meaning accrued to structure since then=> beginning in ~300 yrs
after death of the prophet, trend of biographies to be written
They spent time writing about episodes in life of prophet
One of them is THE ASCENSION OF THE PROPHET

Its also in Quran

Prophet goes from sacred mosque(potentially the one in
Mecca) to farthest mosque(potentially the one in Jerusalem) in
one night
***site of his ascension was at THE ROCK
Inscription within the Dome of the Rock
Quranic verses that refers to the People of the Book (Jews+Christians)
These verses explain the distinction of Islam from the other faiths
Super didactic
Basically telling them what to believe and not to believe
Grabar interpreted this as an invitation to the dhimmi (Jews +
Christians) to join the new CORRECT faith
Either way you still see the other aspects the building that champions
the imperial power of the dynasty
10/20
Great Mosque of Damascus, ca. 706-715
Damascus was capital of Umayyads
Was administrative center of Byzantine empire
*Urban context: embedded in middle of dense urban fabric
Part of its design
Western wall
There are greek and roman layer of the city
Theres an open market
Oldest continuously inhabited city
Immediate connection between the city and the mosque
Compared to the Dome of the Rock, its a lot less isolated (DotR was
enclosed within a sacred space/a campus whereas the Damascus mosque is
squeezed right in a bustling a city)
Layers of the structure=>Umayyad took over historic sites with resonance
(especially with non-muslim associations but also takes over site with strong
muslim associations like the prophets home in Medina)
*Before the Umayyads, the Mosque of Damascus space was actually a space
for a cathedral of St. Johns. And before that it was a temple for Jupiter. Point
is: this site housed the sacred beliefs of the contemporaneous ruling power.
Muslim shared with Christians at first but then invited them to leave=>took
over the sacred space.
*There was an important building DAR-AL-IMARA(House of Government)
built very near the Mosque of Damascus
implication: there was a close physical connection between main mosque and
house of government(also house of the ruler)

close relation between ruling house and the new religion as implied by the
architectural space
*The mosque is a very open place
Place to relax/meet up with acquaintances/ hold teachings
=>a public building with a variety of functions
-open courtyard with a covered area (featured porticos/covered
porches)
the Qibla is at the southern wall
the western wall opens to the market place
the central part has a raised roof and up on it is the dome
many have compared it to byzantine church
decoration of interior:
-Faade of raised area
Originally in Umayyad times, there were quartered marble and golden
glass mosaic
-Middle of Courtyard
8 sided box with dome on it raised above ground with columns
sides were covered in gold and glass mosaic with floral
patterns(Umayyas building campaign follow same style)
this was the treasury
a typical hypostyle plan based on the House of the Prophet in Medina
but with alterations that made it more grand
=>
BARADA panel (thought to be Barada river) on West Portico
*the mosaics throughout the mosque had some inscriptions
from Umayyad period. The images have different content than
from DotR. There are trees with actual fruit set in a river
LANDSCAPE that features a lot of BUILDINGS with NO PEOPLE
in them.
What do they mean? Like mosaics at DotR, theyre enigmatic.
Theyre expensive and aesthetically pleasing. But we dont
really know what their meaning is. Maybe its an ideal or a
vision of paradise.
They dont do captions=>dont do EVERYTHING what other
basic society have already done
But resembles something that is known and expected ( like a
byzantine church) but where are the greek inscriptions and
religious icons? Critical elements of a church are definitely
absent.

10/22

Mosque of Damascus
Configuration: large open area held up by columns
Qibla wall marked by few decorations and niches
Space is relatively simple
With large dome
*Interior shrine of John the Baptist(Yahya)
moving on from Damascus
There were Umayyad contemporaries who had objections with their rule and
building campaign style (referencing of Byzantine traditions)
Khribat al-Mafjar/Hishams Palace before 743
Desert palaces were country retreats/outposts for Umayyad dynasty
*Bath Hall
Continuity of ancient Mediterranean bathing culture
Very complex to structuralize
Overall structure: number of domes
Monumental entrance/Porch had decorations on it
Had an arched opening
Covered in stucco decorations, which included
(in lil niche above entrance) a man standing on
some animals.
This man must be important. Who is he?
-probably one of the Umayyad caliph. Dont
know which one.
Accepted iconography of late antique where
ruler can subvert predatory animals
Room/area elevated
Had mosaic of large tree on the floor
SO FUCKIN PRETTY
Gazelles with one being attacked by a lion
(keeping with antiquity)
depiction of power and conveys ruling
power
Diwan had decorations of it too
Is assumed to be a reception room to chill after
bathing
Degree of decoration is high

Arches and dome that surmounts all have stucco

decorations with animals and humans.
*ceiling decoration of human head flower
*remnants depict full length humans
supporting dome and animals dispersed
*lady sculptures
*treat of the windows
stucco requires great virtuosity
*stucco were once painted
THE MOSAIC FLOORS at Diwan
Different ornamental patterns in diff
areas. Very rich decorations. Very
colorful.
The Brioche mosaic tile? What does it
mean?? Could be a baby???
could signify patron Al Walid
They took dominating culture and made it their own. This gives a look
into the private palace life architecture.
When they wanted to depict humans and animals, they could!
In instances when you dont see humans and animals, it meant it was
a deliberate choice/active decision making.
They have a range in their art. They felt there were certain images
appropriate for certain structures.
Also this bath house is a big implication of the Umayyads debauchery
and non-righteous nature.
To non-friends of the Umayyads, this is an indicator that they were
too indulgent and were making bad choices. They didnt agree with
their adoption of Byzantine traditions and styles.
After being persecuted by Abbasids, the Umayyad Dynasty was brought down. One
child of Umayyad dynasty survives and treks to Iberian Peninsula. A new Umayyad
Dynasty/Caliphate is established in the Iberian Peninsula. Hence, Abbasid and
Umayyad Caliphate coexist and challenges one another.
Umayyad in Iberia
Influenced by the Visigoths from the area
GREAT MOSQUE OF CORDOBA 784-987
Present day: Mesquite Cathedral
Very close to river
Flat roofline was Umayyad

Started off as simple hypostyle mosque plan

Rectangular/courtyard/covered area held up by columns
-over time they enlarged it by modules
-at one point in Qibla wall, there is a niche with 3 small domes that mark it
infront of the 3 small domes theres another further away dome
-FOREST OF COLUMNS
lights coming in at various points and falls on columns
sense of multiplicity and infinity
series of columns reused from antique structures in the area
arch upon arch
arch colors are red and white=> 2 different types of stones
VERY ENGAGING to the eye
The horseshoe arch is very prevalent
*becomes extremely influential on Spanish architectural styles
why is the horse shoe more useful? You can support more
weight
so if you want to carry MORE weight, you stack on more arches
on top of first layer of arches =>soaring ceilings
engineering becomes beautiful art
10/27

Display of virtuosity
DYNASTIC LEGITIMACY
How to visually enforce this concept?
From an urban setting=> close proximity between the government
building and the mosque=>pairing of rulership and religion
Restablishing Umayyad dynasty in cordoba
Hypostyle mosque type
Qibla wall is special w/ special decoration
Arrangement is different from Great Mosque of Damascus
Relatively simple in design based on prophets home in Medina
Horshoe arches typical to north Africa and this region
The vusoir/diff colored stones typical to local region
Interior arrangement of the mosque
THE MAQSURA(means division): a section distinguished by greater
aesthetic elaboration.
Infront of special niche in the Qibla wall
=>special division in the mosque and is the privileged space for
important people AKA the Caliph and his followers/VIP space
social differentiation between ruling group and commoner(will
become a growing trend around the Mediterranean) through
use of the arts. Mosque is no longer technically egalitarian.

ornaments.

THE MIHRAB: can be any kind / doesnt have particular form

Can be a little niche in the Qibla wall
Certainly associated with the direction to Mecca and the Qibla
wall
Where the Imam stood
THE ONE AT MOSQUE OF CORDOBA
Decorated with gold and glass mosaic
In cordoba, there is no tradition of gold and glass mosaic
decoration. So how did they get anyone to do gold and glass
mosaic in their mosque? THE UMAYYAD RULER HIRED
ARTISANS AND WORKERS FROM THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE.
Asked Byzantine Emperor-Diplomacy at its bestwith
lots of money on the line
Umayyad of Cordoba style mixed with Umayyad of Damascus style
Writing in calligraphic style as well but different style
Around horseshoe niche, there are vusoirs that feature floral

When they are purposely imitating an artisitic style, they are doing it
on purpose with a deeper meaning.
The Appearance of the Pointed Arch in the vaulted ceiling
Becomes a focus of architectural creativity
Chronologically appears first in this building
Salon Rico, Madinat Al-Zahra Begun 936 continuous building until 976 destroyed
1010
Can do important emperor errands
But also has cabins, separate and more luxurious
A weekend retreat an working farm
Was frozen in 1078
Bulk of site is on a gentle slope today
Service buildings, palace buildings, mosque, etc.
The room with the roof (roof was rreconstructe9
Unity of design,
A lot of elements I MOCA) are decorated throughout the room
Lower part of wall is stucco instead of typical quartered marble in Damascus.
Dont actually have two different stones on the arches
Instead that have different colored panels that decorated the top of the
arches
But the design is apparent that the Umayyad was v high fashion

THE ABBASIDS
Center of gravity of their empire is further in the east
Capital=Baghdad
749-1258
displace the Umayyad and take over their domain except western part in
Iberia
removed name of Umayyad caliph on Dome of the Rock and put his name
lots of Umayyad monuments were destroyed
Baghdad
Small village or settlement is near site where Abbasids established
their circular city called the City of Peace
Ideological representation of the Abbasids ideal city
Brought through their vision of Islam
Perfect circle with gates on the outer circle named after
regions of the Islamic world
The outer circle is where the people of the city lived and the center is
the Mosque with the police nearby(religion and government in the
center)
Weekend retreat in SAMARRA
Today: exists as a community
Past: the city is NEAR it
Abandoned in 883=>in use for 50 years
First major islaic site excavated its immense
Great Mosque of al-Mutawakkil 847-861
Similarities
Differences to Umayyad: not a previously associated with other
groups
*Basic configuration=>hypostyle mosque type
*Exterior=> engaged columns throughout wall, gives it stable
look~ a militaristic look
*Central bay is distinguished
*The minaret sits on pedestal/a spiral/ and very tall*HUGE
*Theres additional space surrounding the mosque that
separates it from everything else, its a transitional space
before entering the mosque proper
*building material is all brick
sassanian and eastern influences
calls upon ziggurat of early Mesopotamia

11/3/14
Great Mosque of al-Mutawakkil
Ziada=>demarcate the space of the mosque
Spiral minaret=>has distinctive presence on the skyline and located in the
central axis (aligned with main entrances)
Samarra excavated in 1910-1912 and then again the 80s
Great deal of structures still underground
Jawsaq Palace 836 CE
A number of enormously lavish rooms
A grand entrance with triple arches=>ehoes Arch of Khusraw at
Ctesiphon
Wall paintings! =>panel of Two Dancers
Two young men? Who are they? Can they be related to specific
groups of people in Samarra at the time? =>potentially the
caliphs slave army (Turkic soldiers)
Fair number of texts from the Abassid period (were huge patrons of
sciences, philosophy, and literature/they translated a lot of greek and
ancient texts-preserving them/promoted study of the Islamic
knowledge/geography)
Can we relate the plenty of texts we have to the few material/physical
culture that we have? Its hard.
Very clear that palace life was important.
Abassids palaces and offices in Baghdad, at the same time, they
maintained the get-a-way Samarra
1. Why are they creating a whole other settlement away from
Baghdad?
2. Is there anything from the text that can shed light on the
decorations at Samarra?
Reading Jerry Bacarat!
Where rulers live=>their style of living
Early phenomenon=>central mosque with palace of ruler and gov
offices/everything close and connected
Another phenomenon->distance between ruler and ruled
i.e. Maqsura in the Great Mosque of Cordoba
i.e. palace cities away from central cities
*physical distance correlate to greater presence of rituals/managing
how he appears in public/choreography of ruler transitioning from
place to place/a formal procession
specific material objects that reinforce these hierarchies
-fine textiles more valuable than gold
-a parasol held for the ruler
-mounted on a fine armored horse
***focuses of aesthetic activities
court life becomes more sumptuous and aesthetically driven

more formalized
People in society are reacting to this!!!
Some criticize this development.
Slave armies of Turkic soldiers!!!
In medieval world, various societies made use of slavery and created rules
for it
Abassid slave rules: If you are in power, then correct and ethical behavior
requires that you do not enslave your own people. So you can enslave people
from outside your realm.
Military Slavery-members of military that are highly skilled
Abassids purchased young boys (from the Golden Hoard) often
of Turkic origins
They are advantageous because you have full control
But they cost a lot of money to purchase
Weaken local groups with military rule
Regiments with espirit de ceour
SO non-friends of Abassid criticized that they have no morals
and brutal Turkic soldiers, hence that is why that they chose to
move away to the distant palace city of Samarra
(sounds familiar to Abassid criticisms of Umayyads!)
Back to Wall Painting!
1. They existed. Given quality we can assume that there are other paintings.
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
2. tradition of figural painting. Palace is appropriate for images of humans
and animals
3. the style of the painting: there are focuses on drapery and shading- very
much connected to local painting techniques
Abstract Shapes in Samarra!
Walls made of brick and covered in stucco with designs
Decorations are all abstract and rounded shapes
They are BEVELED-refers to a type of carving where edges are rounded
How did other groups understand the Abassid style?
It appears that they did have a uniform style.
Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Ciaro 879 CE
Ibn Tulun was governor of the Abassid caliphate in Cairo, Egypt
Very few buildings around the mosque then
Spiral minaret at an axis
A ziada-space buffer around it to separate mosque proper from city
Local default material=>brick once again
A more modest version of the Great Mosque of al-Mutawakkil
Stucco decoration to mark edges of arches and their undersides
Every soffet(underside)is different=>immense variety of stucco decorations

All abstract and no human or animal representations.

*Abassid style became very recognizable style throughout various regions of their
empire.
Cairo similar to Samarra
There are more survivals of illustrated books than wall paintings
11/5/14
*The Fatimids (named after Fatima-daughter of the prophet)
They are Shiites=>favored Ali as successor to the prophet
Urban History of the City of Cairo
Cairo refers to all these historic settlements
Babylon ca. 100 AD
Earliest real city
Fustat ca. 641 AD
First Islamic settlement
Al-Oatai ca. late 9th century
Where Ibn Tulun was
Al-Qahira ca. 949
Eventually became the modern day city of Cairo
All located next to the Nile River
A constant concern about the flooding of the river
Hence a tool was created=>Nile-ometer
(But now, the Nile has been dammed and no longer floods )
On the right of the river are the Muqattam Hills
So the settlements are sandwiched between these two geographic features
*Pattern of settlements: new developments more up north other settlements
Babylon
Further down the river, under al-Fustat
Greco-Roman settlement with various indigenous groups
Egyptian Jews(Ben Ezra Synagogue)/Egyptian Greek
Orthodox(Church of St. George)/ Egyptian Coptic Orthodox (Hanging
Church) (they are Christian but dont agree with other churches or
greek orthodox-they have their own head of church)/
Hanging Church
coptic
Suspended above sub-basement
Used by Christians and Muslims
By 100 AD there are several forms of Christianity/Judaism with their
own establishments in Babylon
Coptic Manuscript

Coptic Icon
Fustat ca. 641 AD
City established 9 years after the death of the prophet
Conquered by group of Arabian/Muslim soldiers
The group of Muslims chose to settle not in Babylon-but wanted to establish
little military encampment just north of it and over time it became a fullfledge settlement
Mosque of Amr ibn al- As
First mosque in Egypt
Hypostyle plan/modest structure
Al-QataI
Also military settlement by Tulunids (mini Dynasty)
Mosque of Ibn Tulun
Al-Qahira
Founded by Fatimid Dynasty in 969 AD
*Fatimids
Shiites/supporter of Ali (son-in-law)
Thought: Muhammad was the only who received direct words from God
But there are special people who can understand the hidden/deeper
meanings of the words of the Quaran, they believe that Ali was that special
person
Ali was their first Imam
For Shiites=> Imam means someone who has that special information
Even in the earliest period of Shiites, there were a variety of different
thoughts
For example: Imams of the Twelver Shiites vs. Imams of the Ismaili
Shiites
After the 6th Imam there were discrepancies as to who the next one
should be
Karim Agha Khan
FATIMID SHIITES: They expanded throughout north Africa and parts
of the eastern Mediterranean from the Abassids
They have different views and are competing for resources
Make momentous decision to move capital from Al-Mansuriya to AlQahira (Ciaro)
Declares a Caliph in Cairo (so now there are 3 caliphs existing at the
same time)

Believed their message was important and urgernt=>they were active

in converting (DOWA)
World view=> other muslims are wrong and they are right so its their
job to bring others to the true message
Light is a very special metaphor for the kind of special info that the
Imam has
Things that has to do with illumination and light become very
important elements in their artistic repertoire

11/10/14
seeing the Imam conveyed a blessing to you
ability to see him was important and this was expressed through the
Fatimids architectures

LIGHT: qualities of light is valued

Becomes important metaphor because of quaranic script God is light
For Shiites and Ismailis and Fatimids, they value this metaphor deeply
Pattern: when fatimids conquered cairo, and moved their capital there in
969, they dont set themselves up on top of previous settlement but rather
chose to go several miles north.
Set up an exclusive city, conceived as a palace city
Imam Caliph set ahead of time, a general with instructions to lay out a
particular urban plan
Implication: urban planning was very important
Use of the space followed strict court rituals
Ceremonies that take place there are reserved for Fatimid
elites/ruling circle
General shot an arrow and length determined the length of city
Major north-south artery
The street was called-The Street Between Two Palaces
Simple low wall to demarcate the city of Al-Qahira from area around it
West Palace
East Palace
Bab Zuwayla-40clock gate=>interest in light and sunset
Al-Azhar Mosque-The Most Radiant Mosque
Kael arch
Roundel between arches
Now a major university and center of sunni muslim theology
Al-Hakim=>in stories he emerges as a figure whose actions appears contradictory
Of course if you were a follower, he would never appear wrong
But those outside the faith believed he was erratic
Right outside the Bab-al-Futuh-Gate of Conquest was
The Mosque of al-Hakim 990-1013

Hypostyle=>nothing out of the norm

One of the things that is different is ONE distinguished entrance
jutting out by qibla wall
Emphasis on ornamentation and writing on the faade
A new ingenuity, a new focus
Two militaristic towers/bastions on front corners, but they are
different from each other(one is rounded and one is angular)
Features circular motifs
Band of writing above windows
We dont know why a certain Imam Caliph ordered for bigger (both
angular) bastions to cover up the smaller different bastion
He had curses of other rulers on the building but ordered them to
covered up later
Implication: building looks is important to him
Wavering opinions
60 years later after al-Hakim
the gates are moved out further so al-Hakim Mosque is now
part of the ramparts
the walls are taller/more fortified
1073=>series of imam caliphs who were children and died in
succession
instances where there were schisms in Fatimid ruling elites
came up with idea to change/create a new office within the
government
Imam Caliph remained Imam Caliph
But created a new office called Walid/Vizir
They hired someone who was a military slave
Bring someone from outside egypt who doesnt have
basis within complex pre-existing Egyptian society
Hes the caliphs right hand man/ #2 man
Brought with him personal slave army
Married son to daughter of imam caliph
Office become institutionalized
As it evolves, the person who is in office runs the state
In charge of administration, the courts, etc
BUT not in charge of religion or special
information->that could never happen with one
single special Imam
*were seeing a specialization of office

11/17/14
based on religious ideology
light metaphor
all played role in urban planning
comparing al-qahira to abbassids samarra
both royal cities
al-qahira=>the victorious
both reflects ambitions and ideas of the ruling group
everything in early Fatimid cairo based on these ideas
measurement of perimeters
naming
ideas of conquest and ideas of rejuvenation
imam caliph brought remains of ancestors
great mosque al-azhar
gate of conquest and gate of victory
all a part of their ideology
al-Hakim
massive building
deeper covered area with qibla wall
overall typical hypostyle
interesting thing: series of experiments that rulers engaged in with the
faade/writing with religious messages and other messages about
contemporary life
its decorations=>especially with large scale writing on street faade
faade juts out into the street
military experiments with the bastions
big circle motifs
1073->big rupture in Fatimid history
series of splintering of the ruling group/internal problem
they come up with new ruling formula
establish vizir office
vizir now in charge of political and military but separate from the
religious
result: balance of power is altered
we see that great monuments in al-Qahira are now works of Vizirs
rather than Imam Caliphs
one change: a more fortified Cairo
first Vizir (from outside the realm/former military slave)
rebuilt perimeter wall of al-Qahira as a defensive wall.
Extends the wall to the north and the mosque of al-Hakim is
now within the walls

Rebuilding the walls

Bab al-Futuh, Gate of Conquest
Scale is very imposing
Material: cut stone brought in from somewhere else which suggests
additional expense and planning
Rather than the norm of just brick
Feature intricate stone carving
In order to create these gates=>imported craftsmen from area of greater
Syria (where the vizir was from)
Vizir bringing military decorative tradition from another area into alQahira
This is all very new to Egypt
Rounded bastions
Bab al-Nasr, Gate of Victory
Rectangular gates
Bab Zuwayala, Dusk Gate/4 oclock Gate
Rounded bastions as well
Demarcated but not fortified before but now it has militarized monuments and is
fortified
In this period=>later 11th and 1th century
Observed phenomenon that seems pan culutrual
Architecture evolved in a way that emphasizes militirizations
Not only forts and castles but also military architecture integrated into urban
cities
Why: era of military reality
Crusades/tension between caliphates/ conquests and counter
conquest/ warfare / rise of Turkic origins and military background
(what is important to them)
Al-Aqmar Mosque
Sponsored by vizirs
General coneption of ground plan: very familiar hypostyle
The faade is aligned to the street
Has a corridor that mediates the angle
But building is aligned to mecca
Location: incredibly important ideologically
Right between the palaces
On one side is the dead imams and the other the living imam
Name: refers to the moon/properties of light/cosmology
Scale: not as imposing as the gates we just saw
Intimate human scale
Faade: entrance bay juts out into the street like the mosque of al-Hakim

Builds on previously established Fatimid mosque traditions

Circle motifs=> a roundel with series of concentric circles
It is above the entrance and decorates several other places
Referring to the circles of faith with Imam in the center, which
is true faith
The name of Muhammad and Ali is featured in the center of the
circle
Expressing the core ideology of the Shiite viewpoint
Whether youre Shiite (in the inner circle) or Sunni (in the
outer circle), the inner circle is still meaningful to you
Play of signification=>we see it featured in other Fatimid
creations like COINS
Band of inscriptions: all about the title of the Vizirs
A bunch of self flattering titles mentioned more than once
Whats conveyed? We see who is really in charge->Vizir
Wanted mosque to have presence on the streets
Bulls eye coins of the Fatimids
once again featuring concentric circle design
but purely writing/epigraphic
message: Muhammad is the messenger/god is the only god
continue design idea that we see at al-aqmar
heart of the circle is imam and more meaningful on deeper
Ismaili levels
outer circle are statements that are more generic and can be
meaningful for muslims writ-large
Urban Rituals of the Fatimids
How early rituals created urban links throughout early cairo
Every Friday=> community congregates at noon at a mosque
Imam caliph and his entire entourage dress magnificently/mounted
on magnificent decked out horses
Horses wearing custom made shit with no seams
Entourage: bodyguards, scholars, men of the courts, etc.
They travel through certain route and everyone would be
gawking/observing him
They would visit various mosques nearby
Imam caliphs way of connecting areas throughout the city to Fatimid
rule

Fatimid connecting themselves to revious historic mosques like

Mosque of Ibn Tulun
*Mosque of Ibn Tulun
Vizir sponsored carving decoration of the Mihrab to mark connection of
Fatimid to this monument
Nilometer
Begun during pharohnic times
Subsequent groups including fatimids also used this peculiar instrument
Hole on the ground
Fatimid caliph adopted/appropriated deeply ancient ritual of checking how
much the nile had flooded
Would have a great procession to Rawda Island to check on the Nilometer
Magnificent urban ritual and display: established connection between
Fatimids and previous era
Making it their own and establishing their presence
Last Vizir was SALADIN
Military background
He was not from slave background
Son of powerful of lordly dynasty of Kurdish origin
Ayyubid Dynasty NOT Shiites
Network of political and economic connection
Dangerous manso he took over and Fatimid Dynasty ends
Ayubbid Dynasty came about
Thought of themselves as proponents of true Islam AKA Sunni
The Sunni revival
Chooses title of Sultan
Nominally recognizes Abbasids in Baghdad
Maybe sends him a b-day gift but does not mean they have any
say in his rulership
The ambition is not universal: they dont want to rule the
entire Islamic society
11/19/14
Review: Vizir hired
Usually an ex-military slave with great competence
Increased militarization in art and architecture
Re-erect previously nominal walls of Cairo with imposing stone and largescale
The major monuments on key sites in urban area of cairo were sponsored by
vizir not caliphs
Mosque of al-Akman
Trend of prominent writing on exterior of mosque that we
previously saw at al-Hakim
Highly decorated faade

Two types of content: religious and one of social hierarchy(aka

vizir has a lot of titles)
Concentric circle motif and likened it to ismaili belief of inner
being IMAM (faith) and outer being general islam
Describes their faith as the heart and true while outer
circle represent outsiders
Ubiquitous in coins and other art pieces
Connecting Fatimid monuments to other monuments and other monuments
of other cultures
Appropriation by fatimids by even more ancient culture with visiting
the nilometer
Completely integrate themselves into the greater local urban
civilization of cairo and even the ancient cultures
Saladin the last vizir from the Ayyubid Dynasty took over
Alhambra Citadel Granada, Spain
Nasrids 1237-1492
One of last remaining Islamic dynasties in Spain
Their capital is in Granada
*1492 concludes the victory of the Christian catholic side
anyone who disagrees with this view has no place in their state
therefore muslims, jews, and few Christians were forced to leave
confiscation of institutional property
Ladino language (Spanish jews) can be found in present day Turkey
Many muslims flee to Fez in Moroco from the Iberian Peninsula
*Great Mosque of Cordoba became a cathedral
mudayhar decorative arts in the manner of Islamic culture
ex. Hearst castle
strategy: cause loss of economy in spain
Fatimids did the opposite of spain and allowed for a diverse group of
people in their state
But they did make differences between people of the book and non
people of the book
The book=> the bible/torah/new testament
Muslims recognized that there are a lot of correlations
between the bible and the Quran
The difference is: the message received from Muhammad
(considered the best and most complete in Islam)
Non-people of the book were others
No where near the people of the book
Non-muslims had to pay tax-a crushing burden
Expulsion: one way of dealing ith internal differences is to get rid of people
Fatimid strategy: one way of dealing by establishing social hierarchal constructs

Alhambra ( red stones)

Citadel has been in continuous use until early 19th century
Nasrid Palace
Alcazaba (military area)
Most concerned with Court of the Lions and Hall of the Two Sisters
Court of the Lions
Small scale but exquisite
Thought to be 11th century
Trickling water thats constantly circulating creating interesting sounds, cool
environment, and engaging visuals
Envokes all your senses
Around courtyard=>series of porticos consist of arches supported by 2 or 3
slender columns
They have stucco decorations
Above arches are course of wood and the roofs are brick tiles
The number of arches are random, and the arch shapes are varying
Little patterns are created with different sizes
Creates sense of optical illusion
Portico juts out into courtyead creating further movement
View points from these towers and what kind of natural scenes you can see
Highly manipulated and organized gardens
More additional water works with water brought in from outside
Lots of subdividing channels that can lead to different corridors
Water reflects light
Hall of the Two Sisters
Square room with dome
Dome rest of polygonal construction
Interior and revetment is all stucco
Engage your eyes (not to support weight of roof)
Windows filter in natural light
Subdividing and fragmenting space=>in way that is super dynamic and
creates sense of infinity
Every cell of the mulquarnas dome was painted
A wall with lower part in tile mosaic and upper part is stucco
Inscription of poems specifically for this building by court poet
Repeat phrase there is no victor but god which is the motto of
Nasrids
Can be found all around
Bath

Coffered roofs made of wood

Gardens
Fond of trees and plants thought to have originated in Syria

Syria place of nostalgia for the Spanish muslims

Nasrids
Self presentation and self perception they are very grand and they
demonstrated this through Alhambra
They present themselves as super classy
Despite the fact they were a small dynasty and vassels to Spanish catholic
forces

Seljuqs restored the Sunni Abbasid Caliphate to religious prominence

Intro of new polity that was to dominate the entire region through the many postseljuqid principalities
-Principalities ruled by amirs of military class
Had armies (Turkish and Kurdish)
Expanded through war and conquests against host of enemies

Citadels became home for rulers with extensive militaristic establishments

Refuge against attack, residence fr military elite, barrier against the ruled, and
symbol of rulers valor as defenders of Islam
Fast forward a few decades, Salahdin is the last vizir and establishes the Sultanate of
the Ayubbid Dynasty in 1169. His military background and noble Kurdish heritage
provides him with much talents and connections as a Sunni Muslim leader.
Architecture evolved in a way that emphasizes militarization
Not only forts and castles but also military architecture integrated into urban cities

Militarism is the belief or desire of a government or people that a

country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared
to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests.[1][2] It
may also imply the glorification of the ideals of a professional military
class and the "predominance of the armed forces in the
administration or policy of the state"
The military also serves as a means of social restructuring. Lower
classes could gain status and mobility within the military, at least after
leve en masse after the French Revolution. Also, the officer corps
became open to the middle class, although it was once reserved only
for nobility.

12/1/14
Crusades 1095-1291
Incursions onto eastern Mediterranean
Not an us-vs.-them phenomenon
Competition for resources in east
Various groups make alliances amongst themselves, with crusaders, and
against crusaders
Abbasids in Baghdad till 1248
Around 1250 there is a major rupture in Islamic history
Crusades-dissolving and reforming relationships
Civilian aristocrats
Byzantine empire in Constantinople
Local Christian principalities within the middle east
Crusader states established within the middle east
Islamic states within the middle including the fatimids
Religious brotherhoods
Encounter crusader castles
built by crusader groups and Islamic states
Ayyubid Dynasty 1176-1250
Sunni Revival counter-crusade
Following the end of the fatimids
Rising of smaller states in east Mediterranean
The Ayyubids do not claim title of Caliph (does acknowledge Abbasids
as sovereign in Baghdad but no control)
Establishes Sultanate
Sultan->the one who rules
Not universal ambitions like caliph/not ruler of all muslims
Exemplar:
In this period we have fragmentation of territory controlled by
very different groups
Territories always being reconfigured
Salahdin brought down Fatimids and established Ayyubids
Transformed cairo by estbalishing the citadel of cairo
Chilvarous leaders
Great qualities: nobility, warrior, generous, respectful of
women, honest in military negotiations
1. good sunni muslim: pious
philanthropic->support madrasas, students, judges,
interested in theology, have scholars in your court,
interested in Islam itself
2. chivalrous
great regards for the weak, practice charity, benefit
Islamic community, deal with sense of probity even
with your enemies->upholder of public morality
act in which a great knight would act

3. educated
poetry, sciences, theology
4. military prowess
many victories
5. dispense justice
as sultan you can parallel the judges
if he thinks acts requires justice he will dispense it
part of court rituals
ALL becomes very important aspects of Sultans
`
No claim made to be caliph
Aleppo, Ayyubid City
Citadel of Aleppo 13th century
Best-preserved Islamic medieval citadel
The mound its built on is naturally occurring
Since 2nd century bc there was a temple there
Ppl have been building there since forever
Abraham milked his goat there?
Citadel-refers to fortified area within a city
The inner core that was also fortified
If city was attacked, the ramparts were protected by walls around city
And then would run to citadel
The only topographically salient sight
Visually dominated the plane/have visual control over surroundings
Its barriers: a moat
Gate of Aleppo with stone bridge that crosses over moat
The stone bridge
The scale is huge
The Serpents Gate is an entrance on the side
Forces enemies to turn and open up as
target/vulnerable
Intertwined serpents
Totemic animal
The Lions Gate
Bust of lions (might be reused)
Again aggressive animal occurring at an important
threshold
*animal imager employed very clearly in a military context
Muquaranas entrance
Aesthetically elaborate entrances
Barbicans from where arrows are shot
Madrasa al-Firdaws, Aleppo
1235-1236
Madrasas in general are like law universities

Are a focus for philanthropy and we see a lot arising

Sunni legal thinking features 4 distinct branches of law
Have different interpretations of Islam for purposes of different laws
Some have said that the differences between the 4 are minor
Option to follow anyone of these laws but you can switch
Why does it become important to have specialists in these laws?
Because they had bureaucracies
Crusader Castle
Krak des Chevaliers
1/3/14
proliferation of urban states
we see that certain cities (especially in ayyubid empire) we see city of
governance
provincial cities as provincial centers
i.e. Aleppo is promoted as center of cultural and military activity
other members of Ayyubid family are given position of governance in other
extended cities (like damascus, Jerusalem, etc.)
son of salahdin transformed defensive aspect of citadel
Citadel-like neighborhood that house palace of rulers and administrative buildings
With mosques, shrines, etc.
General configuration:
Series of fortification in a circle on top of naturally occurring mound
On top are little towers called barbicans AKA watchtower
Entire hillside is fortified with stone slabs
Only has one entrance in to it above ground (there were underground
passages)
With bridge over a moat
Michocaltions-special rooms that juts out of wall and has no floor
Enables you to throw stuff through hole in floor onto incoming
enemies below
Barbicans with arrowslits
Symmetrical-so also has aesthetic dimension
Serpent Gate
Laughing Lion and Crying Lion
Door surmounted by Lion Carving
They all occur at important thresholds
Entrance of the Ayyubid Palace in the Citadel

Bichromasonry
Hood that surmounts entrance
Geometric pattern featuring Syrian knot
Sunni Muslim Institutions
Madrasas that produced graduates that could be lawyers, judges,
counselors,
Important in establishing a literate middle class elites
Many of sultans took upon themselves to become patrons
Became prestige commissions that powerful people could make to
provide services to their city and reputation
Help city be perceived as great cities
Aleppo has several of these buildings because center of focus for
Ayyubids
Salihin Cemetery
Separate cemetery where nobles and important individuals were
buried
Pious structure->became place for living activities as well
Fitting place to have university near
Technically among important peoples and teachers of past
i.e. Madrasa al-Firdaws , Aleppo, 1235-1236
sober and spare decorations
harmony of volumes?
Aesthetic affects what these people thought were
beautiful
Angular building, relatively squat, with series of domes,
blank walls on which there is a band of writing (only
decoration on exterior wall), wall (but not inscription
band) interrupted by entrance portal (this is a niche)
and it is distinguished by mulquarnas hood
When youre inside:
Interior courtyard,
Arcade
Qibla side with big dome and portico
On other side is another 3-sided vaulted room
with no portico->this is an iwan
Open side allows open relationship
between open space and closed space
There are small cells on sides of iwan
which leads to other rooms
Can teach here
All students would be able to
memorize/master the

texts that were taught, then they

would graduate be qualified to
teach others
This system is designed to ensure
integrity of the texts
Both teachers and students were residents
Group of no more than 50
You could live nearby or on site
Your tuition was paid by foundation
If you wanted to be lawyer you wanted to go from
institutions to institution to learn under important
teachers
Once youve mastered then youve completed course of
study
You could continue research in the field you were
appointed in
Fellowship were lifetime appointments
Back toArchitecture
Interior courtyard is focus of activity and aesthetic elaboration
Bichromasonry
Shallow pool is very sculptural
Along the walls is a continuous band of writing
Aesthetic effects depends on the volume
Another focus of aesthetic elaboration is the Mihrab (indicates
direction of Mecca)
Artisitic virtuosity could be expressed
Different Stones put together to create imagery of
Syrian knots
Scale is very intimate
Small foundations are focus of philanthropic activity for
ayyubids
Goodbye Aleppo
Hello Homs!
Krak des Chevaliers in County of Tripoli
Site: on high grounds
Part of a chain of castles in militarily strategic positions
To control swath of territory
Built by the Hospitalers
Religious brotherhoods: alliances of noblemen, which advanced the
interest of their brotherhood
They were active builders of castles
There were fortifications there before
Junctions
Crucial passes between inland plains and coastal plains

Country side where they were, were inhabited by Middle Eastern Christians
and Muslim groups
General structure: double ramparts in one
Double rampsant
Moat between outer ramparts and inner ramparts
Could patrol ramparts at all time and check the countryside that lays infront
Super strategic
Heavily cultivated countryside
Innermost part of the castle(keep)
Architectural distinctions
Cisterns
Small barrel vaulted apse
The Great Hall
Outer portico decorated in gothic style
Gallery and large covered hall
Gothic arcade with pointed arches
Very western European imported into this area
Also inscriptions in latin and remnants of carvings in euro style
BUT not one way street
They were forced to perfect military technology
So they used other ideas travelling throughout the Mediterranean
So when we compare Ayyubid and Crusader architecture, theres a lot
shared
12/8/14
Roger II of Sicily
Gold&Glass mosaic: Crowned as Norman King of Sicily by Jesus
himself
Palermo is in Sicily
Ruled over society that were predominantly Arabic speaking
Like other rulers around Mediterranean, he was building up his court
One of the ways to become great ruler during his time:
Sponsoring arts&architecture, promoting religion, learning
centers
The Book of Roger 1154 written by court geographer, al-Idrisi
geographer from north Africa and muslim
one of many specialist that Roger had at court
wrote summary of geography of the world
incorporating other traditions
described the world from the point of view from Palermo
what were his sources: previous geographies from ancient
world/travellers account in Arabic (because there were Arabic speaking merchants
from all over)/ the book of roger included a fold out map of the world

world is flat disk, south is at top and north is at bottom,

Palermo is in the center
mountain ranges are shown
effort here is based on facts
other stuff at the time were based on religion and myths
Mantle of Roger II of sicily, Palermo, 1133-34
Worn during coronation
Weighs a lot
Palm tree down center flanked by two animal groups on both
sides->camel being dominated by feline
Animal imagery weve seen before as sign of royalty
Weaving/material used are expensive
Pearls weaved in
INSCRIPTION band around the edge of the mantle in Arabic
Another sign of interconnection amongst
Mediterranean
Fatimid design with curve
Language: Lingua Franca
Various differing religious/philosophical belief had no problem with using
Arabic as the language of the court
Important because crusades are championing the idea of confronting ideas
that are different from west
BUT thats not the case in the Mediterranean region, as everything is being
shared
1258: Mongols invade Baghdad->end of Abbasid Caliphate
but in reality, Abbasid family moved from Baghdad to Cairo
became guests of Mamluk sultans
virtual prisoners and became figureheads/puppet
*Mamluk: owned
from owned, to owner, to patron client
Mamluk Dynasty had Amirs
Lots of court intrigues and take overs etc.
Paradox: even tho it seems that balance of power is very precariously is
hinged on system of Amirs, it ended up being the most stable and long-running
dynasties in the middle east
Social reality the system was based on: Mamluk status, being a military slave,
not transmitted logically
Manumitted
If youre a general, your children does not automatically inherit your status
They could be normal class
Social contract with another important social groups in society
Homies with the Ulamas aka the Clerics!

Muslim scholars who had education

Were usually in offices of bureaucrats
Not always in favor of each other
But definitely in political dance with each other, alliances and whatnot
Waqf could not be taken away
If patron died, enemies would want to take your stuff
But the law of the Waqf secured the patronage of structures
Window into harsh reality of being a mamluk
Mamluk as glittering and wealthy?
Baptistere de Saint Louis
Images of what mamluks were like
Mounted horsemen using lances with interesting weaponry, hunting,
drinking wine, marching, retainers
Mamluk mosque lamps were gifts given
Mamluks often bore blasons/brands
Emblems of individual patrons are on the architecture that they sponsor
Lots of weapons manufactured
Utilitarian and ones for parades
Horses were a big thing
Racing, games, and battle
All were major artistic and artisanal activity
969 Cairo
main street is still important
certin urban artery can have much longer life in history of built in
environment that the groups that commissioned them
urban footprint remains
Complex of al-Nasir Muhammad 1295-1303
Entrance Incorportates Gothic portal of Crusader Church in Acre
Acre was conquered by Mamluk sultan
Trophy architecture
Takes back the portal to cairo and incorporates into the entrance of the
Madrasa
I am the conqueror of the Acre, and this is the entrance of the crusader
church that I am going to take and incorporate into my building
Theres a big inscription band across the faade

Its big and low enough for passerby to read and understand
Praises the structure an the patron

12/10/14
Urban patterns set in Fatimids period continues to be important in Mamluks
Even tho their ideologies are so different
Major continuity: importance of urban artery->street between two palaces in
cairo
Even after the two palaces have been destroyed
Mosque of al-Hakim
Importance of writing on faade of building
Al-Aqmar Mosque
Also has important writing band
Praise ruling groups and their ideologies
Urban artieries become major theme in mamluks dynasty
Mosque of Qalaun
Its faade facing the street has huge legible inscription band
The content: super praise for ruler with numerous flattering titles
Built between 1284 and 1285
Legitimacy based on their association with the commander of
the believers AKA the Abbasids (but doesnt bother to even mention the caliphs
name) the FOCUS IS THE SULTAN (the caliph and Abbassid family are in existence at
Mamluks discretion. They were puppets/prisoners)
Doesnt address religion
Importance of shrines addressed
Complex:
Mausoleum: most lavish room there
Ruler and some of his family buried there. Resting place.
Has dome and a minaret which are visible from the street
*A dome ALWAYS and ONLY means a tomb in MAMLUK TRADITIONS!
Become very prominent, feats of engineering, a lot of artistic
energy spent on them
All kinds of architectural technique.
Stucco decoration that almost looks like lace.
Different kinds of marble mosaic
Wooden screens and doors
Madrasa: Mosque inside

Hospital/Medical School: had moving water, thought to have

therapeutic effects
Diseases were segregated by space
Qalaun made provisions for medical students and teachers
i.e. eye illnesses
mentally ill
example of endowment for public institution and urban amenities
not just from state but from individuals as well
a Waqf are only endowments from yours
*The mosque has a section on one side of the entrance that encroaches on the
street. Qalaun had to get special court order to build it this way.
Dynamic nature of Mamluk architecture. Creating effects at the street level.
Affecting the experience of the pedestrian. Not interested in creating
harmonious footprint. Structures are in your face and are very intricate and
ornate. Street facades of building are major focus of artistic expression. All
geared towards this view from the street. Capturing attention and
establishing a more aggressive architectural profile.
Complex of Sultan Hasan, Cairo Begun 1356
Goal: secure desirable real estate
Space of military displays and palatial residences
Had to move people out, easier cuz a lot of ppl died from
plague
Has mausoleum with dome
The tomb, most architecturally prominent of the complex is the
component that faces the citadel
Not as interested in symmetry->more focused with pedestrian
experience
Madrasa and Mosque
General plan: 4 Iwan Plan
Central open square with 4 Iwans that grow from it
Had dorms, was residential place for students
Elaborate inscription band (quaranic) marble mosaic, intricate
puzzles with precious stones, technique on the arch of the nice: ABLAQ
Arabesque designs
*display of virtuosity
Mamluk very open to artistic ideas as long as it was MORE IS
MORe->gotta be flashy
Demanded minarets to be highest as possible
During building, one minaret collapsed and killed 100
ppl
Emphasized the speed of building because sultans had short
life expectancy

But quality was still very high->architectural department very well

developed
Building not finished cuz he was murdered
Kind of ironic: built by somebody who wasnt really that prominent,
built in time of economic downturn,
Magnificence, scale, and ambition, are not always reflection success of
the patron
Its the opposite but it tells us about the force of will of some of these
sultans
MINARETS AND DOMES
Super sculptural for Mamluks
Had mamluk blazon/logo!
Super engineering feat so much math
Artistic decoration on point
Ghuriyya Apartment Building-Caravanserai (Rab-Wakala) 1504-05
Kind of like a motel for businessmen, merchants
Place to house products and animals
Had to be secure location
Apartments still remain today which means they were endowed
Had series of windows veiled in variety of ways
Top section with jutting out boxes that creates exterior alcoves
Made of turned wood
Could look out and get light in while securing privacy