The Aesthetics of Islamic Architecture & The Exuberance of Mamluk Design

351 Pages·2013·2.15 MB·English

The Aesthetics of Islamic Architecture
&
The Exuberance of Mamluk Design

Tarek A. El-Akkad

Dipòsit Legal: B. 17657-2013

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Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura
ESARQ
---
Barcelona

The Aesthetics of Islamic Architecture &
the Exuberance of Mamluk Design

Trabajo de investigación para la obtención del
Titulo de Doctorado

Programa de Doctorado: Historia, Arquitectura y Diseño
Director Tesis Doctoral: Dr. Alberto Estévez

por

Tarek Amin El-Akkad

Part I-II

Barcelona, Enero 2013
This work
is
dedicated

to

my Mother

ii
Table of Content

Part I

1- Introduction ................................................................................ 001

1.1- Justification of the work .............................................. 002
1.2- Proposition and objectives of the investigation......... 003
1.3- Hypothesis ………………………………………………… 004
1.4- Criteria of the methodology ........................................ 006

2- State of the Question ................................................................ 007

3- The Mediterranean ..................................................................... 029

4- Sources from Persepolis............................................................. 042

5- The Umayyads ……….……………………………………………. 048

6- The Fleur-de-Lis …………………………………………………….. 055

7- A Short Iberian History ……….….……………………….……… 067

8- Al-Andalus .................................................................................. 077

8.1- The Great Mosque of Córdoba ..................................... 077
8.2- The Great Mosque of Sevilla ........................................ 090
8.3- The Alhambra ……………………………………………… 097
8.4- Analysis ......................................................................... 106

9- The Cordial Relations with Spain ……………………………… 109

9.1- Granada …………………………………………………… 109
9.2- Castilla and Aragón ……………………………………… 111

10- European Workers in Egypt …………………………………… 133

iii
Part II

11- The Monuments in Cairo ……………………….……………… 148

11.1- The Aesthetics …………………………………………… 149

11.2- Ibn Tulun ………………………………………………… 156

11.3- The Fatimids ................................................................ 163

11.3.1- The Mosque of al-Hakim …………………… 164
11.3.2- The Mosque of al-Aqmar …………………… 173
11.3.3- The Mosque of al-Saleh Tala’i ………………. 176
11.3.4- Analysis ………………………………………… 181

11.4- The Ayyubids ............................................................... 184

11.4.1- The Mausoleum of Imam Shafii …………… 184
11.4.2- The Madrasa and Mausoleum of
al-Saleh Najm al-Din Ayyub ……………….. 189

11.5- The Bahri Mamluks …................................................. 194

11.5.1-- The Mosque of Baybars …………………… 196
11.5.2-- The Complex of Qalawun ............................ 201
11.5.3-- The Complex of al-Nasir Mohamed………. 229
11.5.4-- The Funerary Complex of
Emir Sanjar al-Jawli ………………………… 242
11.5.5-- The Funerary Khanqah of
Sultan Baybars al-Jashnakir ……………… 244
11.5.6-- The Mosque of al-Nasir Mohamed
at the Citadel …………………………………. 246
11.5.7-- The Funerary Mosque of
Emir Ulmas al-Hajib ………………………… 251
11.5.8-- The Mosque of
Emir Altinbugha al-Maridani ……………… 252
11.5.9-- The Mosque of Emir Aqsunqur al-Nasiri … 254
11.5.10-The Mosque and Khanqah of
Emir Shaykhu al-Umari …………………. 254
11.5.11-The Madrasa of
Emir al-Sayfi Sarghitmish …………………. 256
11.5.12-The Complex of Sultan Hassan ……………. 257
11.5.13-The Madrasa of Umm al-Sultan Sha’ban … 273
11.5.14-The Madrasa of Emir Uljay al-Yusufi ……… 274

11.6- The Circassian Mamluks ............................................ 276

11.6.1-- The Complex of Sultan Barquq …………… 278
11.6.2-- The Funerary Khanqah of
Sultan Faraj ibn Barquq …………………… 284
iv
11.6.3-- The Funerary Complex of
Sultan al-Muayyad Shaykh ……………….. 286
11.6.4-- The Funerary Complex of
Sultan Barsbay……………………………….. 289
11.6.5-- The Funerary Complex of Sultan Inal ...….. 292
11.6.6-- The Funerary Complex of
Sultan Qaytbay ………………………………. 294
11.6.7-- The Mosque of Emir Yashbak,
al-Quba al-Fedawiya ………………………… 301
11.6.8-- The Mosque of
Qadi Abu Bakr ibn Muzhir …………............. 302
11.6.9-- The Funerary Mosque of
Emir Qijmas al-Ishaqi ………………………. 303
11.6.10-The Funerary Complex of
Sultan Qansuh al-Ghawri …………………... 304
11.6.11-The Mausoleum of Emir Azrumuk ………… 306
11.6.12-The Funerary Mosque of
Emir Qanibay Qara …………………………. 307
11.6.13-The Funerary Complex of
Emir Qurqumas ……………………………… 308

11.7- Analysis of Mamluk Design ………………………….. 311

11.8- The Ottoman Decline ………………………………….. 315

11.8.1 The Mosque of Mohamed Ali ……………….. 320
11.8.2- Cairo of Khedive Ismail …………………….. 323

12- Conclusion ............................................................................... 326

13- Bibliography .............................................................................. 333

14- Appendix .................................................................................... 340

14.1- Chronology ................................................................. 340

v
Index of Plates

Part I

(01) Persepolis. www.answers.com/topic/persepolis-recreated-jpg.
After Asana Mashouf.
(02) Persepolis. www.bible-history.com/past/persepolis_citadel.html.
(03) The Great Mosque of Damascus. Courtyard and dome of the
treasury. www.archnet.org/library.
(04) The Great Mosque of Damascus. Window screen. Slide library
RBSCL, AUC.
(05) Qusayr Amra. www.archnet.org/library.
(06) Qusayr Amra. Floor mosaics in the right alcove. After Almagro.
(07) Khirbat al-Mafjar. Slide library RBSCL, AUC.
(08) Khirbat al-Mafjar. Floor mosaics. Slide library RBSCL, AUC.
(09) a) Lilly flower. b) Fleur-de-lis emblem. c) Type-A mosaic fleur-de-lis
from the Great Mosque of Córdoba, after Barrucand.
(10) a) Altar tile piece, Church of Vallmull. Museu de Ceràmica,
Barcelona. b) Castilla y León imperial robe, Granada. ARTstor.
(11) Silk-satin cape, Valladolid. Museu Tèxtil i d‘Indumentària,
Barcleona.
(12) a) Blazon of Qalawun, Maristan of Nur al-Din Zangi in Damascus.
www.archnet.org/library. b) Type-B fleur-de-lis, mihrab squinch, the
Great Mosque of Tlemcen. ARTstor.
(13) a) Type-B fleur-de-lis, bronze door, Complex of Qalawun. b) Type-B
fleur-de-lis, stucco of the façade of the Mausoleum of Qalawun.
(14) The Great Mosque of Córdoba. Great mihrab.
(15) The Great Mosque of Córdoba. Dome above the mihrab.
(16) The Great Mosque of Córdoba. Entrance façade.
(17) The Great Mosque of Córdoba. Exterior façade.
(18) a) Córdoba, column capital. ARTstor. b) Madinat al-Zahra, typical
marble column.
(19) The Great Mosque of Sevilla. Patio de los naranjos and the
cathedral.
(20) The Great Mosque of Sevilla. The minaret.
(21) The Great Mosque of Sevilla. Minaret detail.
(22) The Alhambra, Granada. Patio de los Leones.
(23) The Alhambra, Granada, Geometric designs.
(24) The Alhambra, Granada, Stucco wall details. ARTstor.
(25) a) Catalan mosque lamp. b) Glass jar, Catalonia. Museu de les Art
Decoratives, Barcelona. c) Mamluk mosque lamp. British Museum,
London.
(26) The Complex of Sultan Hassan. European buildings on the side of
the portal.
(27) The Mosque of Ibn Tulun. a) Ménsula. b) Wooden ceiling above
doorway.
(28) a) Sant Vicenç, Cardona. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya,
Barcelona. b) St. Maria Novella, Florence. ARTstor.
vi
Part II

(29) The Mosque of Ibn Tulun. a) Arch of the minaret bridge. b) Arch of
the minaret entrance.
(30) The Mosque of Ibn Tulun. a) Typical engaged column capital. b)
Arcade with piers.
(31) The Mosque of Ibn Tulun. a) Crown arches of the minaret. b)
Mihrab of al-Afdal.
(32) The Mosque of al-Hakim. a) Entrance pishtak with minaret. b)
Entrance floral designs.
(33) The Mausoleum of Imam Shafii. Slide library RBSCL, AUC
(34) The Complex of Qalawun. Floor plan. www.archnet.org/library.
(35) The Complex of Qalawun. a) Qalawun-set window. b) Street
façade.
(36) The Complex of Qalawun. a) Horseshoe arch of the entry. b)
Crosses under the arch.
(37) The Complex of Qalawun. a) Mausoleum façade detail. b) Main
entrance door detail.
(38) The Complex of Qalawun. Mausoleum courtyard façade. Slide
library RBSCL, AUC.
(39) The Complex of Qalawun. Stucco window grille detail. Slide library
RBSCL, AUC.
(40) The Complex of Qalawun. a) Mausoleum wooden ceiling.
b) Mausoleum mihrab.
(41) The Complex of Qalawun. a) Courtyard of the madrasa. b) Nave of
the madrasa facing qibla.
(42) The Complex of Qalawun. a) Madrasa qibla wall. b) Detail of
Cosmatesco work on the mihrab of the madrasa.
(43) Minarets of Qalawun and al-Nasir Mohamed.
(44) The Complex of al-Nasir Mohamed. a) Madrasa stucco window. b)
Minaret middle section.
(45) a) Palace of Aljaferia, Zaragoza, crown arch. ARTstor. b) Complex
of al-Nasir Mohamed, minaret detail. ARTstor.
(46) The Complex of al-Nasir Mohamed. a) Mihrab conch of the
madrasa with Qalawun-I fleur-de-lis. b) Qibla façade of
the madrasa.
(47) The Mosque of al-Nasir Mohamed at the Citadel. a) Wooden
ceiling detail. b) Wooden ceiling between the arcades.
(48) The Mosque of al-Maridani. a) Stucco window grilles. b) Arcade of
the courtyard with the wooden screen.
(49) The Complex of Sultan Hassan. Mausoleum dome and façade
facing the Citadel. Slide library RBSCL, AUC.
(50) The Complex of Sultan Hassan. a) Original minaret. b) Flying fleur-
de-lis crenellation.
(51) The Complex of Sultan Hassan. a) Joggled voussoirs with tile
design detail above madrasa door. b) Ablaq with tile design above
madrasa door.
(52) The Complex of Sultan Hassan. a) Floral stucco roundel with
six-pointed star on qibla wall. b) Marble roundel on the side of
the portal.
vii
(53) The Complex of Sultan Barquq. a) Mihrab detail. b) Marble mihrab.
(54) The Complex of Sultan Barquq. a) Ceiling cross. b) Wooden ceiling
in qibla iwan.
(55) The Complex of Sultan al-Muayyad. a) Cross in the groin vault of
the vestibule. www.archnet.org/library. b) Dome and street façade.
www.archnet.org/library.
(56) The Complex of Sultan Barsbay. a) Barsbay mausoleum dome.
www.archnet.org/library. b) The funerary complex.
www.archnet.org/library.
(57) The Complex of Sultan Qaytbay. a) Mausoleum dome with carved
stone fleur-de-lis. zhulong.com. b) Minaret and portal.
(58) a) Dome of Azrumuk with modified fleur-de-lis crenellation.
zhulong.com. b) Dome of Qaytbay with Flying fleur-de-lis
crenellation. zhulong.com.
(59) The Mosque of Mohamed Ali. a) Alabaster columns. b) General
view.
(60) The Mosque of Mohamed Ali. a) Interior domes. b) Alabaster
minbar.
(61) The Future!

viii
1- Introduction

The Egyptian Mamluk period was the most exuberant in the history of
Islamic architecture. It lasted from 1250 to 1517, a short period of only 267
years but highly dynamic in art and architecture. No historian has given a
documented and defendable reason for this rise yet many spoke of the origin
of the Mamluks in Eastern Europe, Anatolia, the Black Sea area, and the
Caucus. Their excellence in design was directly related to the diversity of their
population in Egypt and Syria but more specifically in Cairo. A new aesthetic
developed in their art and architecture and became uniquely Mamluk. It was a
culmination of design influences coming from as far away as Persepolis in the
East, and al-Andalus in the West. Islamic architecture was described as
belonging to the romantic aesthetic by Hegel to distinguish it from the
symbolic and the classical. By doing so he paved the way for establishing a
strong connection with Gothic architecture which persisted in Spain, in Galicia
and Asturias.1

This dissertation is an analysis of the sources of Islamic design in
several regions, how architectural elements developed, and how they
contributed to the exuberance of the Mamluk style. It discusses the change in
aesthetics by comparing and analyzing examples from the pre-Islamic and
Islamic periods to show how design concepts change.

Few authors have discussed Islamic aesthetics despite the existence
of a wide range of Arabic literature on the arts, from architecture to music and
poetry. This was caused by the translations of classical texts by Plato,
Aristotle, and Euclid from the eighth to the thirteenth century. Soon after,
Arabic texts that developed ideas of theory and practice followed. An example
from the Middle Ages is the Topkapi Scroll which gives detailed information on
the impact of the aesthetics on decorative patterns and their design
principles.2

During the Mamluk period, wall revetments included patterns that were
symbolic of constant change within a hierarchy. Windows had grilles with
geometric patterns and colored glass for privacy to make the interior
unrecognizable from the outside. Erzen attributed this to three Islamic belief
principles: 1- Constant change within permanence. 2- Uncertainty of human

1 Hegel, G.W.F., Hegel: On the Arts, Aesthetics or the Philosophy of Fine Art,
Bagehot Council (Smyrna, 2001), 82.
2 Erzen, Jale, Islamic Aesthetics: an Alternative way to Knowledge. In the Journal of
Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 65, No. 1, Special Issue: Global Theories of the
Arts and Aesthetics, Wiley-Blackwell (Somerset, 2007), 69.
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