The City of Brass is a continual source of fascination for readers and scholars. Described by Ri... more The City of Brass is a continual source of fascination for readers and scholars. Described by Richard van Leeuwen as one of “the most remarkable and interesting stories of the Thousand and One Nights” it includes a unique and complicated combination of material from both mythical and geographical sources. Although the story describes a journey that begins in Damascus as a search for flasks holding the rebellious jinn who were captured by King Solomon, it is the strange places, objects, and people that the travelers encounter along the way that has lent such fame to the story. With its fantastic tales of a glorious city with petrified inhabitants and a life-like mummy queen, the story presents a compelling commentary about the transitory nature of life and the nature of death. Buildings along the way are replete with inscriptions whose messages serve as warnings to those who try to resist death. Several versions of the story include references to the legendary prophet Hızır. Such references, along with the complicated nature of the story, have caused scholars to associate the story with allegorical meanings and spiritual quests. On the one hand, Hızır’s appearance in this tale compels us to ask a series of questions about who Hızır was and how his associations with this enigmatic journey might have resonated with audiences confronted by enigmatic structures. On the other, the City of Brass, in its contemplation of wealth and false appearances, allows us to probe the meaning and purpose of architecture in a world where wealth is associated with spiritual poverty and the ruins of elaborate cities serve as a warning of moral failure. This paper seeks explore the paradoxical nature of Hızır’s association with architecture by addressing common links between his appearance in the City of Brass and other related tales with sacred architecture.
aintly Spheres and Islamic Landscapes explores the creation, expansion, and perpetuation of the m... more aintly Spheres and Islamic Landscapes explores the creation, expansion, and perpetuation of the material and imaginary spheres of spiritual domination and sanctity that surrounded Sufi saints and became central to religious authority, Islamic piety, and the belief in the miraculous. The cultural and social constructs of Islamic sainthood and the spatial inscription of saintly figures have fascinated and ignited scholars across a range of disciplines. By bringing together a broad scope of perspectives and case studies, this book offers the reader the first comprehensive, albeit variegated, exposition of the evolution of saintly spheres and the emplacements of spiritual power in the Muslim world across time and place.
Page 1. s an* Dissemination of Islam in Medieval Palestine arers, in Tiety Daphna Ephrat Page 2. ... more Page 1. s an* Dissemination of Islam in Medieval Palestine arers, in Tiety Daphna Ephrat Page 2. Page 3. Spiritual Wayfarers, Leaders in Piety This One WZT6-2FP-RDZ1 Page 4. EDITORIAL BOARD OF THE CMES MONOGRAPHS ...
The Art of the Saljuqs in Iran and Anatolia: Proceedings of a Symposium Held in Edinburgh in 1982... more The Art of the Saljuqs in Iran and Anatolia: Proceedings of a Symposium Held in Edinburgh in 1982, ed. by Robert Hillenbrand. Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 1994. xxii + 313 pages. $65. Published 12 years after the 1982 symposium on the Saljuqs closed in Edinburgh, this practical and sensibly produced volume, edited by the symposium's organizer, presents us with a record of 37 of the papers. The problems of editing art-historical conference proceedings these days are extremely vexing; without large subsidies, it is difficult to find a publisher, and the coordination of visual material, especially given the nearextortionate fees demanded by some museums for permission to publish, is enough to dissuade all but the most persistent and highly motivated editors. Fortunately, Robert Hillenbrand showed almost superhuman persistence over a dozen years, and, with the assistance of Mazda Publishers, he succeeded. The resulting volume is a substantial enrichment of our knowledge of the artistic legacy of the Turkic rulers of Iran and Anatolia in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries of the Common Era. As might be expected, the 37 papers differ markedly in scope of focus, in method, and in subject matter. Some are archaeological in nature, such as Gonil Oney's discussion of ceramics found in the Samosata excavations. Others deal with single monuments, many of them either not covered or only briefly mentioned in the monumental Suney of Persian Art produced in the 1930s under the direction of Arthur Upham Pope. Bernard O'Kane's discussion of the minaret of Vabkent, Sheila Blair's reading of an inscription on a domed chamber in Barujird, and Douglas Pickett's study of the tile revetments of the Masjid-I Jami` of Ashtarjan, to mention but a few examples, all shed new light on individual monuments. Not surprisingly, a large number of papers deal with ceramics, including Barbara Schmitz's discussion of Shah-nameh scenes painted on a mina'i (13th-century ceramic) bowl, Robert Hillenbrand's excellent and thought-provoking article on the relationship between ceramic painting and book painting, and Oliver Watson's discussion of dated examples of mina'i wares and their relationship to lustrepainted ceramics. There are several papers dealing primarily with complex issues of iconography, including a preliminary study of peacock images by `Abbas Daneshvari, Assadullah Souren Melikian-Chirvani's magisterial epigraphical discussion of candlesticks as metaphors for heaven, and the late Emel Esin's article on Oghuz epics and their relationship to Saljuq iconography. …
This chapter focuses on a Syrian Orthodox monastery dedicated to Mar Behnam near the town of Qara... more This chapter focuses on a Syrian Orthodox monastery dedicated to Mar Behnam near the town of Qaraqoche east of the ancient city of Nimrud and 35 km south of Mosul. It presents a formal overview of the site, dating, and style of the buildings in the monastery. The chapter discusses the relationship between changes in the Syrian Orthodox church and the production of hagiographical material on Mar Behnam. It reviews Khidr Ilyas' functions and meanings in reinforcing the local sanctity of sites during periods of dramatic changes in population and political control. Most observers from recent centuries have understood Khidr as little more than a Muslim variant of St George or the prophet Elijah. Far from an arrested state of transfer, Khidr's presence provided and continued to allow local sacred places a lasting significance to a variety of audiences. Keywords: Elijah; hagiographical material; Khidr Ilyas; Mar Behnam; Mosul; St George; Syrian Orthodox church
... Early Islamic Architecture in Cairo 47 [319] The mosque of cAmr Ibn al-cAs at Fus1at (641/2) ... more ... Early Islamic Architecture in Cairo 47 [319] The mosque of cAmr Ibn al-cAs at Fus1at (641/2) 47 [79] The nilometer at Rawda (861) 50 [220] The mosque of Ibn Tulun (876-79) 51 V. Architecture of the Fatimid Period 58 [97] The al-Azhar mosque (970) 58 [15] The mosque of ...
The City of Brass is a continual source of fascination for readers and scholars. Described by Ri... more The City of Brass is a continual source of fascination for readers and scholars. Described by Richard van Leeuwen as one of “the most remarkable and interesting stories of the Thousand and One Nights” it includes a unique and complicated combination of material from both mythical and geographical sources. Although the story describes a journey that begins in Damascus as a search for flasks holding the rebellious jinn who were captured by King Solomon, it is the strange places, objects, and people that the travelers encounter along the way that has lent such fame to the story. With its fantastic tales of a glorious city with petrified inhabitants and a life-like mummy queen, the story presents a compelling commentary about the transitory nature of life and the nature of death. Buildings along the way are replete with inscriptions whose messages serve as warnings to those who try to resist death. Several versions of the story include references to the legendary prophet Hızır. Such references, along with the complicated nature of the story, have caused scholars to associate the story with allegorical meanings and spiritual quests. On the one hand, Hızır’s appearance in this tale compels us to ask a series of questions about who Hızır was and how his associations with this enigmatic journey might have resonated with audiences confronted by enigmatic structures. On the other, the City of Brass, in its contemplation of wealth and false appearances, allows us to probe the meaning and purpose of architecture in a world where wealth is associated with spiritual poverty and the ruins of elaborate cities serve as a warning of moral failure. This paper seeks explore the paradoxical nature of Hızır’s association with architecture by addressing common links between his appearance in the City of Brass and other related tales with sacred architecture.
aintly Spheres and Islamic Landscapes explores the creation, expansion, and perpetuation of the m... more aintly Spheres and Islamic Landscapes explores the creation, expansion, and perpetuation of the material and imaginary spheres of spiritual domination and sanctity that surrounded Sufi saints and became central to religious authority, Islamic piety, and the belief in the miraculous. The cultural and social constructs of Islamic sainthood and the spatial inscription of saintly figures have fascinated and ignited scholars across a range of disciplines. By bringing together a broad scope of perspectives and case studies, this book offers the reader the first comprehensive, albeit variegated, exposition of the evolution of saintly spheres and the emplacements of spiritual power in the Muslim world across time and place.
Page 1. s an* Dissemination of Islam in Medieval Palestine arers, in Tiety Daphna Ephrat Page 2. ... more Page 1. s an* Dissemination of Islam in Medieval Palestine arers, in Tiety Daphna Ephrat Page 2. Page 3. Spiritual Wayfarers, Leaders in Piety This One WZT6-2FP-RDZ1 Page 4. EDITORIAL BOARD OF THE CMES MONOGRAPHS ...
The Art of the Saljuqs in Iran and Anatolia: Proceedings of a Symposium Held in Edinburgh in 1982... more The Art of the Saljuqs in Iran and Anatolia: Proceedings of a Symposium Held in Edinburgh in 1982, ed. by Robert Hillenbrand. Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 1994. xxii + 313 pages. $65. Published 12 years after the 1982 symposium on the Saljuqs closed in Edinburgh, this practical and sensibly produced volume, edited by the symposium's organizer, presents us with a record of 37 of the papers. The problems of editing art-historical conference proceedings these days are extremely vexing; without large subsidies, it is difficult to find a publisher, and the coordination of visual material, especially given the nearextortionate fees demanded by some museums for permission to publish, is enough to dissuade all but the most persistent and highly motivated editors. Fortunately, Robert Hillenbrand showed almost superhuman persistence over a dozen years, and, with the assistance of Mazda Publishers, he succeeded. The resulting volume is a substantial enrichment of our knowledge of the artistic legacy of the Turkic rulers of Iran and Anatolia in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries of the Common Era. As might be expected, the 37 papers differ markedly in scope of focus, in method, and in subject matter. Some are archaeological in nature, such as Gonil Oney's discussion of ceramics found in the Samosata excavations. Others deal with single monuments, many of them either not covered or only briefly mentioned in the monumental Suney of Persian Art produced in the 1930s under the direction of Arthur Upham Pope. Bernard O'Kane's discussion of the minaret of Vabkent, Sheila Blair's reading of an inscription on a domed chamber in Barujird, and Douglas Pickett's study of the tile revetments of the Masjid-I Jami` of Ashtarjan, to mention but a few examples, all shed new light on individual monuments. Not surprisingly, a large number of papers deal with ceramics, including Barbara Schmitz's discussion of Shah-nameh scenes painted on a mina'i (13th-century ceramic) bowl, Robert Hillenbrand's excellent and thought-provoking article on the relationship between ceramic painting and book painting, and Oliver Watson's discussion of dated examples of mina'i wares and their relationship to lustrepainted ceramics. There are several papers dealing primarily with complex issues of iconography, including a preliminary study of peacock images by `Abbas Daneshvari, Assadullah Souren Melikian-Chirvani's magisterial epigraphical discussion of candlesticks as metaphors for heaven, and the late Emel Esin's article on Oghuz epics and their relationship to Saljuq iconography. …
This chapter focuses on a Syrian Orthodox monastery dedicated to Mar Behnam near the town of Qara... more This chapter focuses on a Syrian Orthodox monastery dedicated to Mar Behnam near the town of Qaraqoche east of the ancient city of Nimrud and 35 km south of Mosul. It presents a formal overview of the site, dating, and style of the buildings in the monastery. The chapter discusses the relationship between changes in the Syrian Orthodox church and the production of hagiographical material on Mar Behnam. It reviews Khidr Ilyas' functions and meanings in reinforcing the local sanctity of sites during periods of dramatic changes in population and political control. Most observers from recent centuries have understood Khidr as little more than a Muslim variant of St George or the prophet Elijah. Far from an arrested state of transfer, Khidr's presence provided and continued to allow local sacred places a lasting significance to a variety of audiences. Keywords: Elijah; hagiographical material; Khidr Ilyas; Mar Behnam; Mosul; St George; Syrian Orthodox church
... Early Islamic Architecture in Cairo 47 [319] The mosque of cAmr Ibn al-cAs at Fus1at (641/2) ... more ... Early Islamic Architecture in Cairo 47 [319] The mosque of cAmr Ibn al-cAs at Fus1at (641/2) 47 [79] The nilometer at Rawda (861) 50 [220] The mosque of Ibn Tulun (876-79) 51 V. Architecture of the Fatimid Period 58 [97] The al-Azhar mosque (970) 58 [15] The mosque of ...
Saintly Spheres and Islamic Landscapes Emplacements of Spiritual Power across Time and Place Series: Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section 1 The Near and Middle East, Volume: 147 Editors: Daphna Ephrat, Ethel Sara Wolper, and Paulo G. Pinto, 2021
Saintly Spheres and Islamic Landscapes explores the creation, expansion, and perpetuation of the ... more Saintly Spheres and Islamic Landscapes explores the creation, expansion, and perpetuation of the material and imaginary spheres of spiritual domination and sanctity that surrounded Sufi saints and became central to religious authority, Islamic piety, and the belief in the miraculous. The cultural and social constructs of Islamic sainthood and the spatial inscription of saintly figures have fascinated and ignited scholars across a range of disciplines. By bringing together a broad scope of perspectives and case studies, this book offers the reader the first comprehensive, albeit variegated, exposition of the evolution of saintly spheres and the emplacements of spiritual power in the Muslim world across time and place.
Uploads
Papers by Ethel Sara Wolper
The cultural and social constructs of Islamic sainthood and the spatial inscription of saintly figures have fascinated and ignited scholars across a range of disciplines. By bringing together a broad scope of perspectives and case studies, this book offers the reader the first comprehensive, albeit variegated, exposition of the evolution of saintly spheres and the emplacements of spiritual power in the Muslim world across time and place.