@museumwnf/water-in-islam-data 1.0.10

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+{"0100136c-d21e-52a5-b03f-fb11f9499ed7":{"name":"'A Giant Fish Rescues Abu Ubayda and his Men from Dying of Starvation'","description":"The style of the miniatures from this manuscript is slightly old-fashioned compared with the otherwise refined Timurid painting, and it has in fact been called Shah Rukh’s historical style. Its inspiration was undoubtedly the illustrations made about a century earlier for Rashid al-Din’s famous ‘History of the World.’  \n  \nThe rescue of the close companion of the Prophet, Abu Ubayda, from starvation is one of Islam’s early miracles. His desperate men have eaten the leaves from the trees and although they do not look quite as emaciated as the two dromedaries lying on the ground, the yellow desert underlines the gravity of the situation. When a giant fish appears, the Muslims are saved from dying of starvation.","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 829 / AD 1425","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 42.8 cm× 33.6cm","place_of_production":"Herat","bibliography":"Christie's, London, 27/4-2004, lot 76.  \n  \nFolsach, K., *For the Privileged Few: Islamic Miniature Painting from The David Collection*, Louisiana: Museum of Modern Art, 2007: cat.no. 19;  \n  \nSotheby’s, London, 3/5-1977, lot 2.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Herat","manuscript","Timurids","water","miniature","folio"],"materials":["pigments"]},"021fc9a2-4a62-5d59-a094-931252cd0fe5":{"name":"Jar","alternate_name":"*Dabba*","description":"This container for transporting and storing date molasses was made from the stomach lining of an animal, such as a sheep or goat.  \nMade from raw leather, this jar has been waterproofed with several layers of natural resin. It has a large stained wooden stopper. The rim of the opening is made of gypsum and three layers of leather to ensure a truly waterproof seal. This use of animal leather demonstrates the commitment of populations living on seasonal pastures in the desert and involved in the production and trade of date syrup.  \n  \nIn Qatar, it's known as a *dabba*.","type":"Jar","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"Hegira 12th–13th century / AD 18th–19th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 67.5cm, body diameter: 37.5cm","place_of_production":"Qatar","provenance":"Qatar","obtention":"Object has been in the National Museum's permanent collection since 1975.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://explorer.nmoq.org.qa/api/en/artefact/?id=aHR0cHM6Ly9xY3BtYWluc3Rvbm1vcWttMDEuYmxvYi5jb3JlLndpbmRvd3MubmV0L3Byb2RxbWRpZ2xpYi9hc3NldHMvRzYvUU5NLjIwMTEuMjU3LjEuanBn0&culture=english","author":"Tania Abdulmonem Al Majid","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["gypsum","leather","Wood"]},"0356286a-7b78-54d7-b0a8-bf8bfd97a059":{"name":"Ceramic tile with a picture of the Ka‘ba.","description":"Blue, green and red pigments have been used on a white background. A border with a chain-motif, drawn in black on a blue background, frames the single-piece tile. This is enriched by a second border made up of blue palmettes which ends at the top of the tile in a *mihrab* shape. The *mihrab*'s two corners are decorated with interlacing *rumi* (split-palmette) motifs on a dark-blue background. In the middle of the *mihrab*, also on a dark-blue ground, is a symmetrical pediment motif decorated with arabesques, at the bottom of which is an inscription in three rows of black *naskhi* script. The inscription contains *sura* 3, verses 96–7 of the Qur'an: 'Lo! the first Sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Becca \\[Mecca\\] a blessed place, a guidance to the peoples; Wherein are plain memorials (of Allah's guidance); the place where Abraham stood up to pray; and whosoever entereth it is safe.' Below this text, the Masjid al-Haram is depicted within a rectangle drawn in green and blue. The Ka'ba is shown in the middle of the Masjid al-Haram, recognisable by its porticoed courtyard. The various buildings, gates, sacred spots (*maqams*), and water-wells located within the porticoes are represented and identified with their names.  \n  \nIntroducing the holy cities of Islam (Mecca and Medina) and the sacred sites therein with books, and reinforcing this introduction with pictures, is seen from the early period of Islam. Detailed pictures of these holy places were put in pilgrimage certificates, which were made especially in the Ayyubid period, and which have an important place in the Museum's collection. These documents begin with the banner of the caliph of the time and show painted images of Mount Arafat, Muzdalifa, the Sacred Enclosure (al-Haram al-Sharif), Medina, and even Jerusalem. Similar pictures of the holy places were made for pilgrimage certificates in Ottoman art. Beginning at the end of the 10th / 16th century images of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca are also found depicted on tiles in certain mosques.","short_description":"This tile panel is assumed to have been produced at Iznik for the Mosque of Neslişah Sultan in Edirnekapı, Istanbul. The purpose of tile panels depicting the Ka'ba was to feel its presence, the most sacred shrine of Islam, during prayer at the mosque.","type":"Iznik tile, ceramics","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Sultan Neslişah (d. 987 / 1579; granddaughter of Sultan Bayezid II).","dates":"Hegira last quarter of the 10th century / AD 16th century.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Height 62 cm, width 34 cm.","method_for_datation":"The panel was originally embedded in the wall of the Neslişah Sultan Mosque built in the late 16th century. Since such panels are not found in every mosque, and the quality of the work suggests that it was made for a structure built by an important person, it is plausible to think it was specially made for the aforementioned mosque.","method_for_provenance":"The materials, techniques and colours used are typical of an Iznik-produced tile.","provenance":"Iznik, Turkey.","obtention":"The tile was transferred to the Museum in 1914 from the mosque of Neslişah Sultan, the grandchild of Sultan Bayezid II, in the Edirnekapı section of Istanbul.","bibliography":"Ölçer, N. *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, p. 282.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Cihat Soyhan","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Ka‘ba","tile","Iznik"],"materials":["with a painting of the Ka‘ba in underglaze.","Iznik tile of white clay"]},"03c579c8-fe6c-5cb4-a41d-f10cb2e3df25":{"name":"Basin","description":"A basin in the form of a deep container with a prominent rounded rim, ornamented with a band of lobed medallions adorned with pictorial scenes of mythical creatures, a rider on horseback and others with inscriptions and vegetal motifs depicting a tree with branches, rosettes and birds. The decorative band is enclosed between two narrow friezes of undulating foliate motifs and irregular lozenge shapes. The exterior is adorned with cylindrical and circular medallions enclosing representations of birds, mythical creatures and human figures. The underside of the basin is decorated with interlaced lines in the form of a braid. The basin has a circular lid, adorned with oval and circular medallions enclosing depictions of mythical creatures, birds, animals and human figures. It is surmounted by a neck ornamented with vegetal arabesque motifs, topped by a protruding circular element. The rim of this element is adorned with interlaced braided lines, while its field is adorned with horizontal bands of repeated inscriptions, framed above and below by simple vegetal ornament.","type":"Basin","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"AH 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Diameter: 33cm, Length: 10.5cm","provenance":"Iran","author":"Zeina Al Amad","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Copper","water","bassin"],"materials":["engraving and incising","copper"]},"03d9bf39-2820-5bbc-b5ab-da3243697172":{"name":"Pilgrim flask","short_description":"The basic form of the canteen, which is still in use today, may be traced to Roman times; it has changed little over the centuries. While medieval Islamic canteens are sometimes referred to as pilgrim flasks, most seem to have played a more quotidian role as water vessels. There are large numbers of such unglazed canteens, mainly ranging in date from Hegira 6th–8th centuries / AD 12th–14th centuries and attributable to Iran, Syria, and Anatolia. A few canteens are glazed as well, such as this example; all have applied handles, which would allow for suspension.","type":"Furnishings","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira mid-6th century / AD mid-12th century","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"Height: 16.5cm","method_for_datation":"The carved relief decoration, a central rosette surrounded by a leafy scroll on one face and a rabbit circumscribed by the same leafy scroll on the other, is related to similar designs on ceramic wares from Syria, which are generally dated to the 12th century.","method_for_provenance":"The canteen’s carved relief decoration is related to similar designs on ceramic wares from Syria.","provenance":"Syria","obtention":"Collection of Maan Z. Madina (1926-2013), New York, until 2002 (sold to); LACMA, The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Lo Terrenal y lo divino: Arte islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Angeles*, Santiago, Chile: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015: 133, 136.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *Beauty and Identity: Islamic Art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2016: 102.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["ceramic","pilgrimage","zangids","Pilgrim flasks","vessels"],"materials":["carved and glazed","with applied neck and handle","Fritware"]},"055c7844-a362-5d7c-b2fc-0a48c99ed65b":{"name":"Calligraphy","description":"This calligraphy is by Reis-ül Hattat Hasan Çelebi. It reads:  \n  \n\"Ey misafir, kıl namazın, kıble bu câhiptedir.  \nİşte leğen, işte ibrik, işte peşkir iptedir.\"  \n(\"O guest, perform your prayer — the *qibla* is in this direction. Here is the basin, here is the ewer, and here hangs the towel.\")","type":"Calligraphy","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th–14th century / AD 19th–20th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 59cm, width: 88cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["water","Ablution","calligraphy"],"materials":["Ink","Paper"]},"056dead0-e9f9-5694-939a-2d3d5752e145":{"name":"\"Jonah and the Whale\"","alternate_name":"Folio Probably from a Jami al-Tavarikh (Compendium of Chronicles)","description":"The story of Jonah and the Whale, mentioned in the Qur'an (37:139), was popular in the Muslim world and frequently illustrated in manuscripts of world history. This large-scale painting, however, never formed part of a manuscript. Rather, it may have been used during oral recitation or storytelling. Scholars have also suggested that with its strong palette, monumental figures, and spare composition, this work may reflect a now-lost wall painting tradition. Here, we see Jonah after his release from the belly of the fish. Above him, a gourd vine grows—sent by God to protect him from the elements—and, gliding across the top of the painting, a spirited angel with colorful spreading wings offers Jonah a garment.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Armenag Bey Sakisian, Paris, until 1933]","dates":"AH 800s / AD 1400s","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 33.7 cm, width: 49.5 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased in 1933","bibliography":"Dimand, M. S., *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 29 (1934)  \n  \n\"The Exhibition of Islamic Painting and Book Illumination in the MMA.\", in *Apollo* vol. 10 (1934).  \n  \nSakisian, A.B., \"L'Exposition de miniature et d'enliminure Musulmanes du M..\"in *Syria* vol. XV (1934).  \n  \nHolter, K., \"Die Islamischen Miniaturhandschriften vor 1350.\" in *Zentralblatt fur Bibliothekswesen*, (1937).  \n  \nEttinghausen, R., H. Buchthal, O. Kurz, M. C. Ross, B. Gray, G. C. Miles, N. A. Faris, and C. J. Lamm., \"Six Thousand Years of Persian Art; The Exhibition of Iranian Art, New York, 1940\" in *Ars Islamica*, part 2, vol. VII (1940).  \n  \nDimand, M.S., *Persian Miniatures. A Picture Book.*, Metropolitan Museum of Art Picture Books. New York, 1940.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, 2nd rev. and enl. ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1944.  \n  \n*Art Treasures of the Metropolitan.*, 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1952.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *Persian Miniature Paintings.*, Gallery of Art, (1956).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Mohammadan Art.*, Iran Library. Tehran: Bongah Tarjomeh va Nashr Ketab, 1957.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, 3rd rev. and enl. ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1958.  \n  \nDimand, M. S., \"New Accessions of Islamic Art.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 16 (April 1958).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *A Handbook of Muhammadan Art.*, Publications, 36., Lahore: The Panjabi Adabi Academy, 1964.  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453683","materials":["opaque watercolor","Gold","Ink","and silver on paper"]},"057b0a91-5753-5a0f-a506-60b096d9eeb0":{"name":"Saliha Sultan Fountain","description":"Robertson’s photographs of landscapes and monuments were usually printed in a roughly 25 by 30cm format. In the early years of his career as a photographer, he appears to have preferred the albumen-on-glass method of taking negatives, switching to the wet collodion process around 1855. For his positive prints, he used salt paper until about 1858; after that, prints were made on albumen paper even if they were made from negatives taken before that year. Robertson’s photographs are concentrated mainly in and around the districts known as Sultanahmet, Beyoğlu, Galata and Tophane today. This photo captures the Saliha Sultan Fountain in Galata.","type":"Photograph","holder":"Ömer M. Koç Collection","dates":"1857","location":"Istanbul","author":"Bahattin Öztuncay","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"05ccd63e-f481-509d-af73-29ae3f2e3135":{"name":"Hookah base","description":"A clear glass bottle of globular shape with a medium-length, flaring neck intersected by a flanged ring.  Its exterior surface is ground into vertical rows of chevron-like cuts and the shoulder bears a band of concave circles.","type":"Glassware, recreational objects","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira first half of the 12th century / AD first half of the 18th century","location":"Saint Louis","dimensions":"Height 17.2cm, width 14.6cm","place_of_production":"India","method_for_datation":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","method_for_provenance":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift of J. Lionberger Davis, by exchange.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["wheel-cut","glass"]},"065ee648-ada2-516d-a7cd-4adf36e94026":{"name":"*Habb* water jar","description":"This large water jar (*habb*) combines a utilitarian function with ostentatious decoration. It occupied a place of honour in the domestic space. Water was drawn from it with a jug or pitcher as needed for daily living. The surface is adorned with stylised female figures that reflect the persistence, through millennia and civilisations, of the mother goddess.","type":"Ceramic","holder":"Museum of the Arab World Institute","dates":"Hegira 5th-7th / AD 12th-13th century","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Height: 79cm, Opening dimension: 22.5cm, Maximum diameter: 45.5cm","provenance":"Meskeneh, Syria","obtention":"Purchased at Christie, Manson & Wood Ltd, 1991.","bibliography":"Candy, S. and Beyazit, D., *Court and Cosmos. The Great Age of the Seljuqs*, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2016: 131, Fig. 60.  \n  \nCroisier, J-P. and Dürr, N., *Céramiques islamiques dans les collections genevoises*. Geneva: Editions du Tricorne, 1981: Fig. 241.  \n  \nDelpont, E., *L'Orient de Saladin. L'art des Ayyoubides*, Paris: Gallimard, Paris, 2001: 154, Fig. 135.  \n  \nDelpont, E., et al., *Album du musée*, Paris: Somogy éditions d'art, 2012: 295.  \n  \nMoulierac, J. and Vaudour, C., *La médecine au temps des califes: à l'ombre d'Avicenne*, Paris: Institut du monde arabe, 1996: 203, Fig. 126.  \n  \nMoulierac, J., et al., *Céramiques du monde musulman: collections de l'Institut du monde arabe et de J.P. et F. Croisier* , Paris: Institut du monde arabe, Paris, 1999: 151.  \n  \nReitlinger, G., \"Unglazed Relief Pottery from Northern Mesopotamia\", *Ars Islamica*, Vol: XV-XVI, 1951: 11-22.","translator":"Judy Harter","materials":["modeled and slip decoration","Unglazed clay"]},"06703762-5053-5671-b110-5b6f3f755b04":{"name":"Wellhead","description":"Ceramic wellheads of this type are distinctive for southern Spain throughout the entire period when the region was under Muslim dominance (AH 2nd to 9th / AD 8th-15th century). This wellhead, however, comes from the AH 4th - 6th / AD 10th-12th century, and holds a monumental decoration in two bands. The wider, lower band features a procession of graceful, long-eared gazelles alternating with birds set in roundels. Above it is a beautifully conceived Kufi inscription, which is illegible.  \n  \nThe whitish decoration, which was originally green, provides an elegant contrast to the earthenware’s red ground and, like the size of the wellhead, bears witness to the virtuosity of the ceramist.","type":"Wellhead","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH 4th - 6th / AD 10th-12th century","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Height: 71cm; Diameter: 63cm","place_of_production":"Andalusia","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","materials":["Earthenware painted in green and a manganese-colored glaze"]},"06945f29-b3f5-5c43-b860-5d861b0794e2":{"name":"al-Ghuta ash-Sharqiyya","description":"Apricot paste is made from an apricot very specific to the Damascus oasis, the so-called *klabi*, a small, very juicy apricot with a bitter pit that grows on large trees with abundant foliage. Klabi apricots notably were found in some of the villages of Eastern Ghouta, south of the Barada valley. Klabi is characterised by its rapid ripening, with the fruit falling off as soon as it is ripe. As a result, the fruit had to be picked up from the ground day after day. Workshops for making *Qamr ad-Din* are always set up in sunny open fields in an oasis.","holder":"Museum for Islamic Art","owner":"Anne-Marie Bianquis","initial_owner":"Anne-Marie Bianquis","dates":"Hegira 1421 / AD 2001","location":"Berlin","place_of_production":"Ghutat Dimashq/Syria","method_for_provenance":"Direct contact","provenance":"Ghutat Dimashq/Syria","bibliography":"Bianquis, A.-M., “Modernisation d'un artisanat traditionnel: la pâte d'abricot dans la ghouta de damas”, *Bulletin d'études orientales*, T. 56 (2004-2005): 301-328.  \n  \nDenker, J., \"'Moon of the Faith:' A History of the Apricot and Its Many Pleasures\", (14 June 2016).","author":"Hiba Bizreh","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","materials":["Photographic negative"]},"073cada1-b5a8-5fa6-bce4-4879f04d6814":{"name":"Iznik jug","description":"An Iznik jug with one handle decorated with tulips and stems carrying small blue flowers. It was bought by Alexander Benaki in 1919 by the Cairo based dealer Boghos Ispenian whose name is handwritten in ink under the base, next to an etiquette indicating that it was part of the 1925 Alexandria exhibition.","type":"Ceramic","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"16th century; bought in 1919","location":"Athens","provenance":"Turkey, Iznik","author":"Mina Moraitou"},"074fe362-9f4c-5b1b-b022-d07db8b96020":{"name":"Healing bowl","description":"This brass talismanic healing bowl, dated to the 12th–13th century Seljuq and Anatolian Beyliks period, was traditionally used in Anatolian folk medicine for spiritual wellbeing, protection from the evil eye, and relief from night terrors and insomnia. Water placed inside the bowl was blessed through recitation, then either drunk or applied to the body to transmit its sacred power. The bowl is richly adorned on both its inner and outer surfaces with finely engraved Kufic inscriptions.","type":"Bowl","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"AH 6th–7th century / AD 12th–13th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Diameter 20,5cm","place_of_production":"Anatolia","method_for_datation":"Date of production was determined by Islamic metal artefacts expert Güner Liman.  \nThe inscriptions on it were also read by Fuat Recep, an expert in Ottoman archival texts.","method_for_provenance":"Its date was determined by Islamic metal artefacts expert Güner Liman.  \nThe inscriptions on it were also read by Fuat Recep, an expert in Ottoman archives.","obtention":"It was displayed for 20 years in the window of the antique shop of “Parisli Mustafa” in the Cevahir Bedesten (Grand Bazaar) and was sold at auction after his death.","keywords":["Seljuqs","water","brass","healing bowl"],"materials":["brass"]},"076badd5-59ef-5ded-a02b-e7d343ffb7a0":{"name":"*Maada*","alternate_name":"Water distributor model","description":"The *maada* is a traditional water distribution device used in Moroccan irrigation systems to allocate water shares fairly among rights-holders. Constructed of stone or wood, the system channels water into precisely measured outlets that correspond to established rights, often determined by ancient legal texts or community agreements. The museum’s model reproduces this system at a smaller scale so visitors can understand how communities combined hydraulic engineering with social contracts to regulate a scarce resource. The *maada* reflects the sophistication of traditional Moroccan water law (*qanun al-maʾ*), which was deeply rooted in equity, transparency, and sustainability. By ensuring exact water allocation, it minimized conflicts and symbolised the sacred responsibility of water stewardship. The display preserves not only the technical ingenuity of past engineers but also the social and ethical dimensions of water management in Morocco’s arid regions.","type":"Hydraulic distribution model","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Community irrigation systems (traditional)","dates":"AH 14th / AD 20th century","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"15 × 45 × 30cm","place_of_production":"Marrakech","method_for_datation":"Based on typology, oral traditions, and museum documentation.","method_for_provenance":"Curatorial research and local testimonies.","obtention":"Museum commission or acquisition for exhibition (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","workshop":"Local artisans, Marrakech","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["hydraulic heritage","irrigation","water distributor","water law","Marrakech","maada"],"materials":["Clay","Wood","and stone elements (replica of traditional systems)"]},"078b6eae-ee80-5e07-bece-2ad30be691e7":{"name":"Ewer and basin","description":"A ewer with a round base and pear-shaped body, ornamented with circular bands, beginning with vegetal motifs in the form of inverted crenellations, followed by a band inscribed with Persian script interspersed with round medallions containing human figures, followed by a wider band decorated with human figures, mythical creatures and birds, alternating with lobed medallions bearing Persian inscriptions and round medallions with human figures. The upper body ends with arched panels filled with depictions of humans, birds and mythical creatures. These bands are interspersed with small frames ornamented with meandering vegetal scrolls sprouting trifoliate leaves. The neck begins with a ridge and widens towards the round mouth, decorated with lobed, pointed-arch motifs enclosing human and animal figures, along with floral rosettes of many petals. The curved handle extends from the lower body to the mouth. The spout is missing.","type":"Ewer","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"AH 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Diameter 75cm, Length: 37cm","provenance":"Iran","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Copper","ewer","water","bassin"],"materials":["copper","simple engraving"]},"082c7eda-5670-536a-867f-e0373b2e15a8":{"name":"Rectangular sling or back support (*quffah*) or tree-climbing harness (*habūl*)","description":"To climb the date palm tree, a specially made harness (*habūl*) is used consisting of a rectangular sling or back support (*quffah*) and a thick climbing rope (*suw’*). The climber works his way up the tree by looping the *suw’* around the trunk, leaning back against the *quffah*, and stepping upward.","type":"Rectangular sling or back support (*quffah*) or tree-climbing harness (*habūl*)","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length 116cm, width 15.5cm","place_of_production":"Northern Oman","provenance":"Donated by Marcia Dorr.","obtention":"Donated by Marcia Dorr.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Cotton fabric and date palm fibre rope"]},"088cf3bb-ffc3-56ca-8a23-9d69924c19fa":{"name":"Port of Alexandria","description":"The Port of Alexandria during the departure of King Fu`ad on a trip to Europe. The Eastern Port of Alexandria is one of the oldest ports in the world. It was established in 2000 BCE, at the ancient village of Rakotis, to serve the coastal areas of the Pharos island (now the area of Ra's al-Tin in Alexandria). To its west lies the Bay of Anfushi.","type":"Photograph","holder":"Bibliotheca Alexandrina","dates":"25 June 1928","location":"Alexandria","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"08b6e3c0-94d9-573c-a123-ddbc53534246":{"name":"Ewer with epigraphic decoration","description":"In Iran, during the Seljuq period, a large number of moulds were produced, typically with epigraphic expressions, though figures or foliage are also found. The potters shaped ewers that often borrowed forms developed by coppersmiths. The turquoise glaze replaces with colour the detailed decoration of carving and silver inlay found in metal pieces.","type":"Ceramic","holder":"Museum of the Arab World Institute","dates":"Hegira 6th-7th / AD 12th-13th century","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Height: 31.5cm, Diameter: 16cm, Neck height: 8.5cm, Neck diameter: 7.5cm, Base height: 1.9cm, Base diameter: 10cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased at auction on advice from Claude Boisgirard, 2003.","bibliography":"Delpont, E., et al., *Album du musée*, Paris: Somogy éditions d'art, 2012: 387.  \n  \nGrube, E.J., *Islamic Pottery of the Eighth to the Fifteenth Century in the Keir Collection*, London: Faber and Faber, 1976: Fig. 116.  \n  \nPinder-Wilson, R.H., *Islamic Pottery 800-1400*, London: Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1969: Fig. 77.  \n  \nSoustiel, J., *La céramique islamique*. Fribourg: Office du Livre, 1985: 101, 372; Fig. 25, 93.","translator":"Judy Harter","materials":["Siliceous clay","moulded and under glaze"]},"09955371-479a-5a14-b2dc-ee4a31b465c8":{"name":"Plate made from clay","alternate_name":"মাটির থালা","description":"This plate forms part of the material culture of rural households in Bangladesh, where it has traditionally been used in everyday food practices.","type":"Plate","holder":"Water Museum","dates":"21st century","location":"Pakhimara, Kuakata District, Barishal Division, Barishal","author":"ActionAid Bangladesh","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["clay","water","Plate"],"materials":["Clay"]},"0a0e3c68-6be2-5140-b568-bf800fe28f33":{"name":"*The Religious Pilgrimage of the Mohammadans - Makkah (Arabia) - General View of the City, the Precinct and Enclosure of the Al-Haram Mosque and the Holy Kaaba*","alternate_name":"*Le Peregrinacion Religiosa de Los Mahometanos-La Meca (Arabia) - Vista General de la ciudad, del Patio y Claustro de la Mezquita 'El-Haram' y de la 'Santa Káaba'*","description":"This print was originally published in 'La Ilustracion Espanola y Americana', a newspaper published in Madrid on the 15th of April, 1882. Entitled 'La Peregrinacion religiosa de los mahometanos: Vista general de la Meca, del patio y claustro de la mesquita El-Haram y de la Santa Kaaba', it was copied from the first known photograph (at the time) depicting the Makkah precinct, taken - according to the newspaper - by the English traveller Mr [John Fryer Thomas] Keane.  Keane (1854-1937) was a clergyman, who converted to Islam and visited Makkah in 1877. In 1881, he published two books about his experiences in the Hijaz, 'Six Months in Meccah' and 'My Journey to Medinah'. The image shows the courtyard of the Makkah mosque with hundreds of pilgrims clustering around the Ka'bah at the centre. Beyond, the hills of Makkah with their traditional houses, many of them multistoreyed, can be seen.","type":"Engraving","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilisation /Sharjah Museums Authority","dates":"Published in *La Ilustración Española y Americana*, April 15th, 1882","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Spain","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"0a0edfc8-af4f-5ae8-9755-2f42463320c3":{"name":"Incantation bowl","description":"A copper dish with a small, inverted dish at the canter, known as an incantation bowl. The entire surface, inside and out, is ornamented with religious inscriptions and talismanic numbers.  \n  \nThe exterior rim is inscribed with Qur’anic verses: “In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful”; “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as a niche and within it a lamp”; “Allah the Sufficient, Allah the Healer”; “In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful”; “In the Name of Allah, Who with His Name nothing can cause harm in the earth nor in the heavens, But Allah is the Best to guard and He is”; “In the name of Allah...the healer…”. The inner rim is ornamented with a band enclosed between two frames, each inscribed with repeated numbers (81 / 12).  \n  \nThe band is inscribed with Qur’anic verse in Thuluth script: “Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting by Whom all subsist, there is no god but Him. Neither slumber seizes Him, nor sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Who is there who might intercede with Him save with His leave? He knows what lies before them and what is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to anything of His knowledge save what He wills them to attain. His Dominion overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. He is All-High, All-Glorious”.  \n  \nThe inner base is surrounded by fifteen lobed medallions arranged in horizontal registers containing invocations reading: ”Allah the Sufficient / Allah the Healer / In the name of Allah,” repeated. At the very centre is a small, inverted dish. Its decoration begins with a band inscribed in Thuluth script repeating ”O Allah, grant us well-being”. Above it runs a row of pointed arches containing horizontally written numbers (II/II). The central surface of the dish is adorned with a star-shape formed of interlaced script reading ”O the most Compassionate, O the most Generous”.  \n  \nThe exterior body is decorated with ornamental bands consisting of inscriptions and motifs. The outer rim begins with a band of Qur’anic verse: “Allah, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting by Whom all subsist, there is no god but Him. Neither slumber seizes Him, nor sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Who is there who might intercede with Him save with His leave? He knows what lies before them and what is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain to anything of His knowledge save what He wills them to attain. His Dominion overspreads the heavens and the earth, and their upholding wearies Him not. He is All-High, All-Glorious”. This is followed by a frame of repeated numbers (II/II).  \nAround the outer rim of the bowl are fifteen lobed medallions arranged in horizontal registers, each inscribed with repeated invocations: ”Allah the Protector / Allah the Healer / In the name of Allah / Allah the Comforter”.  \nNext comes a frame whose decoration is effaced, but traces of the number (81/12) remain visible.  \nThe recessed base begins with a band in thuluth script containing invocations: ”O Allah, grant us health / O Allah, be pleased with us”. This is followed by a row of pointed arches inscribed with numbers (81/12 and II/II). At the very center, a hexagram encloses the numbers (81/12).","type":"Bowl","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"AH 12th–13th century / AD 18th–19th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Diameter: 21.5cm, Height: 5cm.","provenance":"Iraq","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["bowl","Copper","water","Religion","incantation"],"materials":["hammering","and engraving","copper","Incising"]},"0a57eb56-35f8-5035-aa69-a4e1aa6f9983":{"name":"Textile panel with design of flowering plants and pools of coiled waves","description":"A velvet texile panel with designs of floral sprays and stylized ponds. The tan ground has a vertical pattern of conventionalized plant forms in browns and greens, with details in gold and silver, outlined in black silk, metallic thread (silver foil on a silk core). The panel is made of cut and voided supplementary warp pile in 5-harness satin foundation with supplementary weft (velvet).","type":"Textile","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira early 11th century / AD early 17th century","location":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dimensions":"Length 113cm, width 69.9cm","place_of_production":"Yazd (Iran)","method_for_datation":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","method_for_provenance":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","provenance":"Yazd (Iran)","obtention":"Museum purchase.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Cut and voided velvet-weave silk with satin-weave foundation and silver and gilt thread brocading wefts"]},"0a6a863f-3205-5785-8137-feaae00e4cbf":{"name":"Kırkçeşme water-supply system.","alternate_name":"Kemerburgaz aqueducts.","description":"As the population of Istanbul increased during the AH 10th / AD 16th century, so did its problems with water shortages. Tradition holds that once, while Sultan Süleyman was out hunting, he noticed possible water sources and ordered their investigation. The head architect of the palace at that time, Mimar Sinan, surveyed the area and recommended the construction of a water system to convey water to the city. Süleyman consequently ordered in AH 961 / AD 1554 that construction of the water system was initiated. The project was completed in AH 970 / AD 1563, but parts of it were soon damaged by floods and had to be rebuilt in AH 971 / AD 1564. The system cost about 50,000,000 *akche*s, the main currency unit during the Ottoman Empire.  \nThe system collects water from various springs located about 25 km northwest of Istanbul, in two branches, namely east and west, which join south of Kemerburgaz village and continue as a single line to the city of Istanbul. The system is composed of covered galleries (measuring 55 cm x 175 cm in section and extending about 55 km in total), 33 aqueducts as well as collection and distribution centres, and provided water to the areas of the town below 34 m in altitude. A number of reservoirs were built at a later stage, between AH 1029 / AD 1620 and AH 1234 / AD 1818, and so were further aqueducts. A small section of the water-supply system dates to before Süleyman, such as that extending between Eğrikapı and Cebeciköy, which dates to the reign of Mehmed II. Other parts of the system, such as that of the Kovuk Kemer, were built partially on Byzantine remains.  \nOf the 33 aqueducts that make up the Kırkçeşme water-supply system, five are monumental, with two or three tiers of arches and of considerable length. Paşa Kemeri or Balıkzade is 102 m long, 16.4 m high and has two tiers. Uzunkemer is 711 m long, 25 m high and is also two tiered.The plastered gallery on top of it is 60 cm x 175 cm and covered with stone slabs. Kovukkemer or Kırıkkemer is 408 m long and 35 m high and makes a turn of 90 degrees. Its first section is single tiered while the second is triple-tiered. Mağlova or Muallak Aqueduct, the greatest part of the entire system, is 258 m long and 36 m high. It is two-tiered with eight large and eight small arches. Güzelcekemer or Gözlücekemer aqueduct is 165 m long, 34.5 m high and is also two-tiered. Other important but single-tiered aqueducts are Ayvad (195 m), Kurt (305 m), Karakemer (62.6 m), Balıklıkemer (125 m) and Valide Kemeri (38.8 m).  \nThe entire system is built of stone masonry and uses bossed stones.  \nThe system originally provided water to over 300 fountains in the city, 135 of which were built as pious foundations of Süleyman the Magnificent. Later additions raised the number to about 580 fountains. Parts of the system located outside Istanbul's city walls have been functioning for over 400 years.","short_description":"Kırkçeşme water-supply system was built by the great Ottoman architect Sinan on the order of the Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in order to solve Istanbul's growing problems with water shortage. The system comprises 33 aqueducts and numerous collection and distribution centres. It supplied more than 300 fountains in the beginning but this number later rose to 580. Parts of the system located outside the city walls are still functioning and serving the megapolis of Istanbul.","dates":"Hegira 971 / AD 1564.","location":"Kemerburgaz, Istanbul","method_for_datation":"The dates of the construction for the water system are mentioned in the Tezkiretü'l-Bünyan and in Tezkiretü'l-Ebniye, both of which Sinan dictated to his friend Saî Mustafa Chelebi. Also the Tevzi Defteri, which Sinan wrote, includes detailed information on the parts of the system located within the city.","bibliography":"çeçen, K., *Sinan's Water Supply System in Istanbul*, Istanbul, 1992.  \nçeçen, K., “Kırkçeşme Tesisleri,” *İstanbul Ansiklopedisi \\[Encyclopaedia of Istanbul\\]* Vol. 5, Istanbul, 1994, pp.1-4  \nçeçen, K., *İstanbul'un Osmanlı Dönemi Su Yolları \\[Ottoman Period Waterways of Istanbul\\]*, Istanbul, 1999, pp.33-117.  \nSai, M.ç., *Tezkiretü'l-Bünyan*, Istanbul, 1315 (Tezkirat al-Bunyan, in Ottoman script).  \nMeriç, R.M. (compiled by), *Mimar Sinan, Hayatı, Eseri I, Mimar Sinan'ın Hayatına, Eserlerine Dair Metinler \\[Architect Sinan, His Life, His Works, I, Texts Regarding the Life and Works of Sinan\\]*, Ankara, 1965.","patrons":"Sultan Süleyman ‘the Magnificent’ (r. AH 926–974 / AD 1520–1566).","architects":"Architects: Mimar Sinan assisted by Kiriz Nikola.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"İnci Türkoğlu","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Süleyman the Magnificent","Sinan","aqueduct","civil architecture","water","Water architecture"]},"0bf9f93d-7e41-57a5-a618-9f644fa93aa1":{"name":"Dervish Bowl *Keşkül-ü Fukara*","description":"The coconut shell vessel is intricately engraved with Persian couplets using the carving technique.  \n  \nOn the silver border, the inscription reads:  \n  \n\"They are offered a pure drink whose end is musk \\[a pleasant fragrance\\]. Let those who strive, strive for this — a spring from which those near to Allah drink.”  \n  \nThis is followed by the date AH 1234 / AD 1818 and the phrase \"Amal-i Kazım\" (\"Work of Kazım\").","type":"Bowl","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 10cm, diameter: 25cm","place_of_production":"Shell made in Persia; silver lining made in Istanbul","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Dervish","bowl","Coconut","Ottomans","water","silver"],"materials":["Silver","Sea coconut shell"]},"0c9e0529-7380-57a8-b3d5-151fa4c93eb2":{"name":"The revenge ground of al-Mukhtar (Persian: *Dar al-entegham-e Mokhtar*)","short_description":"The tragic martyrdom of the Prophet’s grandson al-Husayn and his companions at Karbala' near Kufa, where they were massacred by an Umayyad army in 61/680, played an important role in the consolidation of the *Shi'i* ethos; it also led to the formation of radical trends among the *Shi'i*. The earliest of such trends became manifest in the movement of al-Mukhtar, who won control of Kufa in an open revolt in 66/685. Aiming to avenge al-Husayn’s murder, al-Mukhtar launched his own movement and proclaimed Ibn al-Hanafiyya, al-Husayn’s half-brother Muhammad, as the *Mahdi*, 'the divinely guided one', the messianic saviour imam and restorer of true Islam who would establish justice on earth and deliver the oppressed from tyranny.","type":"Textile; painting","holder":"Weltmuseum Wien","dates":"1996","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"L: 295cm, W: 285cm","method_for_datation":"Personal documentation by the curator.","method_for_provenance":"Personal documentation by the curator.","provenance":"Iran, Esfahan","obtention":"Purchased 1996 in Isfahan by Dr Axel Steinmann, curator at the Museum für Völkerkunde, during his fieldwork in Iran.","bibliography":"Steinmann, Axel, \"The revenge ground of al-Mukhtar\", in Anne-Marie Bouttiaux and Anna Seiderer (eds), *Fetisch Modernity, exhibition catalogue*, Tervuren: Royal Museum for Central Africa, 2011: 118.  \nSteinmann, Axel, \"Heroic Stories\", in Christian Schicklgruber (ed), *Weltmuseum Wien, exhibition catalogue*, Vienna: Weltmuseum Wien, 2017: 110-113.","materials":["Cloth with painted and stamped designs"]},"0d3e43d7-9082-5cb7-bb0c-3a25c1f1ccc9":{"name":"Strainer.","description":"The reddish-grey earthenware fragment comes from a vessel that was provided with a slightly convex strainer. The lattice of this strainer is a geometrical design composed of circles and curved lines. The basic unit of the pattern is a circle filled with a four-sided border bent inwards to form a star with a holed circlet at the centre and four circles in the middle of the sides. The whole design is composed of three of these circles. The space between them is filled with a pointed motif flanked by two tiny holed circlets, which repeats a section of the basic pattern. An incised zigzag line bordered by two curved lines surrounds the openwork at the centre. The zigzag line is a characteristic element of Fatimid strainer designs.  \nThe strainer was placed at the juncture of neck and shoulder of an earthenware vessel to protect the stored liquid from insects and pollution. Most strainer vessels of the Islamic period were manufactured of clay. The vessels remained unglazed in order to allow evaporation through the porous material, if it was wished to keep the stored liquid, mostly water, cool.  \nDesigns put together on the basis of simple geometrical shapes such as circles, lines or triangles, the repetition of these elements and their rearrangement in new patterns are a feature of Fatimid strainers. Geometrical compositions are dominant among the strainer designs of this period followed by zoomorphic and epigraphic motifs. Decorative strainers are known from excavations from the AH 2nd / AD 8th century to the AH 9th / AD 15th century, but Fatimid period was the high point of their development.","short_description":"Earthenware fragment which was integrated in a vessel as a strainer. The latticework is composed of a geometrical design of circles and curved lines. The strainer was placed at the juncture of neck and shoulder of the earthenware vessel to protect the stored liquid from insects and pollution.","type":"Strainer, earthenware","holder":"Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities (Medelhavsmuseet).","owner":"National Museum of Fine Arts, Stockholm. In order to reorganise the expanding collections, the main part of the Islamic collection has been on permanent loan to the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities since 1982.","dates":"Hegira 5th–6th centuries / AD 11th–12th centuries.","location":"Stockholm","dimensions":"Diameter 6.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"Strainers of this pattern excavated in undisturbed strata were dated to the 5th and 6th / 11th and 12th centuries.","method_for_provenance":"Similar strainers were excavated at al-Fustat and their place of manufacture ascribed to the city. According to F. R. Martin, this strainer comes from excavations at al-Fustat.","provenance":"Al-Fustat, Egypt.","obtention":"Purchased from the collection of the Swedish art dealer and art historian F. R. Martin in 1921.","bibliography":"Olmer, P., *Catalogue Général du Musée Arabe du Caire: Les Filtres de Gargoulettes*, Cairo, 1932.  \nScanlon, G. T., *Fustat Expedition Final Report. Vol. 1: Catalogue of Filters*, Winona Lake, 1986.  \nWittkowski, G., “Arabic Filters from the Collection of the Cracow Archaeological Museum”, *Materialy Archeologiczne* XXX, 1997, 41–55.","author":"Friederike Voigt","copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["earthenware","purification of water","geometric decoration","water"],"materials":["unglazed","incised.","Earthenware"]},"0d8a58c2-5da1-5c7f-a4bc-5bc61e7ad347":{"name":"Bath scraper or pumice stone","description":"This object might be related to bath scrapers or pumice stones displaying a similar conical shape and attributed to the Safavid period.  \n  \nThis example is decorated with yellow and blue chevron motifs. Its flat side is left purposely untreated to be used as an abrasive surface that would be suitable for hammam rituals of exfoliation and purification of the skin.","type":"Ceramic object","holder":"Institute of the Arab World","dates":"AH 11th / AD 17th century","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Height: 6 cm, length: 10,5 cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Gift, 2023","author":"Dounia Handis","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["bath scraper","water","Hammam"]},"0e56903a-9b5a-5b71-84c1-c4e82186198b":{"name":"Yoke (*nīr*)","description":"This yoke was used for animals to raise water from a *zājrah* well. Donkeys and bullocks typically work side-by-side to pull together against the weight of the water.","type":"Yoke (*nīr*)","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height: 3.5cm, length: 81cm, width: 10.5cm","place_of_production":"Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition","obtention":"Local acquisition","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Wood"]},"0e671219-31d0-5818-8e46-222c869924d9":{"name":"al-Ghuta ash-Sharqiyya","description":"After being weighed, sorted and washed, then treated with sulphur, apricots are placed on a large cement platform sheltered from the sun. Exposing the apricots to sulphur vapour before pressing is a major innovation in the process. After some trial and error, sulphurisation is now a well-established part of the process; although the main argument in favour of it is commercial, the operation has the essential advantage of purifying or sterilising the fruit, therefore allowing better preservation of the *Qamr ad-Din*. A suction pump on the platform is used to load the press. A worker in boots enters the platform and pushes the apricots towards the mouth of the suction pump with a wooden shovel.","holder":"Museum for Islamic Art","owner":"Anne-Marie Bianquis","initial_owner":"Anne-Marie Bianquis","dates":"Hegira 1320 / AD 2002","location":"Berlin","place_of_production":"Ghutat Dimashq/Syria","method_for_provenance":"Direct contact","provenance":"Ghutat Dimashq/Syria","bibliography":"Bianquis, A.-M., “Modernisation d'un artisanat traditionnel: la pâte d'abricot dans la ghouta de damas”, *Bulletin d'études orientales*, T. 56 (2004-2005): 301-328.  \n  \nDenker, J., \"'Moon of the Faith:' A History of the Apricot and Its Many Pleasures\", (14 June 2016).  \n  \nAl-Dawudi, F., \"L’abricot est ses dérivés dans la région syrienne\", thesis on pharmacy and chemistry, 1960, Damascus (in Arabic).","author":"Hiba Bizreh","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","materials":["Photographic negative"]},"0e6ba665-360e-507e-b3aa-df4042629de0":{"name":"Al Qanāt, Abu Dhabi","description":"The tranquil waterway of Al Qanāt in Abu Dhabi is a modern landscape feature where urban architecture meets a natural waterway. At sunset the gentle canal becomes a reflective corridor linking the city’s contemporary skyline with the silhouette of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, creating a dialogue between heritage and modernity. In the Gulf region, waterways such as Al Qanāt play a vital role in shaping urban life. They cool the environment, support marine activity, and provide communal spaces for recreation and movement.  \n  \nWater remains a central element in the identity of Abu Dhabi — a functional resource and symbol of serenity, continuity, and connection.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private collection","author":"Dina Turkieh","copy_editor":"Judy Harter"},"0ec56979-2b66-516d-a77f-a6c3c80db240":{"name":"Ewer with Design of Animals and Inscriptions","short_description":"A stoneware, brown and white Luster-painted ewer with cylindrical body that swells slightly as it rises toward the shoulder; rounded shoulder from which extends a flat handle, neck, and spout. The handle extends upwards from the shoulder and turns at a 45 degree angle to connect to the neck just below the rim. The neck is funnel-shaped with and everted rim; there is a hollow collar at the base of the neck, just above where it joins to the shoulder.  \nThe decoration consists of a yellow-brown Luster painting over an opaque, white glazed background and is concentrated in two zones of the ewer: the bottom section of the body and the upper section, including the neck, shoulder, handle and spout. This leaves a large, central section of opaque white glaze on the body on which a single line of inscription has been added in the yellow-brown Luster. The inscription, a quatrain in Persian, reads as follows:  \n*man mihr-i tu dar miyan-i jan awardam / ba u hama khurda dar miyan awardam / akhir zi hama jahan bar awardam sar / ta 'ishq-i tu bar sar-i jahan awardam  \nli-katibihi katabahu Abu Zayd bi-khattihi dar sana sittami'a*  \nI brought your love to the midst of my soul / I discussed the smallest matters with it / Until I overcame the entire world / In order to bring your love to the world.  \n\\[This belongs\\] to its writer.  \nAbu Zayd wrote it in his own script in the year six hundred.  \nIn the lower zone is a second inscription written in reserve in large, Kufic script on a background of the yellow-brown Luster with small, delicate scrolls and spirals. This inscription mainly repeats the word *al-'izz* (\"glory\") along with one or two instances each of *al-dawla* (\"good fortune\") and al-salama (\"well-being\").  \nThe upper zone of decoration is comprised of three registers. The lowest register contains a series of plump birds with their feet on the ground and their wings in mid-flap. They are painted in Luster against a background of light scrolls. The middle register contains a chase scene moving from right to left with a cheetah, placed to the immediate left of the handle, pursuing a series of gazelles that fill the remainder of the register on either side of the spout. The cheetah is represented wearing a collar with a ring, indicating that it is a trained cheetah rather than a wild one. The animals are painted in reserve against a background of Luster with fine scrolls. The upper register of the shoulder has another *Kufic* inscription, possibly the phrase *al-'izz al-da'im* (\"perpetual glory\"), written in Luster and fitted tightly around the base of the neck. The neck is painted with a small-scale chain pattern. The exterior of the rim is painted in solid Luster while its interior contains *Kufic*\\-style pseudo-epigraphy. Finally, the outward facing side of both the handle and the spout appear to have been painted with ascending palmette motifs.  \nThere are numerous hairline cracks throughout the vessel, and the spout, handle, and rim have all been partially restored. The central *Kufic* band has a notable area of blurring and streaking of the glaze.","type":"Ceramics","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira 599-600 / AD 1203–4","location":"Saint Louis","dimensions":"Height: 27.3cm; Diameter of mouth: 7.3cm; Width from handle to spout: 12.7cm; Diameter of body: 14cm; Diameter of base: 12.1cm","method_for_datation":"Per inscription (see description)","method_for_provenance":"Per inscription (see description)","provenance":"Kashan, Iran, Asia","obtention":"Museum Purchase, 1954","bibliography":"Pancaroglu, Oya, *Metalwork and Material Culture in the Islamic World: Art, Craft, and Text*, London: Tauris and Co. Ltd., 2012.","keywords":["ceramics","Fritware","Kashan","ewer","Asia","Persian","Luster","Iran","Abu Zayd","Glazed","lustre"],"materials":["Luster-glazed fritware"]},"0f4a0527-db26-5775-bfd1-e8fdba819736":{"name":"*Sabil* (public fountain) of Yussef Dey.","description":"This monument stands in a public square which overlooks the old port and is the meeting point of several arterial roads used by merchants. It is a square construction of cut stone with a rim of green round tiles. There is a marble column on either side, each capped by an Ottoman-style foliate capitol. These provide the framework for a marble rectangle decorated with a horseshoe arch with *ablaq* type black and white arch-stones, a typical Tunisian feature since the Hafsid period. At the base of the rectangle, engraved in the marble, is a Turkish-style vase of flowers decoration. Two symmetrical foliate scrolls with stylised trefoil fleurons emerge from the vase. On the interior of the arch, slightly in relief, is a bilingual Arab and Turkish inscription which consists of the following poem written in 13 lines of *thuluth* script:  \n“God has chosen a lord of our times / to produce benefits and to undo the chains of the needy: / This most honourable citizen, the Dey Yussef, has realised how spending on public finances will ultimately be to his own profit. / He has caused water to spring forth on all sides / awaiting the reward of quenching his thirst beside the river al-Kaoutari. / How fine he is and how deeply the public is in his debt! / Thanks to him Bizerte has become a beauteous place to contemplate. / Drink, O thirsty one, from this delicious fountain / whose limpid water is so sweet! / Such a fine fountain built in 1041. / The chief of all the soldiers built us this fountain.”  \n“By the master mason Ali ibn Disim Andalusi, at the beginning of *rabi* II in the year 1041 \\[AD 1632\\]”.  \nThe old marble drinking-trough has completely disappeared. Formerly, there was a room behind the fountain occupied by a waterwheel or *noria* and which was worked by a camel or by a mule.","short_description":"This fountain was built in a public square that overlooks the old port of Bizerte and joins several main roads, and it remains the architectural highpoint of the district. It would have been supplied with water using a camel- or mule-powered *noria*. The old marble drinking trough has completely disappeared. The fountain was built by a Spanish emigrant and it has a very beautiful arch of alternating black and white marble voussoirs beneath a ledge of round, green tiles.","dates":"Hegira 11th century / AD 17th century.","location":"Bizerte","method_for_datation":"The chronogram in the last line of the poem states the date of construction of the fountain, 1041 (1632).","bibliography":"Gafsi, A., *Monuments andalous de Tunisie*, Tunis, 1993, p.38.  \nHannezo, G., Bizerte, *Revue tunisienne*, No. 49, 1905, p.144.  \nOudi, R., “Les inscriptions des fontaines publiques de la ville de Bizerte”, *Africa*, No. 16, 1998, pp.39–105.","history":"The *sabil* was erected by Yussef Dey, *dey* of the regency of Tunis (AH 1019–46 / AD 1610–37). It was restored during the 1990s and some of the windows overlooking the façade were blocked up.","patrons":"Yussef Dey.","architects":"Master mason: Ali ibn Disim Andalusi.","author":"Saloua Zangar","keywords":["sabil","hydraulic works","calligraphy","public fountain"]},"0f56194e-aa8f-5ad8-a874-6e567cfd390b":{"name":"Large Water Bottle","description":"In the modern Arab world, and particularly in the Gulf region, the purchase and use of bottled water have become an essential part of daily life. Due to limited natural freshwater resources and the high salinity of groundwater, most domestic water is desalinated sea water — suitable for cleaning and household use, but often not preferred for drinking or cooking.  \n  \nAs a result, many communities rely on bottled or filtered water for consumption. Large refillable containers like this one are delivered directly to homes by water companies, part of an organised urban distribution network. The practice reflects both environmental adaptation to arid climates and the consumer culture of modern Gulf societies, where water — once scarce and precious — remains a vital symbol of comfort, safety, and modern living.","holder":"Private collection","author":"Dina Turkieh"},"0f8edbbb-ebb5-5b6a-b92d-27d539424298":{"name":"Drawing water from a well in the village of Tell Halula (Syria)","description":"This image serves to illustrate the day-to-day existence of communities inhabiting arid regions of Syria. It portrays a local woman engaged in the collection of water from a well, thus offering a glimpse into the domestic practices of these communities. As demonstrated in the background, the architectural design of the local construction is informed by the availability of materials in the immediate area. The architectural style employed is a simple and functional house type that has been adapted to provide protection for the local communities against the high temperatures typically experienced in the region.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private collection","owner":"Private collection","dates":"23 Jumada 1425 / AD 15 July 2004","place_of_production":"Tell Halula, Syria","author":"Yelyzaveta Basysta","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["well.","Tell Halula","water","Syria"],"materials":["photography"]},"1004e44b-7e21-5cde-b4c6-d9be0ce7c721":{"name":"Dried Gourds - Various Shapes and Sizes","description":"This type of gourd, grown in Hit, Anbar Governorate, Iraq, is among a number of varieties of calabash or \"bottle gourd\" of different shapes and sizes that were historically used as multipurpose vessels, including water bottles and containers for agricultural produce including beer and wine, milk and other dairy products, honey or grains. Cut segments of these gourds could also be used to make kitchen utensils such as ladles and bowls. They have been cultivated in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas for thousands of years for similar purposes.  \n  \nWhile the same gourds can be harvested young for consumption as a vegetable, if grown as containers or utensils they are left to grow for longer and harvested when mature. After harvesting, they are dried for several months until the outer shell becomes hard. The dried gourds are usually cut at the top to make an opening through which the seeds are removed and contents added for storage.  \n  \nIn this image, the double holes pierced near the top of some gourds enabled them to be tied together for transportation. These holes can later be plugged with sticks.","type":"Gourd","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Culture","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1397 / AD 2019","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Digital photograph: 3464 x 4618 px; Gourds: various dimensions, 25 - 50cm (approx).","method_for_datation":"Recorded by the photographer.","provenance":"Hit, Anbar Governorate, Iraq","obtention":"Photograph taken by institution founder.","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["vessel","gourd","container","water","utensil.","calabash"],"materials":["drying","cutting. Digital photography.","Gourds"]},"10750e4a-16c1-59c9-9ca2-1fd0ff0f88a6":{"name":"Palace of the Emir Bashir Shihab II","description":"The image depicts the principal courtyard of Beiteddine Palace, featuring a circular stone fountain. The construction of the Beiteddine Palace was initiated in 1788 under the authority of Emir Bashir Shihab II, who ruled Mount Lebanon during the Ottoman period, and was largely completed by 1812. The palace functioned as an administrative and residential complex and is an important example of Ottoman-influenced architecture in the Levant. The surrounding façades are constructed from coursed limestone masonry and incorporate arcaded galleries, staircases and balconies with wooden railings and decorated door and window surrounds. Today, the Beiteddine Palace is a major cultural heritage site and tourist destination. It houses museum collections and hosts cultural events, contributing to its continued use as a site of historical interpretation and public engagement.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private collection","owner":"Private collection","dates":"18 Jumada 1424 / 18 April 2003","place_of_production":"Lebanon, Beiteddine","author":"Yelyzaveta Basysta","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Beiteddine","Ottoman.","water","palace"],"materials":["photography"]},"10f5e2b1-957c-5ea1-a0fb-f3b0d036fa44":{"name":"Noria Jisriyya and Ma’muriyya","description":"These norias have been carefully restored in recent years. The Jisriyya is known to have irrigated a wide expanse of orchards called Bustan al-Shahiqa and a long part of its aquaduct arcade is still standing. The Ma’muriyya is the largest noria on the Orontes, second only to the Muhamaddiya located to the north of the city. It measures a diameter of 21 meters with a total of 120 buckets. All these norias are known to have been used since early Roman times, as indicated by archaeological findings at the tower bases below the water, and they were certainly strengthened and restored during Nur al-Din's reign, and continued to be resoterd regularly to this day. But unlike most of the noria, this one carries an inscription commemorating the noria’s renovation by an Ottoman governor in 857/1453.  \nNext to the Ma’muriyya are two smaller norias called al-Uthamaniyya and al-Mu’ayadiyya. These smaller wheels are some of the smallest on the Orontes, the former has a diameter of 11 m while the latter a mere 7. They were originally meant to function as mills and, in more recent times, serve as workshops for the water-wheel carpenters.","type":"","dates":"","bibliography":"","author":"Wa'al Hafian"},"112c53a7-9492-5a54-9745-591f4c96202c":{"name":"Hand-held plough (*haīs*)","description":"Ploughing with a *haīs* is the first stage in the traditional cultivation process. The *haīs* is drawn by a draft animal, usually a bullock. A ploughman walks along behind, using a sturdy guide rope and verbal commands to steer the animal while directing the path of the *haīs* by means of a tall wooden handle.","type":"Hand-held plough (*haīs*)","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height: 87cm, length: 109cm","place_of_production":"Northern Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition","obtention":"Local acquisition.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Wood and steel"]},"122ed70a-7520-546e-8a64-a6c09c9fef31":{"name":"C.E. Heinke & Co. ‘Pearler’ Diving Helmet","alternate_name":"Pearl diver's helmet","description":"Pearl diving was an extremely dangerous and physically demanding occupation, which often discouraged white Australians from undertaking such work. To meet the labour demands of the industry, many Malay workers were brought to Australia in the early 1900s. By 1900, Malays made up 38% of the pearl divers in Western Australia.  \n  \nThe introduction of C.E. Heinke & Co. diving helmets played a crucial role in improving diver safety, enabling them to work at greater depths and reducing the risk of fatal accidents.  \n  \nThis particular helmet was recovered from a pearling lugger that sank in Princess Charlotte Bay during the catastrophic 1899 Mahina cyclone. The cyclone claimed over three hundred lives and destroyed numerous vessels engaged in the pearling industry.  \n  \nIn addition to the damage caused by the cyclone, the helmet shows evidence of multiple repairs carried out over its working life, reflecting its extensive use.  \n  \nCourtesy of Queensland Museum.","type":"Maritime equipment-diving helmet","holder":"Queensland Museum, loaded to and on display at the Islamic Museum of Australia","owner":"Queensland Museum","initial_owner":"Queensland Museum","dates":"Circa 1890s","location":"Queensland","dimensions":"Height: 46cm, depth: 34cm, width: 41cm","place_of_production":"London","method_for_datation":"Signature and marks on the helmet; research","provenance":"Acquired by Queensland Museum; currently on loan to the IMA.","obtention":"Loaned to the IMA by Queensland Museum.","workshop":"C.E. Heinke & Co.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.qm.qld.gov.au/objects/MAR6101/diving-helmet","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Copper alloy metal","glass"]},"12c86eff-6117-5981-a2db-6fc7d1b3ebdb":{"name":"Abu Ishaq Ibrahim b. Muhammad al-Farisi al-Istakhri, *Kitab Suwar al-Aqalim* (Book of Images of the Lands)","short_description":"The cartographic treatise called “*Tarjamat al-Masalik wa al-Mamalik*” was written in Arabic by Abu Ishaq Ibrahim b. Muhammad al-Farisi al-Istakhri (c. 340 AH / 951–2 AD), one of the most famous geographers. This 16th-century Persian copy, referred to as “*Kitab Suwar al-Aqalim*” (Book of Images of the Lands), may have been made in Constantinople or in another centre of Turkish power in the first half of the 16th-century. The colophon offers no contextualising information except for an erroneous attribution of the work to Nasir ad-Din Tusi, who was an astronomer and theologist in the 13th-century. On fol. 1a and 157b, there are two almond-shaped Turkish-Ottoman *tughra* stamps, with the name of Ahmad Muzaffar Khan indistinctly recognizable. This shows that the manuscript must have been part of Ottoman collections before it came to the Austrian National Library in 1820/30. The text opens with a typical ornamental panel (*‘unwan/sarlauh*) and includes 21 full-page map illustrations. These brightly coloured miniatures represent stylised maps, occasionally showing decorative motifs, figures, and scenic elements. The quality of the depictions may suggest that they were made by a Persian painter who had emigrated to Turkey. The painter may have also used older models, particularly comparable to a 15th-century manuscript, possibly from Shiraz, in the Topkapı Sarayı (B. 334).","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"First half of the 16th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"310x215mm (220x140mm), ff. I, I*, 157 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Turkey","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a and 157b, there are two almond-shaped Turkish-Ottoman *tughra* stamps, with the name of Ahmad Muzaffar Khan indistinctly recognizable.","obtention":"Likely part of the Austrian National Library from 1820/30 onwards.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 176-180. Rapoport, Yossef, *Islamic Maps*, Oxford: Bodleian Library, 2020.","binding_desc":"The reddish-brown leather binding includes a flap, and possesses a central medallion and corner spandrels, cut out and executed with gold relief stamping in a floral pattern. The doublures are made of light brown leather with a medallion, two extending pendants and corner spandrels depicted. These motifs are filled with a dense arabesque work in delicate brown leather filigree on a white background. The binding was likely created in 16th-century Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14005879","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["geography","ta'liq","Cartography","island","Caspian Sea","Mediterranean","Map"],"materials":["colour and gold on Venetian paper. Calligraphic large ta'liq script of 15 lines per page.","Ink"]},"12f5d5fd-1263-5c49-9096-319d47fa4f1b":{"name":"Hemispherical cup on trumpet foot","description":"The hemispherical cup resting on a trumpet-shaped foot belongs to a typology that developed in Iran between the late 12th and early 13th centuries, also spreading to the Syro-Mesopotamian area.  \nThe outer wall is engraved with apical medallions decorated with arabesques and rosettes with geometric motifs and stylized flowers.  \nThe upper rim of the cup features an inscription characterized by rods ending in human heads, while the lower part of the letters features recognizable animal heads, including birds, which are also found in the interstices on the swirled base.  \nThe animated inscriptions are typical of Khorasan metalwork and are reflected in the ornithomorphic inscriptions on ceramics from the Samanid period.  \nThe auspicious inscription on the rim reads: \"Everlasting glory, healthy life, complete prosperity, full success, increasing fortune, favorable destiny, eternal delight, happiness, health, favor, generosity, peace, intercession... long life to the owner.\" The inscription on the body reads \"for Khalīf son of al-Jūlakī (?).  \nThe cup was probably used to hold beverages and drinking water, which was traditionally stored in large clay jars that preserved its freshness and were covered with cloth, palm branches, or other leaves.","type":"Cup","holder":"Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte","initial_owner":"Collezione Borgia (until 1817)","dates":"AH 5th -6th century / AD 12th - 13th century","location":"Naples","dimensions":"Height: 13,3cm, diameter: 17,4cm","place_of_production":"Khorasan, Iran","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1817.","bibliography":"Scerrato, U., *Arte islamica a Napoli: Opere delle raccolte pubbliche napoletane* , Naples: Istituto Universitario Orientale, 1967.  \n  \nVanoli, A., *Acqua, Islam e arte. Goccia a goccia dal cielo cade la vita*, Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2019.","keywords":["Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte","cup","collezione borgia"],"materials":["engraved and inlaid in silver","Bronze"]},"13234dce-e760-5f68-9ead-fa6944333432":{"name":"Magic Bowl","short_description":"Protective verses from the Qur’an, blessings and magic letters encase this bronze bowl. This vessel belongs to a group of objects known as magic bowls in Islamic metalworks, intended to ward off fear, evil and demons (*jinn*).  \n  \nWhile this bowl originates from Karbala in Iraq, the place of pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims, these objects have appeared in Syria, India and Iran since the 12th century. Earlier Sasanian magic bowls with Aramaic inscriptions embodied similar amuletic qualities, however were made of clay instead of metal and invoked the powers of demons and Liliths.  \n  \nThe Throne Verse (*Ayat al Kursi*) of the Qur’an guards the exterior of the bowl in the *thuluth* style of Arabic calligraphy, granting talismanic protection. A hexagram (six-pointed star) invokes prophet Sulayman (Solomon), while the surrounding inscriptions bear blessings for one's body and the senses. Twelve panels on the vessel allude to the twelve Imams in Shia Islam. The science letters (*ilm al huruf*) ascribes magical properties to the assortment of letters marking the panels.","type":"Domestic tools","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"19th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 22.5cm, Width: 20cm","place_of_production":"Iraq, Karbala","method_for_datation":"The date and origin were established in anthropological research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy, engraving and oral tradition.","method_for_provenance":"The date and origin were established in anthropological research-based comparison from an examination of material, calligraphy, engraving and oral tradition.","provenance":"Iraq","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Al-Jubeh, B., \"Magic and Talismans/The Tawfiq Canaan Collection of Palestinian Amulets\", *Jerusalem Quarterly*, 2005: 22–23.  \nAl-Saleh, Y., “Amulets and Talismans from the Islamic World”, in *Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History,* New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.  \nKiyanrad, S., \"Sasanian Amulet Practices and their Survival in Islamic Iran and Beyond\", *Der Islam*, 95 : 1 (2018): 65–90.  \nPorter, V., Saif, L., and Savage-Smith, E., \"Medieval Islamic Amulets, Talismans and Magic\", *A Companion to Islamic Art and Architecture*, 1 (2017): 521–557.  \nWelch A., \"Islamic calligraphy: Meaning and symbol\", in: Kolers P.A., Wrolstad M.E., Bouma H. (eds) *Processing of Visible Language. Nato Conference Series, vol 13*, Boston: Springer, 1980.","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["Magic bowl","Karbala","Iraq","Talisman","Sulayman's hexagram","Shia Islam"],"materials":["Engraving","Bronze"]},"1433647b-a363-527b-a739-01058ae49638":{"name":"Ritual ladle for the Taghounja festival","alternate_name":"Wooden ritual ladle; festival dipper","description":"The ritual ladle used in the Taghounja festival reflects the intersection of water, fertility, and collective ritual in Moroccan rural life. During this traditional celebration communities would gather to invoke rain, fertility, and divine blessing. The ladle, carved from wood, was used to pour or sprinkle water in symbolic gestures of renewal and abundance. Its simplicity belies a profound cultural meaning: water as the essence of life, shared collectively through ritual. Its preservation illustrates how intangible heritage and material culture merge to tell the story of Morocco’s spiritual relationship with water.","type":"Ritual utensil","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Local communities celebrating Taghounja","dates":"AH 14th / AD 20th century","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"70 × 12.5 × 7cm and 60 × 10 × 6cm","place_of_production":"Morocco (rural communities)","method_for_datation":"Based on oral tradition and ethnographic sources.","method_for_provenance":"Museum curatorial records.","provenance":"Collected as ethnographic testimony of ritual practice","obtention":"Museum ethnographic acquisition (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","workshop":"Rural workshops, oral tradition","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Taghounja","festival","water symbolism","rain prayers","ritual ladle"],"materials":["sometimes decorated","Carved wood"]},"147c8e1e-4cb1-51c6-a42b-c10e8b602904":{"name":"Tender specification relating to the supply of running water to Tangier","description":"The Chérifien government established 34 specifications altogether listing the causes and conditions for adjudication in order to supply the city of Tangier with a reliable, abundant water supply.","type":"Archival document","holder":"Private archive","dates":"1906","location":"Rabat","provenance":"Tangier"},"1480f971-0e51-5521-a651-32af3d9dcb61":{"name":"*Shasha* reed bundle raft","description":"The *shasha* (reed boat) of the Iraqi marshlands is a type of raft constructed from reeds, using a bundle technique similar to that of architectural structures such as the *mudhif* (reed meeting-house). This ancient boat type exists around the world wherever there are wetlands.  \n  \nThe simplest and smallest *shashas*– around 2-3 metres in length – were seen in the marshes until at least the AH 1390s / AD 1970s, typically made and used by children for play or fishing. The bundles were bound with cordage made from twisted strips of reed. Larger *shashas* may have used cordage of palm leaf or palm fibre (as does this reconstruction). They largely disappeared from use during the first half of the AH 14th / AD 20th century as the industrial era made wood more accessible to marsh dwellers; previously, only local elites could afford wooden boats, and reed boats of various types were far more common.  \n  \nTextual archaeological evidence suggests sea-going ships of Sumerian times used vast tonnages of reeds and of palm-fibre rope. There is much debate over their form and building technique. In AH 1397 / AD 1977, Thor Heyerdahl experimentally reconstructed a Sumerian ship based on a similar form to the *shasha*: the “Tigris”, measuring 18m x 6m, followed trade routes from Iraq across the Indian Ocean to Pakistan, then westward to Djibouti. Rashad Salim, who was among the crew, questions whether such craft could have carried cargo, as they lack a hold and have considerable drag even without additional weight. An alternative design for Sumerian trading ships could resemble the *zaima*, another marsh boat made of many narrow bundles of reeds connected in parallel to create the shell of a boat with a central hold.  \n  \nThe *shasha* in the collection of the Open Museum for Water Culture (Basra) was built in AH 1443 / AD 2021 by a team of craftsmen skilled in reed architecture, as part of the Material Cultural Heritage Lab, where architecture students from Basra University studied traditional building techniques.","type":"Watercraft","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Cultures","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1443/ AD 2021","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Length: 5m, height: 0.4m, width: 1m","method_for_datation":"Production was supervised by current owner.","method_for_provenance":"Production was supervised by current owner.","provenance":"Basra, Iraq","obtention":"Made in workshop organised by Safina Projects.","bibliography":"Al-Behadli, J., “The Ark for Iraq Programme: the Experience of Safina Projects in the Study of Traditional Boats and their Revitalisation”, *Al-Turath al-Sha’bi*, (2024), 325 \\[Published in Arabic\\].  \n  \nMcGrail, S., *Boats of the World: from the Stone Age to Medieval Times*, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.  \n  \nOchsenschlager, E. L., *Iraq’s Marsh Arabs in the Garden of Eden*, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.  \n  \nPotts, D. T., *Mesopotamian Civilisation: the Material Foundations*, Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1997.  \n  \nThesiger, W., *The Marsh Arabs*, London: Penguin, 1964.","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["boat","basketry","Watercraft","transport."],"materials":["palm fibre cordage","bundle construction.","Reeds"]},"154a0f2d-b51b-50e4-a764-5552e98c9b1a":{"name":"A photo of the Irrigation Room at Fu`ad Agricultural Museum","description":"The Fu`ad Agriculture Museum was considered the first of its kind in the Middle East and the Arab World during the 1930s. It was inaugurated during the time of King Faruq, the son of King Fu`ad, and houses a large number of collections related to agricultural and rural environments, as well as agricultural plants and animals.","type":"Photograph","holder":"Bibliotheca Alexandrina","dates":"16 January 1938 (Photo taken during the inauguration of the museum)","location":"Alexandria","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"15d5bb62-3545-5377-b7b5-4a45f3ceb8d6":{"name":"'Funeral Procession'","alternate_name":"Folio 35r from a *Mantiq al-Tayr*","description":"This illustration is associated with a story related by the hoopoe as a response to a bird who complains about his fear of death. In the story, a son grieves the death of his father in front of his coffin and a sufi soothes him, explaining that his father had experienced much pain and that no one can avoid death. Here, the painter depicts the incident as occurring in front of a cemetery gate. The scene behind the gate is replete with motifs that are irrelevant to the story itself. The viewer at the court may have enjoyed deciphering them.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH 892 / AD 1486","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: height: 24.8cm, width: 14cm; Page: height: 33cm, width: 21.6cm","place_of_production":"Present-day Afghanistan, Herat","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/fr/art/collection/search/451730","keywords":["Conference of the Birds","Manuscript.","water","folio"],"materials":["Silver","and gold on paper","Opaque watercolour"]},"16bb32a1-7942-5864-81b6-113096c7ab5e":{"name":"Towel (*peşkir*) with design of floral motifs","description":"A scarf made of fine white muslin, the ends beautifully embroidered with large and small flowers and leaves in madder shades of silk and with tinsel, and finished with a fringe of gold thread.","type":"Textile","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira late 12th to early 13th century / AD late 18th to early 19th century","location":"Saint Louis","dimensions":"Length 147.3cm, width 63.5cm","place_of_production":"Turkey","method_for_datation":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","method_for_provenance":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Museum purchase.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Silk and metallic yarn embroidery on cotton"]},"1757e7cf-1d29-556c-9e11-f2696aaa848e":{"name":"Madrasa and Mosque of Sultan Qaytbay.","description":"The principal, northern face of the *madrasa* contains the entrance. The form of the entrance follows the style typical of Mamluk entrances, commonly crowned with a tri-lobed arch that includes carved *muqarnas*. To the left of the entrance is the *sabil*(water dispensary) and above the entrance, a *kuttab* (Qur'anic school). There is a minaret to the right of the entrance, which is considered one of the most complete Mamluk examples as it represents both the architectural harmony and decorative skill of the age.  \nThe ground plan of the *madrasa* consists of a square courtyard with a polychrome marble floor and a ceiling with a central skylight. The courtyard is surrounded by four *iwan*s, the biggest of which is the *qibla iwan*, which overlooks the courtyard by means of a horseshoe arch. This *iwan* includes a magnificent *minbar* made of wood and inlaid with ivory and mother-of-pearl, decorated with intricate geometric ornamentation. Stuccoed windows, inset with coloured glass characterise the upper portion of the walls. The designer of the building was extremely skilled in filling the interior spaces with a variety of decorations: the embellishment of the wooden ceiling, its gilding and its painting; the arches that assume a number of forms; the stonework, decorated and carved with vegetal designs; the marble floors of the *madrasa*, mausoleum and water dispensary as well as the stucco windows.  \nThe mausoleum is accessed through a door on one of the side walls of the *qibla iwan*. Its floor plan is square and it is covered by a dome. The transition zone from a square to the circularity of the dome consists of nine tiers of intricately detailed stone *muqarnas*. The dome is decorated on the outside by ornamentation carved in stone, which consists of repetitive vegetal forms and geometric motifs in harmony with it. The design of this dome is considered to be an example of Mamluk stone decoration at its peak.  \nThe Complex of Qaytbay is considered one of the most innovative and beautiful of architectural complexes in Islamic Egypt. Its importance lies in the detailed decoration, the beauty of its proportions and the harmony of its architectural components, which include the *madrasa*, mosque, water dispensary, Qur'anic school and the mausoleum.","short_description":"This monument stands in the Mamluk (Northern) Cemetery and is described as the most beautiful of the architectural complexes in Islamic Egypt. It is notable for its fine decoration, its perfect balance and the harmony of its components, which include a mosque, a *sabil* (water dispensary), a *kuttab* (Qur'anic school for children) and a mausoleum, and became known as the 'jewel' of Islamic architecture. Sultan Qaytbay, its patron, ruled for 29 years and has left many charitable monuments in Mecca, Medina, Jerusalem and Egypt.","dates":"Hegira 879 / AD 1474.","location":"Cairo","method_for_datation":"The complex is dated based on bands of epigraphic inscription, which record the name and title of the builder and the date of construction. There is an inscription band beside the entrance to the *madrasa* and another in the higher reaches of the *qibla iwan*, both of which include the date when construction started (877 / 1472). Furthermore, there is an inscription band inside the mausoleum, which includes the date when the construction of the dome was finished (879 / 1474).","bibliography":"Abd al-Wahab, H., *Tarikih al-Masajid al-Athariya \\[History of Monumental Mosques\\],* Cairo, 1994.  \nBehrens-Abouseif, D., “Change in Function and Form of Mamluk Religious Institutions”, *Annales Islamologiques*, 1985, 21: pp.73–93.  \nBehrens-Abouseif, D., *Islamic Architecture in Cairo*, Leiden, 1989.  \nPrisse d'Avennes, é., *L'Art arabe d'après les monuments du Caire depuis le VIIe siècle jusqu'à la fin du XVIIIe*, Paris, 1877.  \nGrabar, O., “The Inscriptions of the Madrasa-Mausoleum of Qaytbay”, *Near Eastern Numismatics, Iconography, Epigraphy, and History: Studies in Honor of George C. Miles,* (ed. K. Dickran Kouymjian), Beirut, 1974.  \nHamza, H., *The Northern Cemetery of Cairo*, Cairo, 2001.  \nKessler, C., “The Carved Masonry Domes of Medieval Cairo”, *Art and Archaeology Research Papers*, Cairo, 1976.  \nNewhall, A., *The Patronage of the Mamluk Sultan Qaitbay: 872–901/1468–1496,* PhD thesis, Harvard University, 1987.  \nRoberts, D., *Egypt Nubia,* London, 1896.  \nSalem, al-Sayyed Mahmoud Abd al-Aziz, *al-Ma'din al-Masriya – Nazra 'ama 'an aslaha wa tataworiha mundu al-Fath al-'arabi hatta al-Fath al-Othmani \\[Egyptian minarets – A General View of their Origin and Development from the Islamic Conquest until the Ottoman Conquest\\],* Cairo, 1959.","patrons":"Sultan al-Ashraf Abu al-Nasr Qaytbay (r. AH 872–901 / AD 1468–96).","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Tarek Torky","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Mausoleum","Mosque","inlay","geometric decoration","stucco interlocked with coloured glass","religious architecture","vegetal decoration","marble","funerary architecture","civil architecture","Qur’anic school","muqarnas","madrasa","water dispensary"]},"177765c0-4c0d-540e-9196-1b9816f5e481":{"name":"Ewer","description":"The rounded body has flat sides, and is inscribed with Arabic script. It stands on a conical base with a long, slender neck bearing seven protrusions. The vessel has a lid, broken at the riveted section. From the body rises a long spout, inclined forward, with a hexagonal surface; its tip ends in a spur. An S-shaped handle joins the shoulder to the rim, with two perforations at its lower end and a notched ornament at the centre. The conical base and neck are undecorated, while incised floral motifs adorn the shoulder and body.","type":"Ewer","holder":"Diyarbakır Museum Directorate","location":"Diyarbakır","dimensions":"Mouth diameter: 3.7cm, height: 35cm, base diameter: 11.8cm","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","Copper","ewer","water","calligraphy"],"materials":["copper"]},"17f38219-908a-521a-bc48-bdfa982ef72d":{"name":"Small decorated glazed jar","description":"The small size of this jug and its decoration make it a delicate piece of tableware. It has three rounded handles on the shoulder and is entirely covered with an opaque glaze on the inside and out, now stained grey. The cobalt-blue decoration has been reconstructed as an oval above two curling branches, probably a plant motif, and is repeated between each of the three handles. A bright green vertical line runs down the outside of each handle.  \n  \nOriginally this jug would have looked bright and striking, with dark blue-and-green painted designs against a white or cream colour.","short_description":"It could have been a table vinegar pot used to contain sweet and sour sauces that were very popular in the AH 3th / AD 9th century. The painted design and technology indicate that this was manufactured either in Iraq or Iran.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 8.5cm, body diameter: 10.5cm","place_of_production":"Iraq or Iran","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","table jar","blue cobalt glaze"],"materials":["Glazed earthenware"]},"183bf3a2-aeed-5d42-afde-1232d1908e44":{"name":"Goblet.","description":"A goblet in the shape of a truncated cone. The upper part is undecorated and spreads out slightly into a chalice shape. The base is concave (for stability) and retains the navel-like mark where the glass-blower's pipe broke away.  \nThe glass is transparent, slightly smoky and has very few air-bubbles. It has an iridescent and pearly appearance. The lower part is decorated with a grid of incised lines forming two rows of seven diamond shapes and two rows of seven triangles. Topped by a double circumferential band, the upper rows are decorated with oblique tapering grooves whereas the lower rows have opposing lobes. This grid is decorated at each intersection with an ellipsoidal groove shaped like a segment of a circle. Around the base are more notches, linked to the wall of the goblet with quarter-circle shapes. This goblet is similar to some found at Fustat, Raqqa and Damascus, and to others discovered in the cargo of the wreck discovered off the Turkish coast during the Serce Limani seabed excavations. The goblet's straight profile reminds us of those drinking vessels held by the *caliph*s and high dignitaries shown on the Fatimid wood carvings in Cairo.","short_description":"This goblet in the shape of a truncated cone has a concave base, and its slightly tinted transparent glass contains some air bubbles. The goblet is comparable to similar objects found during submarine excavations along the Turkish coast.","type":"Goblet, glass","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","dates":"Hegira, second half of the 4th–first half of the 5th centuries / AD 10th–11th centuries.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Height 11 cm, diameter 4 cm to 6 cm, thickness of glass at rim 0.1 to 0.15 cm.","method_for_datation":"Although this object is similar to articles found at Raqqa dating from the 3rd / 10th century, it was, however, discovered at the Sabra al-Mansuriyya site. This capital city of the Fatimids was founded in the mid-4th / 9th century. As for the likeness of the goblet to the above-mentioned Serce Limani wreck cargo, we know that the ship sank in the second quarter of the 5th / 11th century. Sabra was completely abandoned after the Hilalian invasions in 449 / 1057. We can therefore date this goblet with assurance between the second-half of the 4th / 10th and the beginning of the 5th / 11th centuries.","method_for_provenance":"This goblet was discovered by chance in 1992 at the Sabra al-Mansuriyya site. Brick pickers broke open a large jar with a pick-axe and found contents of priceless value: carafes, goblets, flasks and cups. The shape and decoration of other similar objects found in the Sabra excavations suggest that this object was either produced at the Sabra glass-works, which were highly reputed at that time, or at those of Kairouan, the nearest economic capital.","provenance":"Sabra al-Mansuriyya or Kairouan.","obtention":"After its discovery in 1992 this piece was kept at the Bardo Museum. It was then acquired by the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada, on its inauguration. It is currently on display there.","bibliography":"Marçais, G. et Poinssot, L., *Objets kairouanais*, XI, fasc. 2, Tunis, 1952, pp.388–9, cat. no. 8.","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["floral decoration","water","glass"],"materials":["Engraved and decorated glass."]},"197c66bc-cc66-5bb1-87c4-c6327477449c":{"name":"Box trap/Spindle traps","alternate_name":"Ghuni (ঘুনি) /Chai (চাই)","description":"A rectangular trap made of fine bamboo sticks, and tied with coir rope or nylon twine. The Ghuni is constructed with specially designed involuted front and back walls that create vertical openings to guide fish inside, and it also includes an upper opening for collecting the catch. The clever device is typically used in beels, derelict waterbodies, and inundated paddy fields, especially in rural areas, for catching small-sized fish, prawns, and shrimps.","type":"Fishing gear","holder":"Water Museum","dates":"21st century","location":"Pakhimara, Kuakata District, Barishal Division, Barishal","bibliography":"Sandhya, K. M., *et al.*, “Traditional Fishing Gears, Fish Catch and Species Composition of Selected Floodplain Wetlands of Lower Gangetic Plains, West Bengal, India” in *Fishery Technology*, 56 : 2 (2019): 101–109: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332631090\\_Traditional\\_Fishing\\_Gears\\_Fish\\_Catch\\_and\\_Species\\_Composition\\_of\\_Selected\\_Floodplain\\_Wetlands\\_of\\_Lower\\_Gangetic\\_Plains\\_West\\_Bengal\\_India \\[last accessed: 4/10/25\\]","author":"ActionAid Bangladesh","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["ghuni","water","box trap","spindle trap"],"materials":["Bamboo","Jute fibers"]},"1a0d6f2a-0a7e-5fdf-98b4-9f6cc792909b":{"name":"Norias (*nawa’ir*) of Hama.","description":"The waterwheel, or *noria* (properly pronounced *na'ura* (singular) and *nawa'ir* (plural)), is an ancient hydraulic structure designed for collecting and distributing water by utilising the power of a running stream. It is also the visual and aural hallmark of the city of Hama, 226 km north of Damascus, straddling the meandering River Orontes. The use of waterwheels in Syria dates to the Classical and Hellenistic periods, possibly even the Nabataean period (2nd century BC–AD 2nd century), and the first visual depiction of a *na'ura* is found on a mosaic from the ancient city of Apamea, 55 km north of Hama, dated AD 469. During the medieval period, however, there was a marked increase of references to *nawa'ir* in Islamic geographical writing, indicating their improved and multiplied development.  \nUnder the Seljuq sultanate and their various Atabeg, Zangid and Ayyubid vassals, when Syria's cities witnessed robust urban development, the *nawa'ir* of Hama received special attention. Nur al-Din Mahmud bin Zangi went on a rebuilding campaign after the earthquake of AH 551 / AD 1157, which included the restoration of Hama's water system and *nawa'ir*.  \nThe earliest of the surviving *nawa'ir* are attributed to the Ayyubid period (late AH 6th – 7th / AD 11th - 12th centuries) while the earliest inscribed *na'ura* tower, named al-Muhammadiyya, dates to the Mamluk period in AH 763 / AD 1361. This is also one of the two largest *nawa'ir* of the city: 21 m in wheel diameter and 17.5 m in aqueduct height. The aqueduct of al-Muhammadiyya is particularly long as it supplies water for the Great Mosque quarter, nearly a kilometre away from the banks of the River Orontes. The second largest *na'ura*, also 21 m in diameter and known as al-Mamuriyya, is early Ottoman, dated AH 867 (1453).  \n*Nawa'ir* are constructed basically in two parts: the mobile wheel, usually made of poplar wood, and the static aqueduct, usually made of stone. The wheel consists of a group of broad beams fixed perpendicularly around the axle, creating a quadrangular formation in the centre, and radiating out towards the wheel's periphery. These beams are held together by circular frames and further supported by more beams that are nailed in at successive angles. At the periphery of the wheel are paddles that facilitate the wheel's circular movement and compartments (*sanadiq*) that collect the water. Given that the wheel is largely a wooden construction, its beams need regular maintenance and changing every 15 years or so.  \nStone constructions, like the aqueduct for transporting water and the small dam controlling the river's water level, are also part of the *noria's* successful construction. The aqueduct is a tall rectangular receptacle standing parallel to the wheel and designed to be as wide as possible in order to receive maximum water per rotation. Attached to this receptacle is the long duct set on an arcade that serves the adjacent areas, providing them with water for domestic and irrigation purposes. On average, a *na'ura* can raise 50 litres of water per second, and irrigate no less than 75 hectares.","short_description":"The city of Hama is famous for its waterwheels, or *norias*, which charmingly dot the meandering River Orontes, which passes through the city. The technique for building these waterwheels is an ancient one, but remarkably effective and still in use. The wheels are typically made of poplar wood, requiring regular maintenance, while their supportive structures, like aqueducts and dams, are made of stone. The dimensions of the total hydraulic construction are inter-related, depending on each other to collect the maximum amount of water efficiently and ensure its most effective distribution.","dates":"Hegira 6th–10th century / AD 12th–16th century.","location":"Hama along the Orontes River.","method_for_datation":"Some *nawa'ir* are dated by inscriptions but mostly by approximation based on archaeological evidence and historical sources. Recent excavations that have taken place under water are proving that most *nawa'ir* have ancient origins and have been continuously restructured throughout the ages.","bibliography":"Burns, R., *Monuments of Syria: An Historical Guide,* 1999, pp.126–9.  \nDelpech, A., et al, *Les norias de l'Oronte: analyse technologique d'un éléments du patrimoine syrien,* Damascus, 2005.","author":"Waal Hafian","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Hydraulics","Orontes River","urban architecture","water supply"]},"1a2dd605-e515-506f-b3e0-89e24d47949b":{"name":"Apod bowl","description":"This flattened subglobular bowl, apodal with a rounded base, has a short rim flared upwards and a wide mouth. The external decoration is distributed in horizontal bands, the lowest of which depicts a series of intertwined arches ending at the bottom with palmettes. In the central band, ten epigraphic cartouches with benevolent inscriptions are alternated with ten large medallions with hunters riding horses and pairs of musicians. The upper band depicts animals, including hares, felines, sphinxes, caprids and dogs. The interior decoration,  at the bottom of the bowl, features a radial motif in the centre, a solar symbol, around which alternating fish and harpies rotate. The bowl was intended to hold water. The iconographic repertoire, including court scenes and motifs alluding to water and sunt, expresses the wish for eternal life for the owner of the object. This type of bowl was highly sought after during the Ilkhanid period in Iran, as demonstrated by the examples of the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington and of the Galleria Estense in Modena.","type":"Basin","holder":"Museum of Civilisations","owner":"Italian State","dates":"Hegira 7th- 8th century / AD 13th-14th century","location":"Rome","dimensions":"Height: 12,4cm, maximum diameter: 26.5 cm","place_of_production":"West Iran","method_for_datation":"Stylistic and formal analysis.","obtention":"Purchased.","bibliography":"Scerrato, U., \"Nuove acquisizioni dei Musei e Gallerie dello Stato. Roma. Museo Nazionale di Arte Orientale. Arte iranica preislamica. Arte islamica.\", Bollettino d’Arte 58/4, 1973, p. 245, fig. 245.  \n  \nDi Flumeri Vatielli, G., \"Metalli - Archeologia islamica in Afghanistan - Ghazni\", Arte dell’Islam, ed. by Torre, P., Di Flumeri Vatielli, G. and Jung, M., Città di Castello, 2010, pp. 35-45, figg. 34 and 36b.  \n  \nDi Flumeri Vatielli, G., entry no. 66, Acqua, Islam e Arte, ed. by Vanoli, A., Cinisello Balsamo, 2019, p. 108.  \nManna, G., entry no. 10, Guida breve al Museo di Arte Orientale “Giuseppe Tucci”, ed. by Polichetti, M. and Manna, G., Roma, 2020, p. 19.  \n  \nDi Flumeri Vatielli, G. and Giunta, R., I metalli islamici. La collezione del Museo delle Civiltà Museo d’Arte Orientale “Giuseppe Tucci”, Roma, 2022, pp. 163 and 346.","author":"Maria Toscano","keywords":["bowl","Metals","Inscriptions","hunting","Music."],"materials":["Brass inlaid with gold and silver"]},"1aa20f81-288f-5491-bfba-4d0a1e219f27":{"name":"Qur’an","description":"Illumination is a natural part of Qur'ans. Illuminators used naturalistic floral motifs influenced by Europe alongside classical elements to illuminate the Qur'ans during the AH 12th–13th / AD 18th–19th centuries.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts","dates":"Hegira Safar 1259 / AD March 1843","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul"},"1b4970b4-bc60-53bb-887d-df1ef0e3270d":{"name":"Waterskin","description":"A traditional container used for the natural preservation of water, commonly employed in rural and Bedouin communities. The water skin is made from goat hide that is tanned, cleaned and stitched before being filled with water. It was often carried during desert journeys lasting several days. The vessel is crafted so that the goat’s neck forms the spout, while the legs serve as handles for carrying or for fastening the container onto the back of an animal during transport. The sewing is done with leather threads obtained from the neck of a camel, or from the legs of sheep, goats, or cattle. Goat hide was chosen for its thinness and flexibility, and thanks to the fine pores of the leather, the water remained cool even in hot conditions, making it comparable to modern-day coolers.","type":"Water container","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"Late AH 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Diameter: 70cm, Length: 72cm","provenance":"The Arabian Peninsula","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["leather","waterskin","container","water"],"materials":["leather","cutting and sewing"]},"1b6254e3-cc23-516a-85ce-ff122e61f5e2":{"name":"*Saliha sultan fountain and sabil*","description":"This work was exhibited in the “Miniatures and Fountains” exhibition held within the scope of Istanbul’s 2010 European Capital of Culture program.  \n  \nThis miniature illustrates a well-known Ottoman story about Saliha Sultan, whose life changed through a moment of honesty at a neighborhood fountain.  \nIn the district of Azapkapı in Karaköy lived a young girl named Saliha. At that time, homes in Istanbul had no running water, and people fetched water from communal fountains. One day, while filling her clay pitcher, Saliha accidentally broke it and began to cry in grief. Coincidentally, Emetullah Gülnuş Sultan, the wife of the reigning sultan, was passing by in her imperial carriage. Seeing the weeping girl, she asked her attendants to offer the child some money to comfort her. Saliha, however, refused the gift, saying:  \n\"I am not crying because I lost the pitcher or its value. I am crying because I failed to complete the task entrusted to me.\"  \nImpressed by her sincerity and sense of responsibility, palace officials conveyed the incident to Gülnuş Sultan. Soon after, Saliha was invited to be educated and raised in the imperial palace. When Gülnuş Sultan’s son, Prince Mustafa, came of age, he married Saliha. Mustafa later ascended the throne as Sultan Mustafa II, making her Saliha Sultan.  \nTheir son, Mahmud, became Sultan Mahmud I upon his father’s death, and thus Saliha Sultan rose to the rank of Valide Sultan, the Queen Mother—one of the most influential positions in the Ottoman court.  \n  \nWishing to commission a charitable fountain, Saliha Sultan began preparations, but she passed away before its completion. Her son, Sultan Mahmud I, fulfilled her wish by constructing the Saliha Sultan Fountain and Sebil, the structure depicted in this miniature.  \nAccording to popular tradition, the incident of the broken pitcher inspired an Anatolian custom: during weddings, clay pitchers are broken so that the bride’s fortune may be open and the household blessed.","type":"Miniature","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 1431 / AD 2011","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 47cm, width: 47cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["wedding","water","miniature"],"materials":["Ink","Paper"]},"1c40ee85-b340-51ae-ba35-f36c089d387c":{"name":"Water jug","description":"The body of this terracotta jug is decorated with embossed Arabic inscriptions, and beginning from the end points of the inscriptions, there are raised dot-like ornaments about the size of a chickpea on the surface.","type":"Jug","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 5th–6th century / AD 11th–12th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Diameter: 16cm, height: 18cm","place_of_production":"Persia","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["inscription.","Jug","water","calligraphy"],"materials":["Terracotta"]},"1c5f02d2-2470-50be-8d9d-69e9381c662f":{"name":"Clogs","alternate_name":"Nanule (Tr. *nalın*)","description":"*Nanule* – clogs (Tr. *nalın*) are a major category of Ottoman footwear, worn both by men and women. They were carved from a single piece of hardwood, such as walnut, beech, boxwood or ash, held on the foot by a leather strap and usually decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay or metal plaques. The wooden soles of the clogs have two high wedges, as they were designed for use on wet floors in the hamam – a Turkish bath. The height of the clogs also protected the foot from the heat generated by underfloor heating in the bath.  \n  \nThese clogs, from the Museum of Applied Art in Belgrade (a.n. TC-265 (1924), are made of wood. They have flared wedges, the back one expanded at the rear. The toe of the sole is square, and the heel is pointed. The soles and wedges are inlaid with mother-of-pearl and metal wire. The inlay design features mother-of-pearl triangles set within metal wire frames. The leather straps are covered with purple velvet and embroidered with vegetable motifs in couched supported technique, using metal thread and spangles. The clogs had an important place in the shared dress and living culture of the urban population in the Ottoman Balkans, which had diverse confessional and ethnic backgrounds.","type":"Dress","holder":"Museum of Applied Art","owner":"Museum of Applied Art, Belgrade","initial_owner":"Ljuba Ivanović (1882–1945)","dates":"AH late 13th / AD late 19th century","location":"Belgrade","dimensions":"Length: 23cm, Height: 7cm","place_of_production":"Kosovo","method_for_datation":"By stylistic and comparative analysis with related material.","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence.","provenance":"Ottoman Empire","obtention":"The item is a part of the collection of Serbian painter and engraver Ljuba Ivanović (1882–1945). The collection was purchased by the Museum of Applied Art in Belgrade in 1951 and comprises 3,116 items, bearing witness to the early modern and modern visual culture of the Balkans: urban and folk dress,  jewelry, metalwork, casting molds and tools, items carved in wood, horn, and mother-of-pearl, wood-carved and painted icons, etc. The items were collected in the field, mostly during the interwar period.","bibliography":"Maskareli, D., *Fashion in Modern Serbia*, Belgrade: Museum of Applied Art, 2019: cat. no. 18.  \n  \nMaskareli, D., “Tradicija i moda: ženska obuća iz XIX i s početka XX veka u kolekciji Muzeja primenjene umetnosti u Beogradu”, *Journal 9 (2013): 93--101.  \n  \nStojanović, D., *Gradska nošnja u Srbiji tokom XIX i početkom XX veka*, Belgrade: Museum of Applied Art, 1980: cat. no. 378.  \n  \nTadić, M., “Od kućnog dvorišta do hamama, sedefli nanule”, *Journal*, 4/5 (2008/2009): 19--31.  \n  \nVitković-Žikić, M., *Artistic Embroidery in Serbia 1804–1904*, Belgrade: Prosveta, 1994: cat. No. 64.*","author":"Draginja Maskareli","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["clogs","Balkans","dress","nanule","hamam"],"materials":["inlay","metal wire","leather","Velvet","Wood","silk","embroidery","metal thread","mother-of-pearl","spangles"]},"1cb28b3d-969a-57af-a358-58c996f87905":{"name":"'The Funeral of Isfandiyar'","description":"From a dispersed copy of the Ilkhanid manuscript referred to as the Great Mongol Shahnama, this folio depicts the funeral procession of the Persian hero Isfandiyar. The bier is accompanied by a group of mourners, some wailing and pulling at their hair, which is worn loose as a sign of mourning. The painting technique, with its strong linear quality and thin washes of color, recalls contemporary Chinese brush painting.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH c. 730 / AD c. 1330","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 58cm; width: 40cm","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/fr/art/collection/search/448938","keywords":["water","Funeral.","Shahnama"]},"1dec3c6e-e957-5322-afe4-42cea2c75ee9":{"name":"Ewer and Basin Set","description":"In this set, the entire body of the ewer, together with the basin's rim and part of the lid strainer, is reeded. The ribs are alternately engraved with simple leaf ornaments. The ewer has a swan-neck spout, a cast handle and a thumb piece in the form of a bird on the top of the domed lid. The basin has a very wide, flaring reeded rim, decorated in the same manner as the ewer.  \n  \nThe bottom of the lid is perforated, while the highly raised central section serves as a stand for the ewer. An Ottoman inscription with the craftsman's name and date is engraved on the body of the ewer and on the rim of the basin: Sa’âdetlü Zernâb Kalfa AH 1307/ AD 1889-1890. The rim of the lid bears an unidentified stamped Ottoman mark.","type":"Metalwork","holder":"Museum of Applied Art","owner":"Museum of Applied Art","dates":"AH 1307 / AD 1889-1890","location":"Belgrade","dimensions":"Ewer height: 37.5cm, basin diameter: 37cm","place_of_production":"possibly Prizren","method_for_datation":"By stylistic and comparative analisys with related material.","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence.","provenance":"Balkans","obtention":"Purchased in 1953.","bibliography":"Karamehmedović, M. A., *Umjetnička obrada metala*, Sarajevo: Veselin Masleša, 1980: 447.","author":"Mila Gajić","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Prizren","Balkans","ewer and basin","brass","metalwork"],"materials":["Engraving","hammering","Casting","brass"]},"1eb58eb2-a356-5cc6-8d6f-3bf073afed7e":{"name":"Photographic print","description":"Photographic print (black and white); showing a group of ceramic water vessels held on a high stand and connected to tubes. A man stands to the side holding a small container to one of the tubes. Behind is a brick wall and wooden door. There is water on the ground. Kassala, Sudan.","type":"Photograph","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"AH 1401 / AD 1981","location":"London","dimensions":"Height: 30cm, width: 21 cm","place_of_production":"Photographed in Kassala","obtention":"Purchased from Natalie Tobert.","copyright":"This is an 'orphan work' in The British Museum’s collections. If you are the copyright holder and were not contacted, please reach out to Museum With No Frontiers at editing@museumwnf.net so that proper credit may be given on this website.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1980-21-245","keywords":["Kassala","photograph","water","Sudan"],"materials":["Paper"]},"1ebd1155-bb45-5e0f-b283-a1f71535ffbd":{"name":"Postcard","description":"Postcard showing a water-carrier in Constantinople, Turkey.","type":"Postcard","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"AH c. 1300s / AD 1990s","location":"London","dimensions":"Height: 9cm, width: 14cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","obtention":"Pucharsed from John Kidson in 1993.","workshop":"Levant Koleksiyon","copyright":"This is an 'orphan work' in The British Museum’s collections. If you are the copyright holder and were not contacted, please reach out to Museum With No Frontiers at editing@museumwnf.net so that proper credit may be given on this website.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_EPH-ME-1636?selectedImageId=1473124001","keywords":["water-carrier.","postcard","Constantinople","water","Istanbul"],"materials":["Paper"]},"1f743996-b211-5583-a401-77554e5bfc79":{"name":"Solomon’s Pools.","description":"The Pools of Solomon comprise three neighbouring pools that were arranged in such a manner that the first pool poured into the second, and the second into the third, and from which canals branched out. The first pool is 116 m long and approximately 72 m wide. Its depth ranges from between 6 m and 12 m, and its capacity was 85,000 cu m. The middle pool is 129 m long and 76 m wide. It is 12 m deep and its capacity was approximately 90,000 cu m. The lower, third pool (Mamluk), is the biggest of the three at 177 m long and 86 m at its widest point. It is around 15 m deep and had the greatest capacity of around 113,000 cu m. Thus the total capacity of all three pools exceeded a quarter of a million cu m.  \nWater was channelled from naturally occurring springs in the region to the pools by use of an aqueduct system which was more than 70 km long; the pools also served as reservoirs collecting rainwater. The pools provided the city of Jerusalem – which suffered constantly from drought – with water necessary for drinking, domestic use and for ablutions. Located on high ground, water from the pools flowed to Jerusalem by exploiting the inclined slopes and *wadi*s of the natural landscape. The canal and aqueduct system took a zigzag course running for the equivalent of double the geographical distance between Jerusalem and the pools – about 22 km.  \nA mandate was issued by the Ottoman Sultanate for the protection and preservation of the water system which meant that the villages through which the system passed were responsible for its security. In AH 1027 / AD 1618 Sultan ‘Uthman II (Osman II, r. AH 1027–32 / AD 1618–22) constructed a fortified castle several meters to the north of the first pool.","short_description":"These large water reservoirs located to the south of Bethlehem were named after Ottoman Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent who restored and developed them. Three large pools collected water and were connected to a complicated system of canals that channelled water from springs located tens of kilometres away. Canals transported the water from the pools to Jerusalem. The system was begun in the Roman period and was improved over the ages. A third pool was added in the Mamluk period. The improvement of the system to provide Jerusalem with water was considered a measure of the success of the ruling administration.","dates":"The construction of the first and second pools dates to the second half of the 1st century BC. The third, lower pool was built between hegira 865–72 / AD 1461–7.","location":"Bethlehem","method_for_datation":"The water system is dated with the support of information handed down by the Roman historian Josephus (died after AD 100) and the Arab historian Mujir al-Din al-Hanbali (d. 928 / 1521).","bibliography":"Berchem, M. van, *Materiaux pour un Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum* (Part II), Cairo, 1922.  \nAl-Hanbali, Mujir al-Din, (d. 927 / 1520), *Al-Uns al-Jalil fi Tarikh al-Quds wa al-Khalil \\[The Magnificent Ambiance in the History of Jerusalem and Hebron\\]*, Amman, 1973.  \nNatsheh, Y., “The Architecture of Ottoman Jerusalem”, in S. Auld and R. Hillenbrand (eds), *Ottoman Jerusalem: The Living City 1517–1917* (Part II),London, 2000.  \nSalama, O., and Zilberman, I., “Aspakat ha-mayim li-Yerushalayim ba-meot ha-16 ve-ha 17, \\[The Water Supply System of Jerusalem in the 16th and 17th Centuries\\]”, *Cathedra*, No. 41, 1985, pp.91–106.  \n  \n*Pilgrimage, Sciences and Sufism: Islamic Art in the West Bank and Gaza*, pp.191–2.","patrons":"It is not known who sponsored the construction of the water system in the pre-Islamic period when the first and second pools were built. The third pool was commissioned by the Mamluk sultan, Khushqadam (r. AH 865–72 / AD 1461–7). Restoration and renovation of the pools and the aqueducts known as al-Qanat al-Sabil (the Aqueducts of the Sabil), were undertaken by the Mamluk Sultan al-Ashraf Qaytbay (r. AH 872–901 / AD 1468–96) and after him, Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent (r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66).","architects":"Documents in the archives of the Shari’a Court in Jerusalem cite the appointment of Murad al-Nasrani the Armenian, in the position of “Architect of the Aqueducts of the Sabil” in AH 970 / AD 1562.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PA_EN_001","author":"Yusuf al-Natsheh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["pool","aqueduct","water","canal"]},"1f9cc409-36e4-51f2-828e-77a94d820a08":{"name":"Istanbul water pipeline map","description":"During the 19th century, new technologies radically transformed both travel and communications. The Cendere Hamidian Water Pump Station was built by Abdülhamid II in 1902. The station is located at an altitude of 34 metres above sea level. With its function, architectural design and mechanical equipment, the station is a unique reminder of Ottoman architecture. It pumped to Balmumcu and Beşiktaş – with water coming from 20 different pipes in Kağıthane, propelled by steam pump machines.","type":"Map","holder":"Istanbul University, Nadir Eserler Kütüphanesi (Rare Books Library)","dates":"19th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"1fa972c1-55d3-529e-8a54-27ed5bbaf7a3":{"name":"Calligraphy","description":"Considered one of the masterpieces of Ottoman classical literature, *Su Kasidesi* (*Water Ode*) is Fuzûlî’s celebrated ode (*kaside*) written in praise of the Prophet Muhammad. The poem employs water (*su*) as its central metaphor, intertwining themes of purity, life, longing and spiritual elevation. Throughout the *kaside*, water appears as an entity filled with devotion—flowing, bowing, crying, evaporating and kneeling—mirroring the poet’s own yearning for the divine.  \n  \nFuzûlî’s intricate wordplay transforms water into a symbol of both physical and spiritual life, reflecting the Islamic belief that all creation originates from water. By personifying water as an admirer of the Prophet, the poem situates natural elements within an emotional and devotional universe.  \nThe musical rhythm of the *aruz* metre, the repetition of sound patterns and the carefully layered imagery create an atmosphere of reverence. The poem’s rhetorical brilliance lies in its fusion of mystical Sufi thought, high literary artistry and deep emotional sincerity.  \n  \n*Su Kasidesi* continues to be celebrated as one of the finest examples of Ottoman poetic expression, demonstrating Fuzûlî’s mastery in blending spirituality, metaphysics and lyrical beauty.","type":"Calligraphy","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 1431 / AD 2011","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 98cm, width: 112cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_provenance":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["spirituality","poem","water","calligraphy"],"materials":["Calligraphy on paper"]},"20876879-3e64-5a45-850f-5156e63e55b7":{"name":"Zamzam Water Bottle","description":"This plastic bottle of Zamzam water, purchased during the pilgrimage (*‘Umrah*), represents how sacred traditions coexist with modern systems of production and distribution. Drawn from the Zamzam Well in Mecca, this water holds deep spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, symbolising divine mercy and blessing.  \n  \nToday, Zamzam water is bottled and sealed in modern factories to ensure hygiene and facilitate safe transport. Pilgrims can purchase it directly at airports or distribution centres, allowing them to carry home a sacred element of their journey. In Mecca itself, public coolers and dispensers provide pilgrims with direct access to the holy water, continuing a practice of hospitality and devotion that has endured for centuries.  \n  \nThis object embodies how faith, modern technology, and global mobility intersect, preserving tradition in contemporary life.","holder":"Private collection","author":"Dina Turkieh"},"2128703e-9b93-51af-ae89-1e8e1b75f0d3":{"name":"Calligraphy","description":"This artwork features the phrase \"*Su gibi aziz ol*\", written in classical Ottoman Turkish and rendered in Hasan Çelebi’s refined *sülüs* calligraphy. The expression—literally \"May you be as precious as water\"—is a traditional Anatolian blessing that conveys wishes of purity, value, and life-giving goodness. Water, regarded in both Islamic thought and Ottoman culture as the origin and sustainer of life, becomes a symbol of virtue, generosity, and spiritual clarity.  \n  \nThe calligraphic composition is shaped in a fluid, droplet-like form, echoing the blessing’s meaning. Surrounding the central inscription is an intricate *tezhip* (illumination) border in deep blue and gold, reminiscent of traditional Ottoman manuscripts.  \n  \nThe visual contrast between the delicate floral motifs and the strong, sweeping calligraphic lines highlights the harmony between ornamentation and the written word.  \nThrough its union of devotional aesthetics and cultural symbolism, this piece reflects the enduring legacy of Ottoman calligraphy and the masterful craftsmanship of Hasan Çelebi, one of the leading contemporary heirs of this artistic lineage.","type":"Calligraphy","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 1430s / AD 2010s","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, width: 50cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["verse","water","Qur'an","calligraphy"],"materials":["Ink","Paper"]},"221afe73-7d15-546e-aadf-50258ff042fd":{"name":"Subterranean Passage to Fountain of the Virgin, Jerusalem","description":"A local Silwani woman carries a water jug and candle down to the Fountain of the Virgin to collect water. Another figure in the background is emerging into the daylight, having completed a similar trip. The Fountain of the Virgin, or Gihon Spring, is a freshwater spring in the Kidron Valley that represents the only local water source for Jerusalem. Other pools, like the Bethesda pool in the north of the city, held water transported from the springs at Artas, near Bethlehem. It is part of a complex and ancient water management system dating back at least to the Middle Bronze Age (c 2,000 BCE) that continued to represent a major source of fresh water for the Silwani and Jerusalem community until recent years.","type":"Original watercolour","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Bought by Walter Morrison in 1872","dates":"AH 1286 / AD 1869","location":"London","dimensions":"27.5 x 38.5cm","place_of_production":"London","method_for_datation":"Watercolour is dated 1869 and signed by the artist.","method_for_provenance":"PEF records.","provenance":"London","obtention":"Donated to the PEF by Walter Morrison, 1872.","bibliography":"Warren, C.,*Underground Jerusalem*, London: John Murray, 1876.","workshop":"William Simpson, London","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Jerusalem","Silwan","Fountain of the Virgin Gihon Spring"],"materials":["Watercolour and pencil on paper. Created in the studio from a pencil and ink sketch made on site."]},"22832cf5-d8f3-561b-aeea-71694ea3b574":{"name":"Spouted jug","short_description":"The jug is covered with a transparent turquoise glaze and has two feline-shaped handles and two bullhead-shaped spouts. The designs are vertical compositions of leaf motives intercepted by curving peacock feathers.  \nTwo bands of inscriptions, *en reserve* on a black background read a Persian poem in the form of a *ruba\\`i* (quatrain) that was a popular type of verse established by the end of the 10th century. The interior is with a group of fish.","type":"Jug, glaze, Seljuq ceramics, fritware","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"Hegira 6th-7th century / AD 12th-13th century","location":"Athens","dimensions":"Height  15.5 cm","provenance":"Iran","keywords":["Persian poetry","Jug","Fish motifs","Glaze","Calligraphy motifs","Iran"],"materials":["Frit ware","underglaze painted in black"]},"22d721a5-3840-5af9-8c84-912b213423e2":{"name":"Citadel of Amman (Water Reservoir).","description":"Within the Umayyad Citadel to the east of the palatial complex is a round water cistern, 6 m deep with a diameter that exceeds 17.5 m, and which could hold up to 1300 cu m of water. This cistern was the most important source of water at the Citadel. It was fed through inlet channels connected to a system for the collection of rainwater. These channels and the associated settling tank are partially preserved to the west of the cistern. Some earlier architectural elements including columns, shafts and capitals were incorporated into the wall of the cistern as building materials, such as the shaft of a stone column which was placed in the centre of the cistern and re-used as a depth gauge. The base and the walls were covered with a thick layer of hydraulic plaster which can still be seen. Stone steps along the western side lead down into the cistern. This access was necessary in order to clean the interior from the debris collected with the run-off water and to prepare the cistern for the rainy season. A deep well adjacent to the cistern from the north may be part of the water installations necessary to feed water to the bath complex located to the west of the citadel. This round cistern is closely related architecturally and stylistically to the local tradition of rectangular cisterns, despite the superficial similarity to the round Aghlabid cisterns found at Kairouan Tunisia","short_description":"The water cistern on the Amman Citadel lies to the east of the Umayyad palatial complex. It is round, 6 m deep with a diameter of over 17.5 m, and could hold up to 1300 cu m of water. This cistern, fed by inlet channels connected to a rainwater collection system, was the most important source of water at the Citadel. Some earlier architectural elements were incorporated into the cistern wall, and a column shaft was re-used as a depth gauge. The interior was covered with a thick layer of hydraulic plaster. Stone steps along the western side led down into the cistern.","dates":"Around hegira 110 / AD 728.","location":"Amman","method_for_datation":"By way of archaeological excavations within the palatial complex the cistern was dated to around 730 / the first half of the eighth century AD.","bibliography":"Almagro, A., “El Palacio Omeya de Amman”, in *La Arquitectura*, Madrid, 1983.  \nCreswell, K. A. C., and Allan, J. W., *A Short Account of Early Muslim Architecture*, Cairo, 1989, pp.169–73.  \nKhouri, R. G., *Amman: A Brief Guide to the Antiquities*, Amman, 1988, p.17.  \nKoutsoukou, A., et al, *The Great Temple of Amman: The Excavations*, Amman, 1997, pp.16–18.  \nNorthedge, A. E., *Studies on Roman and Islamic Amman*, Vol. I., Oxford, 1992, p.152.","patrons":"Hisham ibn ‘Abd al-Malik (105–25 / AD 724–43).","linkcatalogs":"IAM_JO_EN_001","author":"Mohammad Najjar","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["water installations","hydraulic plaster","Amman Citadel","bath complex","palatial complex","water gauge"]},"23e8db58-0148-5dc3-98b4-98cb5313ba16":{"name":"Pilgrimage proxy scroll.","description":"This pilgrimage proxy scroll includes handwriting, painting, and drawing on an expensive yellow glazed paper known as *abadi*. It is in fragmentary condition and its title, as well as the section containing the *basmala* (the formula 'In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful'), are missing. The first of the two fragments includes a pair of standards bearing the name of the contemporary Abbasid caliph, al-Nasir (r. AH 575–622 / AD 1180–1225); the standard on the right is partially preserved. Below this emblem is a colour depiction of Mount Arafat flanked by candlesticks. Below this are depictions of the Maqam-i Ibrahim, a stone associated with the Prophet Abraham, and the water wells. Further below this is a depiction of al-Muzdalifa, where pilgrims spend the night as part of their pilgrimage duties, and al-Mina, which is the third most important site for pilgrims. The empty spaces in between the drawings are filled with inscriptions describing the requirements for the pilgrimage.  \n  \nThe depiction of the Ka'ba unfortunately has not survived in this scroll. The second fragment features depictions of al-Safa and al-Marwa (two locations that pilgrims visit in Mecca), the city of Medina (where pilgrims visit the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad), the city of Jerusalem, which pilgrims customarily visit after the pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, and al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. This proxy certificate was prepared for a person identified as Umm Abbas, wife of Ghalib. The person performing the pilgrimage on her behalf is Ahmad ibn Fadl al-Andalusi. The document was prepared in AH 602 / AD 1206.  \n  \nIn the Middle Ages it was difficult for people, especially women, to go on pilgrimage. Therefore, people who went on pilgrimage themselves, and those who sent a proxy on their own behalves, wanted to own a certificate proving that they had visited the holy sites and fulfilled all the requirements for the pilgrimage (perhaps in order to leave them to the future generations). Such pilgrimage and proxy certificates are invaluable documents for they describe the pilgrimage ritual, depict the holy sites, and provide information regarding the social life of the period.","short_description":"Pilgrimage certificates document pilgrimages to the Holy Lands, culminating in circumambulation of the Ka'ba. The certificates or proxy certificates (for those unable to make the hazardous journey themselves) give the names of the pilgrim and the proxy, the places visited and worship performed, accompanied by pictures.","type":"Scroll, paper","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Umm Abbas, wife of Ghalib.","dates":"Hegira 602 / AD 1206.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"4737: Height 55 cm, width 26.5 cm.; 4746: Height 51 cm, width 26.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The document's inscription specifies the date 602 / 1206. Both the style of writing and the name of the contemporary caliph support this dating.","obtention":"Ismet Bey, the mayor of Istanbul and a member of the board of directors of the Museum of Islamic Foundations (the old name for the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts), visited the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus while travelling. He had a number of items in the Qubbat al-Hazine (Treasury) of the mosque, including Qur'ans and this pilgrimage document, transferred to the Museum where they were registered in the inventory in around 1332 / 1914.","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş., and Milstein, R., “A Collection of Thirteenth-Century Illustrated Hajj Certificates”, *M. Uğur Derman 65th Birthday Festschrift*, Istanbul, 2000, pp.73–134.  \n  \nölçer, N. *et al, Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art*, Istanbul, 2002, pp.80–81.","author":"Şule Aksoy","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["hajj","pilgrimage","Ka'ba"],"materials":["Handwritten and hand-painted on glazed (abadi) paper using ink and watercolour."]},"253606f2-42fd-5770-a8f6-cd970b12f2cb":{"name":"Nubian Boy","short_description":"The painting provides a glimpse of everyday street life, probably in Cairo. A tired water seller rests on a wall in front of a building entrance. The boy depicted is carrying on his back a large portable water jar similar to SM1996-219 whilst holding in his hand small drinking cups.  \nFerraris was a renowned Orientalist painter, pupil of Jean-Léon Gérôme, who encouraged him in 1885 to set off on a journey to Egypt with another famous Orientalist painter, Ludwig Deutsch.","type":"Painting","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum","dates":"1306 AH / 1888 AD","location":"Sharjah","dimensions":"Height: 46cm, Width: 32.5cm","method_for_datation":"Date and signature on painting","method_for_provenance":"Bonhams 2006, lot 97","provenance":"Paris","obtention":"Purchased","author":"Hazelle Page","keywords":["Water seller","Ferraris","Everyday life","Water jar","painting","Cairo","Nubian"],"materials":["Oil on board"]},"258aa7cd-e30a-5c77-8172-b842a88bc371":{"name":"The Oil-Press of Midoune","description":"In Jerba, traditional oil-presses or mills were all underground, but certainly not for reasons of security; it seems that the choice of this type of architecture was justified for climatic reasons: these underground constructions created a constant microclimate favourable to the extraction of oil which usually takes place during the cold season. The variety of olives cultivated in Jerba bear fruits whose oil becomes solid at a certain degree of temperature, in winter.  \n  \nMost oil-presses can only be viewed from the outside as they are entirely dug out of the tender rockface whilst the harder layer is used as a roof. But some of them, like that of Midoune, have more elaborate architecture and a constructed roof. From outside, this oil-press is not distinct for its white dome, preceded by an inclined vault, and flanked by two long barrel vaults, the whole of which is built on ground level.  \n  \nThe interior space having been dug out, one could only descend with the help of a staircase, reaching a corridor onto which opens the small recesses which act as storerooms for the olives. One then reaches a circular room that houses the press at its centre, with the oil-presses placed to the right and to the left. The dome is pierced with square holes that let in a very low level of light, whilst the vaults receive rays of sunlight through rectangular holes pierced into the south-eastern side. The recesses are endowed with circular holes at their summit, which enabled olives to be poured in from outside. The design of the whole orchestrates the space into a circular motion around the central element that is the press, in such a way that one imagines an animal turning under the dome, continuing to animate this space despite his absence. This type of oil-press only stopped functioning a few years ago.","type":"Oil-Press","author":"Aziza Ben Tanfous","keywords":["oil.","Tunisia","water","hydraulic system"]},"25aa9b13-028b-5543-8ed7-576c61474cc2":{"name":"Climbing rope (*suw’*)","description":"To climb the date palm tree, a specially made harness (*habūl*) is used consisting of a rectangular sling or back support (*quffah*) and a thick climbing rope (*suw’*). The climber works his way up the tree by looping the *suw’* around the trunk, leaning back against the *quffah*, and stepping upward.","type":"Climbing rope (*suw’*)","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 130cm, thickness: 2cm","place_of_production":"Northern Oman","provenance":"Donated by Marcia Dorr.","obtention":"Donated by Marcia Dorr.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Cotton fabric and date palm fibre rope"]},"2778ce78-5836-53cd-89f8-bb048bc613b1":{"name":"Bottle with stamped design","description":"The overall shape of the object consists of four distinct parts: neck, handle, and upper and lower hemispheres of the body. The decoration, of great complexity, consists of patterns frequently found on jewellery, which gives the impression of a goldsmith’s work transposed to clay. Included in this profusion are roundels framing a bird downed by a hawk or passing lion, twisted columns topped with discs in the shape of flowers, fish, lotus buds, palmettes, and palm trees, circular marks…  \nIt is a utilitarian but decorative piece intended for pouring water in apartments or reception rooms.","type":"Ceramic","holder":"Museum of the Arab World Institute","dates":"Hegira 5th-6th century / AD 12th century","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Height: 15.5cm, Diameter: 7cm","provenance":"Syria or Iraq","obtention":"Purchased on advice from Couturier-De Nicolay, 1989.","bibliography":"Atil, E., *Renaissance of Islam. Art of the Mamluks*, Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981: 128.  \n  \nBaer, E., \"Jeweled Ceramics from Medieval Islam: a Note on the Ambiguity of Islamic Ornament\", *Muqarnas, an Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture*, vol. VI (1989): 83-97.  \n  \nDelpont, E., et al., *Album du musée*, Paris: Somogy éditions d'art, 2012: 291.  \n  \nMoulierac, J., et al., *Céramiques du monde musulman: collections de l'Institut du monde arabe et de J.P. et F. Croisier* , Paris: Institut du monde arabe, Paris, 1999: 44.","translator":"Judy Harter","materials":["on-wheel and stamped design","Unglazed clay"]},"28d76422-01a9-5e8c-8c76-2776985164f6":{"name":"Coping of a well.","description":"Cylindrical on the inside and hexagonal on the outside, this coping rests on a thick base forming a ridge and opens up with an outcurving rim, flat on the upper part and cut in eight vertical sections. A green glaze covers the stamped decoration. It is distributed in eight vertical panels, each one divided into five horizontal sections, three of which are decorated with friezes of poly-lobed arcatures. They are in turn separated by one section covered only by a green glaze and another with an inscription in cursive characters engraved on a green glaze. The inscription names the owner of the workshop and the date the coping was made. The inscription says: 'This was made in Haj Buluqin's house on the (…) day of the seventh of the month of *Rabi* II the last in the year five hundred eighty-six \\[AD 1190\\]'. The opening of the coping is crowned by several patterns, laid out in two superposed friezes. One is formed by squares filled with eight-pointed stars whereas the other is thinner and has a herringbone pattern.  \nDuring the Almohad period, this type of coping was widely used in both the Maghreb and al-Andalus. They were built with the purpose of protecting the wells in the middle of the courtyards in houses. They also served as decoration, and that is the reason why ceramicists built them with special care and were proud to sign their work.","short_description":"This type of decorated coping, bearing the date and name of the workshop, was equally common in the Maghreb and al-Andalus. They were used to protect wells sunk in the centre of interior domestic courtyards, and to enhance their beauty.","type":"Well, clay","holder":"Ethnographic Museum.","dates":"Hegira 586 / AD 1190.","location":"Tetouan.","dimensions":"Height 69 cm, diameter 52.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The engraved inscription in cursive characters on the fourth section mentions the place of manufacture (the workshop of Haj Buluqin) and the date, the seventh day of the month *Rabi* II in the year 586 / 1190.","method_for_provenance":"Chance archaeological find in Sebta (Ceuta), at the place known as Llano de las Damas.","provenance":"Sebta (Ceuta).","obtention":"Archaeological deposit.","bibliography":"Bazzana,A., *Maroc, les trésors du Royaume*, catalogue, Paris, 1999.  \nCambazard-Amahan, C. and Erbati E., *6000 ans d'Art au Maroc*, catalogue, Paris, 1990.  \nTorres Balbás, L., *Arte almohade, arte nasarí, arte mudéjar*, Ars Hispanae, Vol. IV, Madrid, 1949.","workshop":"Al-Haj Buluqin workshop.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_MA_EN_001","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["epigraphic decoration","geometric decoration","architectural decoration","water"],"materials":["stamped and covered in a green glaze.","Fired clay"]},"2a51dcfa-cb1d-50b4-aa78-fe06eed41edc":{"name":"Plan of Temple Mount, called “Harem ech-Cherif” by Muslims. (In French)","description":"This annotated plan by Ermete Pierotti pays particular attention to the water cisterns below the surface of the Haram al Sharif, which were used by those people who lived in, worked in, and visited the compound. Ermete Pierotti was an Italian naval officer who was employed by the Ottoman government in Jerusalem between 1854 and 1861. He was an engineer on the Haram al Sharif. This gave him unprecedented access to the monuments, which he recorded in some detail.","type":"Hand-annotated plan with extensive notes","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Ermete Pierotti","dates":"AH 1862 / AD 1862","location":"London","dimensions":"41 x 30cm","place_of_production":"Jerusalem","method_for_datation":"Written on document","method_for_provenance":"Written on document","provenance":"Jerusalem and Cambridge","obtention":"Acquired following Ermete Pierotti's death","bibliography":"Pierotti, E., J*erusalem Explored: Being a Description of the Ancient and Modern City, with Numerous Illustrations Consisting of Views, Ground Plans and Sections*, London: Bell and Daldy, 1864.  \n  \nLegouas, J.Y., “Saving Captain Pierotti”, in *Palestine Exploration Quarterly*, 143.3 (2013).","workshop":"Ermete Pierotti, Jerusalem","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Cisterns","Ermete Pierotti","Haram Al Sharif","Jerusalem","Ottoman"],"materials":["Ink","Paper","watercolour"]},"2b25ab30-94ca-55a9-a78a-5a565bd5aef1":{"name":"Leveller","alternate_name":"*azun* or *awzan*","description":"This land-levelling tool, locally known as *azun* or *awzan*, was traditionally used after ploughing to flatten agricultural soil and improve water distribution in oasis farming systems. Pulled by two individuals using ropes, it ensured even irrigation of cultivated plots. The object illustrates sustainable agricultural practices rooted in collective labor and a deep understanding of hydraulic management in arid and semi-arid regions of southern Morocco.","type":"Agricultural tool","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum for the Civilisation of Water in Morocco","dates":"AH 14th / AD 20th century","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"106cm × 42cm × 10cm","place_of_production":"Tiznit, Morocco","provenance":"Tiznit region, Morocco","obtention":"Institutional collection.","author":"Jihad Chitaouy","keywords":["leveller","agriculture","water"],"materials":["Wood","rope"]},"2c2c3e84-d631-5d18-96c5-df4b4ca80d46":{"name":"Ewer","description":"A Kayseri-made *tombak* (gilded copper alloy) ewer, decorated with enamel details, crafted by a Bosnian master artisan.","type":"Ewer","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 33cm","place_of_production":"Anatolia","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","provenance":"Kayseri","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Tombac"]},"2c92d4ed-2be6-5131-8bdb-330af53fbc0b":{"name":"The Traveller Gives Water to the Dog","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di (d. 1292)","description":"Marked as page 81 in the manuscript, this is the third painting to appear in the Bustan. It illustrates the second chapter on charitable acts. It shows a man offering a thirsty dog some water.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book* , Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/the-traveller-gives-water-to-the-dog-akm284.5","keywords":["Bustan","dog","Mughal","Sadi","works-on-paper","India","work-on-paper","painting","Traveller","water","Persian","Iran","Sa‘di","folio"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"2cdcf470-1102-576a-8d96-463131d599c4":{"name":"Container","description":"A traditional leather container used for storing and transporting water, commonly employed by desert tribes and in rural areas. It has a slightly swollen spherical body made of dark leather, now hardened and cracked due to age and dryness, with a short cylindrical neck and a narrow round mouth. Leather containers such as this were widespread before the use of pottery and metal, as leather was a readily available raw material. Its porous nature allowed slight evaporation, cooling the liquid inside and keeping the water cool. Such vessels were carried on pack animals or kept in homes.","type":"Container","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"Late AH 13th century / AD 19th century CE","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Diameter: 100cm, 10cm; Height: 52cm","provenance":"Hijaz","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["leather","container","water"],"materials":["leather","cutting and sewing"]},"2d3a2d5f-2147-5973-9e7b-471024c8bca0":{"name":"Teapot","description":"Teapot decorated with silver, copper and ebony attached to the body by a piece of notched and perforated copper. Spout, mouth and lid are separated from the body by pieces of copper and ebony.","type":"Metalwork","holder":"Institute of the Arab World","dates":"AH 14th / AD 20th century","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Height: 17.5cm, Diameter: 8.8cm, length: 20.5cm, Opening diameter: 5cm","provenance":"Mauritania","obtention":"Purchased in a gallery, Paris.","translator":"Judy Harter","keywords":["tea","water","silver"],"materials":["copper and ebony decoration","Pewter teapot with silver"]},"2d816e3d-dd49-518b-8af2-f3ada0d2875b":{"name":"\"The Story of the Princess of the Blue Pavillion: The Youth of Rum Is Entertained in a Garden by a Fairy and her Maidens\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"Approximately one century after the Persian poet Nizami wrote his Khamsa (Quintet), the Indian poet Amir Khusrau Dihlavi composed a response using Nizami’s structure but varying his stories slightly. This painting comes from the Mughal emperor Akbar’s (r. 1550–1605) copy of Amir Khusrau’s verses. It depicts a story told by a princess to the king Bahram Gur, about a youth and the fairy queen he imagines meeting nightly in a lush garden.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.8cm, width: 15.9cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to India","provenance":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \nAshton, L., Sir, ed. \"A Commemorative Catalogue of the Exhibiton Held at the Royal Academy of Arts, London 1947-48.\" In *The Art of India and Pakistan.*, no.652, New York: Coward-McCann, (1949).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, Venice: Edizioni Oriens, (1968).  \n  \nEttinghausen, R., \"Islamic Art.\" in *MMA Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (Spring 1975).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\" in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89).  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.* Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, (2001).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, (2003).  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch., *L'art figuratif en Islam médiéval et l'énigme de Behzâd de Hérât (1465-1535)* , Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nBeach, M.C.; E. Fischer, B. N. Goswamy, and K. Overton, *Masters of Indian Painting.* Vols. I, II., Zurich, Switzerland: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, (2011).  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.  \n  \nStronge, S., *The Great Mughals Art, Architecture and Opulance.*, London: V&A Publications, 2024.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446567","materials":["opaque watercolor","and gold on paper","Ink"]},"2e8eab67-4f84-5396-9c42-cb536c546cdd":{"name":"Body towel (*Peştamal*)","description":"The border, embroidered with metallic and coloured threads at both ends, is worked in a medallion style. Between three metallic floral and leaf motifs, a single metallic cypress motif is placed.","type":"Fabric","holder":"İznik Museum Directorate","dates":"AH 13th / AD 19th century","location":"Bursa","dimensions":"Length: 175cm, width: 91cm","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","towel","embroidery","cotton","water"],"materials":["cotton"]},"2f8de84c-6136-535a-a12d-f37d60e59baa":{"name":"Column capital.","description":"A stone column capital, one of 18 capitals that belong to the water reservoir at the Umayyad palace at al-Muwaqqar, with an inscription that reveals that the reservoir was built by order of the Caliph Yazid II (r. AH 101–5 / AD 720–24). It was found in May 1943 in a yard belonging to a private house located within a few hundred meters of the ruins of the palace. It was broken into two pieces which fit together neatly.  \n  \nThree sides of the capital are decorated with a row of acanthus leaves separated by paired volutes. One side contains a ten-line Arabic inscription that stands out in relief from a plain background. This inscription reads: 'In the name of the most merciful God. Has ordered the building of this pool the servant of God, Yazid Commander of the Faithful, may God favour him and prolong his life and happiness and bestow upon him blessings and bounties in this world and the next. It has been built by the care of ‘Abdallah the son of Sulaym.' Between the eighth and ninth line of the inscription three words are incised in smaller characters, they read: 'Khamsat Ashara dhira' (15 cubits). The drums of the column, upon which this capital once sat, would have been immersed in the pool; each drum with other incised words indicating the number of cubits; thus forming a water gauge. The highest measurement is on the capital itself, being 15 cubits.  \n  \nA second inscription in relief runs around the abacus of the three decorated sides, it is interrupted in the middle of each by a circular boss with an inscribed trefoil which reads: 'Allahma salli Ala Abdka Rasul Allah' ('O God bless your servant and messenger Muhammad').","short_description":"Limestone capital from al-Muwaqqar with a ten-line Arabic inscription in relief mentioning the building of a pool ordered by Yazid II (r. AH 101–5 / AD 720–4). The capital and its drum formed a water gauge and incised words indicate measurements. The last was 15 cubits, recorded within the inscription.","type":"Column capital, stone","holder":"Jordan Archaeological Museum","owner":"Now on display at Jordan Museum","initial_owner":"Caliph Yazid II (r. AH 101–5 / AD 720–24).","dates":"Hegira 101–5 / AD 720–24.","location":"Amman","dimensions":"Height 60 cm, width 41 cm.","method_for_datation":"The capital is datable by the inscription which bears the name of the Umayyad Caliph Yazid II (r. 101–5 / 720–24).","method_for_provenance":"Literary sources indicate that the palatial residence at al-Muwaqqar belonged to the Umayyad Caliph Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik (Yazid II) who reigned from 103–4 / 722–3. Furthermore the capital was found only a few hundred meters from the palace at al-Muwaqqar.","provenance":"Al-Muwaqqar, the water reservoir, Jordan.","obtention":"The Museum obtained the capital directly from the owner of the house in which it was found.","bibliography":"العابدي. محمود، الآثار الإسلامية في فلسطين والأردن، عمان، 1973.  \n  \nHamilton, R. W., 'An Eighth-Century Water Gauge at al-Muwaqqar', *Quarterly of the Department of Antiquities in Palestine* X11, 1946, pp.63–9.  \n  \nZabern, P., *Der Königs Weg: 9000 Jahre Kunst und Kultur in Jordanien und Palästina*, exhibition catalogue, Mainz, 1987, p.351.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_JO_EN_001","author":"Aida Naghawy","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["column capital","palace (qasr)","inscription"],"materials":["Inscribed stone."]},"310da155-3663-5beb-b8de-caa608f5aade":{"name":"*Dhiil*","description":"The *dhiil* is a traditional Somali milk container, both practical and finely crafted, used mainly to collect and store milk from different livestock, and sometimes water. Traditionally made by Somali nomad women, the *dhiil* can be woven from the thorny *qabo* (a plant from the *Euphorbia* genus), as featured, or crafted from wood. Its construction involves peeling and softening the spiny *qabo* stems into long strips, which are then coiled and bound in a basketlike technique. The vessel has a hemispherical base that widens to a central ridge (*kelli*) before narrowing toward the top, capped with a fitted lid (*bugul*). Once woven, the *dhiil* is treated with *asal*, a dye and sealant made from red acacia bark (*qaroon*), giving it a rich colour and protective finish. The interior is traditionally smoked over *shilin* (wood) and cleaned carefully, a process that imparts a distinct smoky flavour to the milk. Milk is shared from the cup of the *dhiil*, called *harrubi*, in a tradition known as *waddagid* (\"sharing\").","type":"Traditional everyday object.","holder":"Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA)","owner":"Salim Mohamed","initial_owner":"Salim Mohamed","dates":"n.d","location":"Thornbury, VIC 3071","dimensions":"Depth: 20cm, Height: 40cm","place_of_production":"Somalia","method_for_datation":"Date not precisely known; established as at least three generations old based on family oral history.","method_for_provenance":"Provenance established through oral history provided by the lender, supported by family inheritance records.","provenance":"Belonged to Mohamed family in Somalia; passed down through generations before being inherited by Salim Mohamed.","obtention":"Loaned to the museum by the owner who inherited it from his grandmother.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Dhiil","haroub","milk container"],"materials":["Plant fibers (qabo) and cotton fabric"]},"31375bcb-5762-5e4c-858e-10020d55be9a":{"name":"The Sealed Fountain","description":"One of the springs which feeds into Solomon's Pools at Artas. This watercolour shows a vaulted structure which is now known as the Spring House, in which water from 'Ain Farujeh is fed into the Lower Pool, which is the largest of the three reservoirs. The Spring House is situated in the eastern dam wall of the Lower Pool. Recent excavations and refurbishments have revealed the complex history of the pools over two millennia.","type":"Original watercolour","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Donated to the PEF by Walter Morrison in 1872","dates":"AH 1287 / AD 1870","location":"London","dimensions":"27.5 x 38.5cm","place_of_production":"London","method_for_datation":"Watercolour is dated 1870 and signed by the artist.","method_for_provenance":"PEF records","provenance":"London","obtention":"Donation","bibliography":"Schick, C., “Die Wasserversorgung von ser Stadt Jerusalem in gescheichtlicher und topographischer Darstellung mit Orignal karten und Plaenen”, In *Zeitschrift der deutschen Palaestina Vereins* 1: 132–76 (1878).  \n  \nAdams, M.J., Letteney, M., Peers, M.T.B., “Survey and excavation at Solomon's Pools, Palestine: 2018 preliminary report”, *Palestine Exploration Quarterly* 151 (1): 15–35 (2019).","workshop":"William Simpson, London","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Bethlehem","Solomon’s Pools","Artas"],"materials":["Watercolour and pencil on paper. Created in the studio from a pencil and ink sketch made on site."]},"315f5403-c2b3-5aaf-8a31-139f4ec1548a":{"name":"*Reposadero* or vat-base","description":"It has a cylindrical, hollow body with a straight base and a square-shaped rim, featuring a hole that would have served as a conduit for drainage. Both the base and the rim are slightly concave, the latter also has a whitish colour that could be interpreted as calcareous remains.  \n  \nThe decoration is concentrated on the wall and consists of an epigraphic frieze between concave mouldings with marked edges. The central frieze is stamped with the inscription al-mulk with a six-pointed star positioned above the “m”.  \nFunctionally, the objects are known as *reposaderos* and served as supports for large water vats, which were both placed either in the courtyard or in domestic interiors. They preserved the water from impurities and kept it fresh, while also collecting any oozes liquid. By the spout of the *reposadero*, the water was transferred to basins or other vessels and could be used for washing hands or for human consumption. Furthermore, the stamped decoration, which repeats the word \"*al-mulk*\" or \"the power\", alludes to prophylactic practices of protection and praise of God.","type":"*Reposadero* or Vat-base","holder":"National Archaeological Museum","initial_owner":"Unknown","dates":"Second half of Hegira 6th century / AD 12th century","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height: 13cm, mouth diameter: 27cm, Base diameter: 23.5cm","place_of_production":"Al-Andalus","method_for_datation":"Art-historical and archaeological studies have demonstrated the proliferation of different types of *reposaderos* in the domestic environments of al-Andalus from the end of the Hegira 6th / AD 12th and beginning of the Hegira 7th / AD 13th centurycenturies, following oriental models (Navarro 1995). This coincides with the generalisation of stamped decoration on ceramics for everyday use.","provenance":"Málaga","obtention":"In the Museum's collection before 1980.","bibliography":"Fernández López, M. Á., “El ajuar cerámico andalusí de almacenamiento de agua en la región de Murcia”, in L. Cara Barrionuevo (ed), *El agua en zonas áridas. Arqueología e historia. Hidráulica tradicional de la provincia de Almería*, Instituto de Estudios Almerienses, 1989: 199-225.  \n  \nNavarro Palazón, J. and Jiménez Castillo, P., “Maquetas arquitectónicas en cerámica y su relación con la arquitectura andalusí”, in J. Navarro Palazón (ed.), *Casas y palacios en Al-Andalus: siglos XII-XIII*, Madrid: Lunweg, 1995: 287-230.","author":"Helena Lahoz Kopiske","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Prophylactic practices","Technology","water","Household goods","Conservation"],"materials":["modelling","stamping","firing","Ceramic"]},"322a4b7e-8f5e-533a-a286-39eb5ff67781":{"name":"Falaj al-Qattārah — The Heart of Traditional Water Management","description":"This is a key distribution point of Falaj al-Qattārah, one of Al Ain’s most important historical irrigation channels. Flowing water reaches a communal basin where it is measured, allocated, and directed toward different agricultural plots. Such structures reflect the sophisticated engineering and social organisation behind the *Aflāj* system, which has sustained oasis life for millennia.  \n  \nThe term *Aflāj* (singular: *Falaj*) derives from the Arabic root ف-ل-ج, meaning to split, channel, or divide, capturing the system’s purpose: the fair and continuous distribution of water. These basins served not only as hydraulic hubs but also as social spaces where timings, rights, and maintenance responsibilities were agreed upon within the community.  \n  \nRecognised by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the *Aflāj* remain a living testament to the environmental knowledge, cooperative governance, and technical mastery that shaped desert settlements. Falaj al-Qattārah stands today as an example of these ancestral systems that continue to feed the palm groves and gardens of Al Ain Oasis — one of the UAE’s most significant World Heritage landscapes.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private collection","author":"Dina Turkieh","copy_editor":"Judy Harter"},"33362f44-34f0-5545-a2a1-056208f5dff6":{"name":"Sahrij Swani (Basin of the Norias).","description":"According to the Meknès historian Ibn Zaydan, Mulay Isma'il had an ornamental lake, large enough to sail pleasure boats on, built inside the *kasbah*. In fact, the 'Alawid prince, a contemporary of Louis XIV, had this lake constructed to guarantee the supply of water, in times of siege or drought, to the palaces and mosques of the town, as well as to the public baths, homes, gardens and the orchards that surrounded the town and provided for its daily fruit and vegetable requirements.  \nThe masterpiece of the complex known as Hri Swani, the Basin of the Norias, Sahrij Swani, is an artificial lake notable for its size (148.75 m by 319 m with a depth of 3.20 m). Three tall crenellated walls that stood around the lake have today been reduced to an isolated section of rampart located on the southwest side towards the Bani Ahmad district and the remains of the base of an enclosure wall more than 2 m thick.  \nThe size of the lake is reminiscent of the lakes of the Middle Atlas mountains located to the south of the town. The lake was filled from two sources:  \n\\- Water from the ten wells dug near the Sahrij, below the silo, brought up using ten norias and ceramic channels. Water from the wells was used at times of trouble (war, etc.) and drought.  \n\\- Water from the Wadi Bufekrane which descends from the Middle Atlas mountains, crosses the southern part of Meknès and feeds the lake and part of the town of Meknès.  \nToday the lake attracts tourists visiting the town and also its inhabitants, who come at weekends to cool down during the summer.","short_description":"Located beside the building containing the Meknès grain silos within the enclosure wall of the Royal Palace, the Sahrij Swani lake, or Basin of the Norias, or House of the Ten Norias, was created in the AH 12th / AD 18th century. A rectangular artificial reservoir, like the one at the Menara in Marrakesh, this hydraulic structure was intended to provide water for the buildings and monuments in Mawlay Isma'il's town in times of siege. It was supplied by the ten norias (waterwheels) of the neighbouring building and surrounded by three tall crenellated walls more than 2 m thick. This site has been restored very recently.","dates":"Hegira 11th–12th centuries / AD 17th–18th centuries.","location":"Meknès.","method_for_datation":"Ibn Zaydan provides the approximate date of 1107 / 1695 in *al-Ithaf*.","bibliography":"Barrucand, M., *Urbanisme princier en islam : Meknès et les villes royales islamiques post-médiévales*, Paris, 1985.  \nMennouni, M., *Four ages of urban planning in the town of Meknès* (in Arabic), Rabat, undated.  \nTerrasse, H., *Villes impériales du Maroc*, Grenoble, 1937.  \n*Andalusian Morocco: A Discovery in Living Art*, p.81.","patrons":"Sultan Mulay Isma‘il (r. AH 1083–1140 / AD 1672–1727).","author":"Mohamed Mezzine","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["security","lake","channels","water","reservoir"]},"337a5b55-9969-5549-aa3c-b41b8507f129":{"name":"Traditional water gourd of the *guerrab*","alternate_name":"*Gerba*; leather water container","description":"The *gerba*, or leather water gourd, is the emblematic tool of the *guerrab*—the traditional water seller of Marrakech and other Moroccan cities.  \nFor centuries, *guerrabs* played an essential social and cultural role, distributing potable water in marketplaces, festivals, and urban quarters before the advent of modern supply networks. Often recognisable by his bright attire and brass cups, the *guerrab* was not merely a vendor but also a living symbol of water as a sacred resource to be shared.  \nThe *gerba* itself is made of tanned goat leather stretched over a wooden or reed frame, stitched with strong thread, and treated with natural substances to ensure watertightness. A brass or wooden spout is attached to allow water to be poured, and straps enable it to be carried on the back. Its design preserved coolness through the evaporation of water across the leather's porous surface, allowing a single gourd to serve dozens of people.  \nToday, while modern infrastructure has largely replaced the *guerrab*’s profession, the gerba remains a striking testimony of Morocco’s intangible heritage, illustrating the intersection of craftsmanship, social practices, and the cultural symbolism of water.","type":"Portable water container","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Traditional water seller (*guerrab*)","dates":"AH 14th / AD 20th century","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"126 x 26 x 15cm","place_of_production":"Marrakech, Morocco","method_for_datation":"Based on typology, oral accounts, and curatorial documentation.","method_for_provenance":"Museum records (permanent exhibition).","provenance":"Collected as representative object of Marrakech guerrab tradition","obtention":"Museum acquisition for permanent exhibition (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","workshop":"Traditional leathercraft workshops of Marrakech","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Water seller","intangible heritage","gerba","guerrab","leather craft","Marrakech"],"materials":["metal elements","Goat leather","stitched and waterproofed using traditional tanning methods","wooden frame"]},"344f16f7-3c16-5c30-926c-39ba140ff180":{"name":"Ewer","description":"During the Middle Ages, handwashing had a profound significance, linking hygiene, spirituality, and socialisation. This importance is attested to by the profuse production of ceramic and metal ewers and is also reflected in literature and poetry. Generally, stories and inscriptions, whether on the objects themselves or in architecture, refer to this act of purification in both secular and religious settings.  \n  \nIn relation to this cultural importance, ewers were not only found in religious spaces for ritual ablution prior to prayer but also played a role in secular spaces. At the entrances to domestic and palatial premises, as a sign of hospitality and generosity, the *tacas* (small openings in the walls) probably held containers of perfumed water to welcome visitors. In addition, banquets and receptions were preceded by a washing ritual that not only emphasised hygiene, but also power and social hierarchy.  \n  \nFurthermore, pieces such as this one have led to historiographical debate about their place of production, ranging from al-Andalus to Sicily, or even the Asian Levant.","type":"Ewer","holder":"National Archaeological Museum","owner":"Spanish State","initial_owner":"Private collection","dates":"AH 5th / AD 11th century","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height:  27.2cm , max diameter: 12.1cm, base diameter: 11.4cm, rim diameter: 6.9cm","place_of_production":"Al-Andalus","method_for_datation":"Formal parallels, historical-artistic study and metallographic analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Formal parallels, historical-artistic study.","provenance":"Al-Andalus","obtention":"State acquisition through the antiquities market.","bibliography":"Makariou, S., \"Aiguière\", *Les Andalousies de Damas à Cordoue*, París: Hazan, 2000: 152, fig. 169.  \n  \nZozaya Stabel-Hansen, J.: \"Importaciones casuales en al-Andalus: vías de comercio\", en R. Azuar y J. Martí Oltra (coords.), *Actas IV Congreso de Arqueología Medieval Española. Sociedades en transición, Vol. I*, Alicante: Diputación Provincial-Asociación Española de Arqueología Medieval, 1993: 125, fig. 7f.","workshop":"Al-Andalus","author":"Helena Lahoz Kopiske","translator":"Dept. of Medieval Antiquities of the MAN","translation_copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["espiritualidad","hospitalidad","ritual secular","etiqueta social","Ritual religioso"],"materials":["Brass cast","engraved"]},"34f94cfa-2246-5c81-93dc-34dc25afa481":{"name":"al-Ghuta ash-Sharqiyya","description":"Stainless steel trolleys are used to transport the apricot paste to the drying area in the oasis, where it is spread onto the wooden boards. In this last operation, we find the traditional gestures: the workers coat the board with olive oil, and the boss, the most experienced, spreads the paste with a sure hand and using the old measure *kayl* (about 2.5 kg) of liquid paste.  \nAt daybreak, the apricot paste is left to dry on boards that are placed on the open ground. From the small workshop with rudimentary equipment to today’s industrial enterprise, this vast drying area in full sun remains the essential element of the *Qamr ad-Din* installation. The dough stays in the drying area for several days until it can be peeled off in long dark orange strips at the end of the day. Strips are folded and transported to the workshops, where the second phase of preparing the *Qamr ad-Din* takes place: the dough is cleaned, cut and packaged for the local market or for export.","holder":"Museum for Islamic Art","owner":"Anne-Marie Bianquis","initial_owner":"Anne-Marie Bianquis","dates":"Hegira 1320 / AD 2002","location":"Berlin","place_of_production":"Ghutat Dimashq/Syria","method_for_datation":"Direct contact","provenance":"Ghutat Dimashq/Syria","bibliography":"Al-Dawudi, F., \"L’abricot est ses dérivés dans la région syrienne\", thesis on pharmacy and chemistry, 1960, Damascus (in Arabic).  \n  \nBianquis, A.-M., “Modernisation d'un artisanat traditionnel: la pâte d'abricot dans la ghouta de damas”, *Bulletin d'études orientales*, T. 56 (2004-2005): 301-328.  \n  \nDenker, J., \"'Moon of the Faith:' A History of the Apricot and Its Many Pleasures\", (14 June 2016).","author":"Hiba Bizreh","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","materials":["Photographic negative"]},"35dafca1-8ab1-5d22-8ffd-d39248a402df":{"name":"*A Ferry Crossing the Gagos River*","short_description":"This is one of the both unnecessary and revolutionary illustrations in Abdallah ibn al-Fadl’s copy of Dioscorides’s medical treatise.  \nThe text states that on the shores of the Gagos River, jet can be found effective against pain in the uterus, but the artist took the opportunity to depict a ferry with a helmsman, two rowers, and eight passengers looking out of a porthole.","type":"Miniature from a copy of *Kitab al-hashaish*, a translation of Dioscorides’s *De Materia Medica*, scientific manuscript, miniature","holder":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira 621 / AD 1224","location":"Copenhagen","provenance":"Iraq, Baghdad?","keywords":["science","medical plant","De Materia Medica","Abbasid","scientific manuscript","medicine","Illustration"]},"3603d007-07c7-5d43-ad14-c40d81e1d215":{"name":"A Sinner’s Plea to God","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di","description":"Marked as page 177 in the manuscript, this is the 12th and final painting to appear in the Bustan. It depicts group of sages in the wilderness: two debating over books, one praying alone, and one washing in a stream. Below the painting is an inscription in red naming the painter Hiranand, who was assigned by the workshop master to complete this illustration.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book*, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/a-sinners-plea-to-god-akm284.14","keywords":["Bustan","river","sin","pray","Mughal","Sadi","works-on-paper","India","sinner","work-on-paper","painting","water","Persian","Ablution","Iran","Sa‘di","folio","stream"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"37eeebe2-30b7-5a11-b819-7445bc61c961":{"name":"Tile","description":"Large rectangular ceramic plaque in a vertical arrangement. Its outer surface is completely covered with a symmetrical decoration based on scrolls twisted around themselves, from which different types of leaves emerge. The coat of arms of the Banda, characteristic of the Nasrid monarchy, is also found throughout the composition, flanked on all occasions by a pair of wading birds. The upper part and the right-hand side are framed by a gold herringbone motif, and the fact that the left-hand and lower sides do not have this border suggests that it was part of a larger ensemble. All the decoration on the tile is in blue, yellow and gold on a white background, although due to a manufacturing defect, the blue has run on part of the surface.  \n  \nWithin this cultural context, water plays a prominent role in Andalusian architecture, often serving as a common thread. Present in numerous texts of Islamic sacred literature, it is presented as a symbol of life itself, thus reflecting the architectural design of the palace. We see it in ponds, fountains and irrigation channels with a practical, symbolic and aesthetic function, intertwining with the vegetation and evoking paradise. In this case, we are looking at a tile that was possibly used for a door jamb or a window frame, in which water is present indirectly, but its evocation is still clear: wading birds, vegetation and bluish tones contribute to an iconographic programme that revolves around this element.","type":"Architectural ceramic","holder":"National Archaeological Museum","owner":"Spanish State","initial_owner":"Private collection","dates":"AH 9th / AD 15th century.","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Length: 114cm, width: 57cm, depth: 4.8cm","place_of_production":"Al-Andalus","method_for_datation":"Comparative study with other similar pieces and iconographic analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Formal parallels, historical-artistic study.","provenance":"Jaén","obtention":"Acquired in 1949 by Alejandro Navarro.","bibliography":"BERMÚDEZ LÓPEZ, J., ‘El marco histórico del Emirato Nazarí’, en *Cerámica Nazarí. Contextos y proyección*, Granada: Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife, 2024: 34, fig.5, 291.  \n  \nFRANCO MATA, A. ‘Azulejo’, en *Los jarrones de la Alhambra: simbología y poder*, Granada: Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife, 2006: 208-209.  \n  \nGALVÁN, Mª L., ‘Azulejo hispanoárabe’, *Memorias de los Museos Provinciales*, Vol. XV: 60-62, Lam. XXXVI-XXXVII (1954).","workshop":"Unknown","author":"Paula Pagés Alonso","translator":"Dept. of Medieval Antiquities of the MAN","translation_copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["azulejo","Cerámica arquitectónica","Escudo de la Banda."],"materials":["Tin-glazed pottery decorated with metallic sheen and cobalt blue"]},"3820f22f-64c5-54c7-80da-20ed18f8af7b":{"name":"The constellations Andromeda and Pisces  \nFolio from a dispersed *Kitab Suwar al-Kawakib* (Images of the Fixed Stars)","short_description":"The lady in this saffron-coloured robe and crown-like helmet is a personification of the constellation Andromeda, which was identified by the second-century CE astronomer Ptolemy and continues to be considered a major constellation. With the translation of Ptolemy’s *Almagest* in the court of the ninth-century Caliph al-Ma’mun in Baghdad, astronomers working under the patronage of the Muslim rulers in modern-day Iraq and Iran adopted the Greco-Roman astronomical knowledge and expanded on it from the indigenous Arab (*Anwa’*) and Indian astronomical traditions, in this illustration combining Andromeda with Pisces. The most prominent example of this tradition is 'Images of the Fixed Stars' written by the Iranian astronomer ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (died 986), which contained two representations of each constellation, one looking up at the constellation from Earth and the other looking down on it from above. Al-Sufi’s work continued to be in broad circulation, and various copies exist in major museum collections.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1450","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"21.3 x 14.7cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","keywords":["constellations","stars","science","space","works-on-paper","figure","astronomy","work-on-paper","female-figure","astronomical","folio"],"materials":["Gold","Ink","Opaque watercolour","and silver on paper"]},"38793766-f653-5775-9feb-93b915baf247":{"name":"Ewer","description":"A ceramic ewer with a transparent turquoise glaze, painted in black and blue, in the form of a rooster. Composed of a base, body, neck, spout and handle, it is decorated with vegetal motifs. The circular base, which is smaller than the body, is glazed and undecorated. The body is pear-shaped, and adorned with vegetal motifs in black. The decoration begins at the lower body with a three-petaled leaf surmounted by a wide band, while the rest of the surface is adorned with vegetal designs composed of twisting branches sprouting bud-shaped leaves and half-palmettes. A plain band separates the body from the neck, which is short, cylindrical and decorated with impressed dots. Above it rises the spout in the form of a rooster’s head, featuring a comb, beak and circular eyes.","type":"Ewer","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"AH 7th century / AD 13th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Diameter: 45cm, length: 28cm","provenance":"Kashakn, Iran","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["ceramic","ewer","water"],"materials":["with underglaze decoration in black beneath a turquoise glaze","Ceramic/Mold-formed"]},"38c8715f-fcca-5d98-afc6-976902eb06dc":{"name":"Coconut shell dipper","description":"This dipper is inscribed in Arabic with the verse:  \n*\"Wa ja‘alnā mina’l-mā’i kulli shay’in ḥay\"* (Surah al-Anbiyā, 21:30), \"And We made from water every living thing.\"  \n  \nIt also bears the Basmala — *\"Bismillāhi’r-Raḥmāni’r-Raḥīm\"*, \"In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.\"","type":"Dipper","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 7.5cm, diameter: 10.5cm","place_of_production":"Anatolia","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Basmala","Coconut","Ottomans","water","Dipper","Qur'an"],"materials":["Coconut shell"]},"38e58977-4147-5180-845f-11ffcd1daba9":{"name":"Pulley","description":"A wooden pulley in the form of a circular wheel with a recessed rim, around which the rope was wound to facilitate drawing a water bucket from the well. At its center is a round wooden piece fitted with various wooden boards arranged in a circular manner. Animals were used to pull the rope passing through the pulley.","type":"Pulley","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"AH Late 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Diameter: 108cm","provenance":"The Arabian Peninsula","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["wells","pulley","water","Arabian Peninsula"],"materials":["Wood","Cutting and assembling"]},"392b1e4c-50c0-588d-b32e-20bc09dc65d1":{"name":"Glass Water Bottles","description":"These glass water bottles, from various brands and countries, reflect the habits of modern urban societies where convenience, design, and sustainability intersect. As daily life in cities becomes increasingly fast-paced, bottled water has become an essential commodity, consumed at home, in offices, and on the move.  \n  \nWhile plastic bottles dominate global markets, glass bottles are valued for their reusability, purity, and lower environmental impact. Their simple yet elegant design mirrors contemporary aesthetic preferences that balance function with minimalism.  \nIn the modern Islamic world, the widespread use of bottled water illustrates both the urbanisation of lifestyle and the growing awareness of environmental responsibility in daily consumption.","holder":"Private collection","author":"Dina Turkieh"},"398744ea-4e6d-5503-a7ea-34197a9a2473":{"name":"Ewer","description":"This delicate mouth-blown transparent glass ewer has a very tall neck ending in a spout. An elegant handle attaches to the base of the spout and extends to the body. The base is decorated with a ring of yellow paint. The same yellow colour is used to create a floral pattern. However, the upper edge of the bottle and the top of the spout are covered with a purple paint.  \n  \nSuch ewers were used by women to hold rose water, perfume or scented oil. In Arabic, this object is known as an *abriq*.","type":"Ewer","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH 12th–13th century / AD 18th–19th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 24cm, base diameter: 11cm, rim diameter:9cm","place_of_production":"India","provenance":"Qatar","obtention":"Object has been in the National Museum's permanent collection since 1975.","author":"Tania Abdulmonem Al Majid","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["painting","glassblowing"]},"39ef25b0-8d27-55d5-b4e9-761de510e7f7":{"name":"Bath scraper","description":"This object has been associated with a series of bath scrapers and pumice stones attributed to the Middle East of the AH 5th–6th / AD 11th–12th centuries. They were moulded in a variety of geometric shapes displaying animals in profile or facing each other.  \n  \nThis piece shows two birds symmetrically placed around a central axis created by their almost-touching beaks, wings, and tails, along with decorative drop-shape motifs. Their bodies and legs face outward, creating a dynamic composition.  \n  \nThis piece is left untreated to allow its abrasive surface to act as an exfoliating tool used in hammam rituals of purification of the skin.","type":"Ceramic object","holder":"Institute of the Arab World","dates":"AH 5th-6th  / AD 11th - 12th century","location":"Paris","dimensions":"10.5cm","place_of_production":"Middle East","obtention":"Gift, 1994","bibliography":"Boghanim, H. and Carayon, A., *Parfums d'Orient*, Paros: Skira, 2023: p.123.","author":"Dounia Handis","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["bath scraper","water","Hammam"],"materials":["Unglazed clay with modeled decoration and slip"]},"3a31c191-2d71-5f90-af12-d4c3fb392a26":{"name":"Glazed bowl with cobalt-blue and green decoration","description":"This high-walled straight bowl has a painted cobalt-blue and green decoration on a white opaque glaze. It has a repeated geometric pattern of alternating blue vertical lines and green shapes. The shape of this bowl and the colours used are highly typical of early Abbasid decorated glazed wares and were originally inspired by AH 2nd-3d / AD 7th–8th-century Chinese ceramics.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 11.5cm, diameter: 17.5cm","place_of_production":"Iraq/Iran","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","bowl","blue cobalt glaze","Tableware"],"materials":["Glazed earthenware"]},"3b8b9f68-e0cc-5ffc-84c6-1dee91c19a09":{"name":"Nejjarin Funduq.","description":"Although they were constructed almost one century apart, the *funduq* (caravanserai) and *seqqaya* (fountain) of the Place Nejjarine (Carpenters' Square) constitute a single social and civic entity.  \nUsually erected charitably and often as an annex to a mosque, this fountain is unusually connected to a hostel.  \nThe Nejjarin *funduq* occupies an almost regular rectangular space and faces northeast/southwest. It is accessed through a large opening extending onto a straight hallway. Two steps give access to the courtyard. This rectangular courtyard is surrounded on all four sides by galleries that in turn lead to bedrooms of different sizes.  \nThere are two upper floors above the ground floor. The façades of the courtyard are symmetrical.  \nThe building is noteworthy for its large portal (5 m high by 3 m wide) that dominates the square and the building. The composition of the portal is uniform and harmonious. Its decoration is based on a horseshoe arch resting on two full brick pillars set into the wall. This arch is surrounded by a second poly-lobed arch in sculpted plaster, whose spandrels are tiled with *zellij* (small tiles) bearing floral, and epigraphic decoration. Above the arch there is a band bearing an inscription and a succession of arcades in sculpted plaster or wood. The ensemble is crowned by consoles that support a large canopy in sculpted wood. They are marked by series of arches resting on pillars and wooden beams.  \nThe interior, similar to all *funduq*, was restored in 1998 and converted into a museum of woodwork.  \nThe Nejjarin fountain opposite the *funduq*, located near the centre of the square, is a rectangular pool which served as a drinking trough, in particular for the horses of the customers of the *funduq*. Its upper part and the back of the pointed horseshoe arcature that rises behind it are covered with ceramic marquetry. On either side of the arcature, two demi-columns support overhanging wooden lintels and cornices.","short_description":"Al-Nejjarin Funduq is a *caravanserai* built in the AH 12th /AD 18th century by Sultan Mulay Isma'ïl to house the large numbers of passing merchants in Fez. Built on a rectangular site, the *funduq* is noteworthy for its gateway, which dominates the square. The ground floor was used exclusively for stabling, with the guest rooms on the first floor. At the beginning of the 20th century, the *funduq* was used as a police station by the Protectorate. It was recently restored (1998) and turned into a museum of woodwork. It stands beside a beautiful 19th-century fountain.","dates":"Hegira 1123 / AD 1711.","location":"Fez.","method_for_datation":"There are no dates on the monument or the fountain, but classical texts such as Ibn Zaydan's *Ithaf* date the *funduq* to 1123.","bibliography":"Aouni, L.M., “Les monuments de Moulay Ismaïl à Fès”, Actes du colloque Moulay Ismaïl, Meknès, 1995, pp.87–109.  \n*Schéma directeur d'urbanisme de la ville de Fès*, Dossier technique no. IV, Les inventaires, Paris, 1980, p.20.  \n*Andalusian Morocco: A Discovery in Living Art*, pp.123–4.","patrons":"Mulay Isma‘ïl (AH 1083–1140 / AD 1672–1727) for the funduq, Mulay ‘Abd Al-Rahman (AH 1238–76 / AD 1822–59) for the fountain.","author":"Mohamed Mezzine","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["ceramic","trade","hostelry","fountain","water","funduq"]},"3b9a8d6f-7ca1-5e34-9c8f-c212c393a3de":{"name":"Endowment Charter (*Waqfiyya*) of Haseki Hürrem Sultan.","description":"This deed of trust for a pious foundation (*waqf*) belonging to the wife of Sultan Süleyman 'the Magnificent,' Haseki Hürrem Sultan, is written in Arabic on 49 pages of delicate finished (*aharlı*) paper and is dated AH 964 / AD 1557. The official monogram or *tuğra* of Sultan Süleyman (r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66) is found on page 1a. The text, which begins with a single-page heading, is written nine lines to the page in black ink within gold-ruled margins. The heading on page 1b and the spaces between the lines on page 2a are illuminated with gilding whose edges are traced in black.  \n  \nThe work's brown leather binding reflects the stylistic characteristics of 10th / 16th century bookbinding with its sunken oval medallion with pendants and corner-pieces. It was executed with a mould and painted with gilding. The inner covers are decorated with oval medallions cut out and pasted on. The medallions are decorated with arabesques (*rumi*) and Chinese-inspired (*hatayi-*style) floral motifs.  \n  \nOn pages 9b–10a of the deed are mentioned the buildings Sultan Süleyman ordered built in Jerusalem near the Dome of the Rock for his wife Hürrem Sultan, known from historical sources as the Haseki Hürrem Sultan Mosque, *Madrasa* and *Imaret* (soup-kitchen). Pages 12a–14b contain a detailed explanation as to how expenditures will be made to take care of the endowment's operations, such as the care and cleaning of the buildings, the salaries of the people who worked in them, and so forth. On pages 15b and 27a the number of commercial estates, mills, etc. donated from among Hürrem Sultan's landholdings to ensure revenue to the endowment is mentioned. But no information is given as to where these estates were located. The signatures of witnesses and Hürrem Sultan's seal are found on page 49a.  \n  \nThe deed, which also includes the signatures of witnesses, is an outstanding example of the arts of the book in the Classical Ottoman period, as well a valuable source of historical information about the Ottoman system of pious foundations and how it worked.","short_description":"The *waqfiyya* or endowment charter of the charities in Jerusalem of Hürrem Sultan, wife of Süleyman the Magnificent, known for her political involvement, elegance and charitable works, is not only a historical document but also a beautiful example of book arts of the AH 10th / AD 16th century.","type":"Paper, ink, leather binding","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Haseki Hürrem Sultan (also known as Khassaki Sultan, or as Roxelana, d. AH 965 / AD 1558).","dates":"AH 964 / AD 1556–7.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Length 28 cm, width 19 cm.","method_for_datation":"According to the document's colophon it was written in 964 (1557).","method_for_provenance":"The deed was written in 964 / 1557. In addition, the calligraphy, the *tuğra* of Sultan Süleyman 'the Magnificent,' the binding and the quality of the illumination show that the work was probably prepared in the 10th / 16th century in the palace atelier in Istanbul.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Brought from the Directorate of Pious Foundations in 1919.","bibliography":"*Soliman le magnifique,* Paris, 1990, pp.38–9, cat. no. 17.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Sevgi Kutluay","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["waqf system","women","gilding","painting","watercolour","tooling","ink","leather (binding)","Paper"],"materials":["written using ink","tooled leather (binding).","Delicate finished (aharlı) paper","gilding","watercolour"]},"3bade1c0-e889-52a3-9c4f-df066605f2cc":{"name":"Beni-Isguen Dam","alternate_name":"Ahbas","description":"The great Beni-Isguen Dam is also known as *ahbas* and this name has spread to the whole surrounding region. Upstream of the *qsar*, it is built over the bed of the N'tissa Wadi, spanning one of the narrowest gaps between the two hills that flank the palm grove.  \nThe dam is 430 m long, 8 m high, 3 m wide at its base and 1 m wide at the top. It is divided into two main parts.  \nFirstly, the spillway and distributor, which is 77 m wide and runs down on a slightly diagonal path; 74 vertically set stones break the power of the water current and allow the *umanas* (flood water management commission) to measure the height of the floods from the level at each stone. At the top of the spillway a post (*sham'a* or candle) of predetermined height indicates a dangerous flood level. If the water rises to this height, an immediate alert is given to evacuate the whole palm grove and the *qsar* area further downstream.  \nThe second part of the dam is the natural reservoir which feeds the ground water. Two wells dug out at the level of the dam accelerate and ease the feed to the ground water and so reduce the effect of evaporation caused by the extensive surface area of the stored water, especially during hot weather.","short_description":"The great Beni-Isguen dam is situated upstream of the *qsar* in the bed of the N'tissa Wadi. It consists of two parts; the spillway, along which are set stones for measuring the water level and to give the alert in case of dangerous floods; and the reservoir in contact with the ground water via two wells.","dates":"AH 10th / AD 16th century","location":"Beni Isguen, M’zab","method_for_datation":"Taken from regional written accounts.","bibliography":"Didillon, C. and Pierre D., *Habiter le desert, les maisons mozabites*, Brussels, 1986.  \n*Rapport sur les sites et monuments de la vallée*, OPU, Algiers, 1986.","author":"Lakhdar Drias","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["spillway","ahbas","reservoir.","water","Dam"]},"3c0a8afd-9a9e-52f1-a2f3-a48c17f4d63f":{"name":"Great Mosque of Mahdiyya.","description":"This mosque was built on a rectangular plan measuring 75 m x 55 m. It is flanked by two round towers which served to catch the water running from the terraces. It seems the mosque did not have a minaret. The call to prayer was probably proclaimed from one of the towers. In front of the main entrance stands a porch claimed to be the first to figure in Maghrebin architecture. Harmoniously proportioned, this porch is roofed with a round horseshoe arch with *mihrab*\\-shaped niches placed high up on either side. Lower down, the different faces of the porch are ornamented with flat-backed niches. This decoration, a main feature of Fatimid monuments (best exemplified by the lateral façade of the Great mosque at Sfax) was carried over into the early Zirid period. This porch is reminiscent of the triumphal arches built by the Romans.  \nThis entrance porch leads into a courtyard surrounded by four galleries with a room at each corner. These are supported by arches and pillars rising from the courtyard on each side. Pointed arches for the north gallery simply rest on pillars whilst the three other galleries have round horseshoe arches and columns with capitals. From the southeast gallery one comes into the prayer-hall which has nine naves and three bays. The central nave and the transept form a T-shape. At their intersection is a dome supported on multifoil columns, under which a reproduction of the AH 5th-/ AD 11th-century *mihrab* has been built. This comprises a niche with fluted walls, each flute terminating in a shell motif. A *cul-de-four* on top of the niche is bordered by a horseshoe arch positioned on small corner columns incorporating Zirid capitals. The Great Mosque at Mahdiyya was the inspiration for several Egyptian mosques, notably al-Hakim and al-Aqmar mosques in Cairo.","short_description":"The Great Mosque of Mahdiyya was built by the caliph al-Mahdi. It was modified on several occasions before being rebuilt by the French architect A. Lézine between 1961 and 1965. The mosque does not appear to have had a minaret, with the call to prayer being made from the top of one of its towers. The Great Mosque of Mahdiyya inspired a number of mosques in Fatimid Egypt, such as al-Hakim Mosque and al-Aqmar Mosque in Cairo. This monument owes its beauty to the simplicity of its forms and materials, as the absence of any superfluous decoration.","dates":"Hegira 297 / AD 910.","location":"Mahdiyya","method_for_datation":"Historical sources, for example Ibn Idhari (7th / 13th century), as well as geographical authorities such as al-Bakri (5th / 11th century), attribute the Mahdiyya mosque to the Fatimid caliph al-Mahdi. However, the north gallery and the old *mihrab* can be dated from the Zirid era through comparisons with contemporary monuments such as the Great Mosque at Sfax and the *mihrab* of the Great Mosque at Monastir.","bibliography":"Lezine, A., *Mahdia,* *Recherches d'archeologie islamique*, Paris, 1965.  \nLezine, A., *Mahdia*, Tunis, 1968.  \nMarçais, G., *L'architecture musulmane d'Occident*, Paris, 1954.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia, pp.178–80.*","history":"The mosque was built on a fairly tangential piece of land which was in-filled and reclaimed from the sea. Several re-workings of the original building have taken place, mainly during the Zirid period after the collapse of the *qibla* wall. Other works were carried out during the Ottoman era in the 11th / 17th century. The mosque was rebuilt between 1961 and 1968. Only the porch and the north gallery are authentic.","patrons":"The Fatimid caliph al-Mahdi.","author":"Saloua Zangar","keywords":["Porches","Mosque","architecture"]},"3c8378b6-b15a-5c21-874e-d7a334e3dab5":{"name":"Frescoed architectural fragment from a bathhouse.","description":"A frescoed architectural fragment that once formed part of a bathhouse, consisting of a niche with a pointed arch. The imagery within the niche portrays a figure, executed in black and red watercolours against a white background, executed in the fresco technique. The subject is a seated youth – who might have been a prince – and who holds a cup in his hand. He is wearing a loose robe-like garment, which is decorated with red vegetal motifs. His upper arms are encircled by two bands, and his head is covered by a pleated turban. A complete circular halo appears around the youth's head, perhaps to emphasise his status. He wears a scarf placed around his back, the two ends emerging from under his armpits and then left hanging down, suspended in mid-air. Two parts of the youth's hair can be seen beneath the turban, one in the front and the other at the back.  \nThe niche is framed by an arch composed of bead-like roundels. The fresco itself resembles paintings found in Samarra, Iraq in terms of both the figures; the shape of the heads and the circular halo, for instance, as well as in the repetitive decorative motifs; the frame in the form of an arch, for example. In addition the implementation of style is far from realistic, and leans more towards the decorative, with clear Persian influences. The Fatimid frescoes are not too different in form, style, or thematic content from depictions executed on metallic lustre ceramics, which were being produced in Egypt during this period. It is possible to study the pictorial representation on this architectural fragment by comparing it to similar Fatimid-period examples executed on various media: ceramics, some wooden pieces and on many textiles. Furthermore it is interesting to consider the role of painting itself as a distinctive decorative component of the applied arts during the Fatimid period.","short_description":"Baths were buildings of importance in the Islamic world due to their role in purification and hygiene. The walls of bathhouses were commonly decorated with frescoes, like the example we see here.","type":"Fresco, bathhouse","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 5th century / AD 11th century.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Height 24.5 cm, width 60 cm.","method_for_datation":"Painting on all the applied arts is a distinctive feature of the Fatimid period, it also makes comparison with other paintings of the period a useful means of dating an object.","method_for_provenance":"Fustat was narrowed-down as the place of production for this architectural fragment as the piece was discovered *in situ* in a Fatimid bathhouse.","provenance":"Fustat, Egypt.","obtention":"Archaeological excavations undertaken by the Centre of Arab Antiquities in 1932 revealed the presence of a Fatimid bathhouse in the region of Fustat. Some of its constituent parts, including this architectural fragment, were transferred and registered as acquisitions of the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo in 1934.","bibliography":"Al-Pasha, H., *Al-Taswir al-Islami fi al-Usur al-Wusta \\[Islamic Painting During the Middle Ages\\]*, Cairo, 1959.  \n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_, **Trésors fatimides* du Caire*, exhibition catalogue, Paris, 1998.  \nGrübe, E., *Cobalt and Lustre: The First Centuries of Islamic Pottery,* London, 1994.  \nHassan, Z. M.,“Tuhaf Jadida min al-Khazaf al-Fatimi dhi al-Bareeq al-Ma'dani \\[New Pieces from Fatimid Metallic Lustre Ceramics\\]”, *Majalat Kuliyat al-Adab \\[of the Faculty of Arts\\],* December, 1951.  \nHassan, Zaki M., *Kunuz al-Fatimiyyin \\[Treasures of the Fatimids\\],* Beirut, 1981.  \nPhilon, H., *Early Islamic Ceramics: Ninth to Twelfth Centuries,* Athens, Vol. 1, London, 1980.","author":"Al-Sayyed Muhammad Khalifa Hammad","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["stucco","Fresco","bathhouse","Figurative representation"],"materials":["Fresco: stucco-painted with watercolour in red and black."]},"3ce9d4f4-ee92-5a23-b01e-6209cae6e2dc":{"name":"Celestial Globe","description":"This precisely executed globe, made of two hemispheres, is the sixth earliest surviving celestial globe. The maker’s name is given twice on the globe. The first, and shorter inscription, states that the globe was made by Muhammad ibn Mahmud ibn ‘Ali al-Tabari. His name appears again in the longer five-line inscription, where he omits the name of his grandfather and his nisbah, but emphasizes instead his trade as an astrolabe-maker, al-asturlabi. And indeed the globe does reflect the work of a professional instrument maker.  \n  \nThe long inscription, situated near the south pole of the instrument, states that its maker, Muhammad ibn Mahmud based it on the illustrations in the AH 4th / AD 10th-century astronomer al-Sufi’s *Kitab suwar al-kawakib al-thabitah* (‘Book of the Fixed Stars’), adapting it to take account of the 200-year lapse of time and rectifying errors of placement and spelling and that the maker had written the identifications of the various constellations of the Zodiac, fixed stars, lunar mansions, and of some non-Zodiacal constellations as well. These show certain discrepancies with al-Sufi’s figures, and, further away from the ecliptic, the star-positions are increasingly misleading. And, although the maker does not say so, he would also have been responsible for calibrating the globe, a necessary condition of its being used for astronomical purposes.","type":"Scientific instrument","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AH 684 (AD 1285–6)","location":"London","dimensions":"Diameter: 13.4cm","place_of_production":"Iran","method_for_datation":"Dated AH 684 (AD 1285–6)","bibliography":"Maddison, F. and Savage-Smith, E., *Science, Tools & Magic. The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, vol. XII. Part One: Body and Spirit Mapping the Universe, London: The Nour Foundation, 1997: cat.123, pp.212–13.  \n  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat.365, p.309.*","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.khalilicollections.org/collections/islamic-art/khalili-collection-islamic-art-celestial-globe-sci21/","author":"Qaisra Khan","materials":["incised and inlaid with silver","brass"]},"3e779188-7463-53b1-8360-81f5e5086837":{"name":"*Kitab al-Masalik wa’l-Mamalik of al-Istakhri*","description":"The AH 4th / AD 10th-century Persian geographer al-Istakhri was one of the most important figures in the evolution of Arab cartography. He travelled widely, but his account of Arabia (Hijaz, Yemen and the Gulf) is curiously sketchy, particularly given the importance of the Pilgrimage. This is partly because, as the title of this treatise, *Kitab al-masalik wa’l-mamalik* (‘the book of postal routes and kingdoms’), suggests, it is based on lists of stations on the postal routes of the Abbasid heartlands and in Iran, which were not available for Arabia and Egypt.  \n  \nIn its present state the manuscript is incomplete. It opens with a splendid page of illumination in gold and silver, and on the penultimate page (folio 120a) is a colophon with the date AH 706 / AD 1307, possibly a later addition. It contains the following maps: Arabia (Hijaz, Yemen and the Gulf); Egypt; the Mediterranean (Bahr-i Rum); Iraq (central and upper Mesopotamia); Khuzistan; Fars; Kirman; Sind; lower Mesopotamia and western Iran (‘Iraq-i ‘Ajam); Tabaristan; the Caspian; the central Iranian desert between Fars and Khurasan; Khurasan; Central Asia, from Transcaspia to beyond Bukhara; Ceylon (Sarandib), with Adam’s Peak and the west coast of India. The map of Sind is a later replacement, and a number of maps announced in the text are now missing. They were obviously lost when the original manuscript was unbound, perhaps for repairs, and the remaining folios rebound in the wrong order.","type":"Treatise / Compendium","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AH 706 / AD 1306–07","location":"London","dimensions":"25cm x 15cm","place_of_production":"Iran, perhaps Isfahan","method_for_datation":"dated AH 706 (AD 1306–7).","bibliography":"Rogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat.198, pp. 166-167.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.khalilicollections.org/collections/islamic-art/khalili-collection-islamic-art-kitab-al-masalik-wal-mamalik-of-al-istakhri-mss972/","author":"Qaisra Khan","materials":["silver and opaque watercolour on paper","Gold","Ink","contemporary leather binding"]},"3e86a5e0-7d9c-53ee-a0db-449ac4bf412d":{"name":"Hand-towel (*Peşkir*)","description":"A densely woven, cream-coloured cotton towel with fringed short edges. The border is embroidered in red thread with a running water motif. The main border features six stylised floral motifs worked in sequence. The embroidery employs the counted-thread technique using green, pink, brown, purple, yellow, and red threads. The towel is stained in places.","type":"Fabric","holder":"Aydın Museum Directorate","dates":"AH late 13th-early 14th / AD late 19th-early 20th century","location":"Aydın","dimensions":"Height: 72.5cm, width: 53cm","place_of_production":"Aydın","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","hand-towel","cotton","water"],"materials":["cotton"]},"3ecd0c7a-1b74-5c15-9202-2b4414a57d9c":{"name":"*Port of Algiers*","description":"The artist studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Algiers in 1905, under Hyppolite Dubois' supervision, and was taught to paint by Léon Cauvy and Georges Rochegrosse. In 1909 he was awarded a scholarship to study in France, and so entered the Atelier Cormon. In 1919 he won the Grand Prix Artistique de l'Algérie for his work \"La Famille Attali\" and returned to Paris, where he won his second Grand Prix de Rome. He regularly took part in Algerian and Orientalist artists' salons, and in 1934 he received his first commission. In 1936 he completed his first fresco, made of 8 wooden panels, for the Algiers opera house.","type":"Painting","holder":"Musée National des Beaux-Arts","dates":"First half of the 20th century","location":"Algiers","author":"Dalila Orfali","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"3ed0bda5-ca9d-536f-b3ed-1c1519674199":{"name":"The rocky lotus: Sumulutun  \nFolio from the manuscript of *Khawass al-Ashjar* (The Characteristics of Trees)","short_description":"Born around 40 AD in Anazarbus in Cilicia (today’s Turkey), Dioscorides exerted a great influence on scholarship and practice from the Middle Ages until the 16th century. His treatise *De Materia Medica* was first translated into Syriac, a language generally familiar to physicians in the Abbasid empire (750–1258).\\[1\\] The earliest Arabic translation directly translated from a Greek copy\\[2\\] was made by two scholars, Istafan ibn Basil and Hunayn ibn Ishaq, in the mid 9th century in Baghdad under the reign of the Abbasid caliph al-Mutawakkil (r. 847–61).1 Ibn Ishaq was a physician, Arab scientist, and Nestorian Christian. Known as the “master of translators,” he was active in the Bayt al-Hikm (House of Wisdom) in Baghdad.  \nAccording to sources, in 948, Byzantine Emperor Romanus I offered a Greek copy of *De Materia Medica* as a gift to the Umayyad caliph of Cordoba, ‘Abd al-Rahman III (912-961). There is no evidence to suggest a full Arabic translation of this copy was ever made in Cordoba.\\[3\\] In the intervening years, both the Greek text and accompanying illustrations continued to undergo revision as new copies were made.  \nA famous Arabic copy made in the first quarter of the 13th century was widely recopied and distributed and is now dispersed throughout many private and public collections, including the Aga Khan Museum Collection. Known as the Khawass al-Ashjar, it describes the fabrication of medicines from some 500-600 plants; animals, like fish and shellfish; and minerals that serve as the basis for pharmacology in Near Eastern countries and beyond.","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"13th Century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"29.6 x 20cm","provenance":"Iraq","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Notes:  \n\\[1\\] See Saliba, George and Komaroff, Linda, “Illustrated Books May Be Hazardous to Your Health: A New Reading of the Arabic Reception and Rendition of the ‘Materia Medica’ of Dioscorides,” *Ars Orientalis*, 35 (2008): 8.  \n\\[2\\] Ibid.  \n\\[3\\] Ibid., 9.  \n  \nBloom, Jonathan, “The introduction of Paper to the Islamic Lands and the development of the illustrated Manuscripts,” *Muqarnas*, 17 (2000): 17–23. ISBN: 9789004116696.  \nD’Andiran, Gerald, *Early Medicine, from the body to the Stars*, Basel: Schwabe, 2011. ISBN: 9783796527098.  \nGraves, Margaret S. et al. (eds), *Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Arts of the Book & Calligraphy*, Istanbul: Sakıp Sabancı Müzesi, 2010: 200–05. ISBN: 9786054348084.  \nSaliba, George and Komaroff, Linda “Illustrated Books May Be Hazardous to Your Health: A New Reading of the Arabic Reception and Rendition of the ‘Materia Medica’ of Dioscorides,” *Ars Orientalis*, 35 (2008): 6–65.","keywords":["science","works-on-paper","science-and-learning","plants","work-on-paper","folio"],"materials":["Ink","Opaque watercolour","and silver on paper"]},"3f16b552-d46e-5615-93a4-6d3aa09a3cdd":{"name":"Ewer.","description":"A ewer made of copper and inlaid with silver. Decorated with ornamentation and inscriptions in *naskhi* script; the text reads: 'The honourable Excellency, Tabtaq. Glory to his triumph'. Blazons decorate the surface of the ewer, bearing depictions of a goblet, thereby alluding to the position of cupbearer. Adorning the upper section of the ewer's body is a decorative band featuring a series of prominent roundels inside each of which is depicted a pair of confronting birds. The mouth is decorated with vegetal motifs and is equipped with a two-hinge cover and a strainer, which sits inside the mouth. The spout of the ewer has three decorative bands: the middle one carries propagandistic inscriptions in the *naskhi* script, while the other two are adorned with diamond-shaped units filled with vegetal motifs. The name on the ewer dates back to Amir Tabtaq, one of the elite officers of al-Malik al-Ashraf Khalil, who ruled from AH 689–93 / AD 1290–4. Tabtaq was Governor of the City of Qus in Upper Egypt during the third reign of the Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun (r. A.H. 709–41 / AD 1309–40).  \nThe crafting of ewers was an industry that flourished in Iran; it then transferred to Iraq and from there to Egypt, during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. The different forms of ewers and the roles that they played were manifold; they were used to pour water for bathing, for hand-washing, or for *wudu* (obligatory ablutions before prayer). However, ornamental ewers were used to decorate the palaces and houses of *amirs* and sultans.","short_description":"The importance of this ewer stems from its fine decoration. It bears the name of Amir Tabtaq, a follower of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad, and a cup blazon, the emblem of his post as cupbearer. Ewers came to Egypt and Iraq from Persia and took many shapes. They were used in palaces and houses for bathing, hand-washing and obligatory ablutions.","type":"Ewer, copper","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 709–41 / AD 1309–40.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Height 40 cm, diameter (of base) 15 cm; diameter (of mouth) 10 cm.","method_for_datation":"The ewer is dated based on the name that it carries: Amir Tabtaq, who was one of the officers of al-Malik al-Ashraf Khalil, and the Governor of the City of Qus, during the third reign of the Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun (r. A.H. 709–41 / AD 1309–40).","method_for_provenance":"The ewer was crafted in Egypt, specifically for Amir Tabtaq, a fact verified by the inscription. Furthermore it was uncovered during an archaeological excavation in the Egyptian City of Qus. Likewise, the technique of inlay used is typical of the style that flourished in Egypt during the Mamluk period.","provenance":"Egypt.","obtention":"This piece was uncovered during the course of archaeological excavations in the City of Qus in Egypt in 1966.","bibliography":"Abd al-Razzaq, A., “Al**\\-**Runuq ala 'asr Salateen al-Mamalik \\[Blazons in the Period of the Mamluk Sultans\\], *Mijala al-Jam'iya al-Tarikhiya \\[Journal of the Historical Association\\],* 21, Cairo, 1974.  \nAtil, E., *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks,* Washington D.C., 1987.  \n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_, et al, *Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art*, Washington D.C., 1985.  \nMusilhi, S., *Adawat wawani al-Matbakh al-Ma'adaniya fi 'Asr al-Mamluki \\[Metal Implements and Tools of the Kitchen During the Mamluk Period\\],* thesis, University of Cairo, 1983.  \nStierlin, H., and Stierlin A., *Splendours of the Islamic World: Mamluk Art in Cairo (1250–1517),* London, New York, 1997.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Muhammad Abbas Muhammad Selim","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["epigraphic decoration","inlay","Copper","propaganda","ewer","naskhi script","blazon","inscription"],"materials":["Copper inlaid with silver."]},"3f7c4ad7-b574-57b6-896b-0082aa3240da":{"name":"Utensils made from clay","alternate_name":"মাটির তৈজসপত্র","description":"Potters in Bangladesh traditionally craft utensils using clay, which is a readily available resource. They are widely used in traditional Bangladeshi culinary settings for eating and drinking.","type":"Kitchenware","holder":"Water Museum","dates":"21st century","location":"Pakhimara, Kuakata District, Barishal Division, Barishal","author":"ActionAid Bangladesh","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["utensils","clay","water","Plate"],"materials":["Clay"]},"3fb68c28-e2b3-5087-9283-6b67b63e3936":{"name":"Wellhead","description":"Wellhead in the shape of an external octagonal and internal semicircular prism, made of sifted reddish clay on which various decorative motifs have been stamped and complemented with green glaze. On a circular and smooth base, a prismatic shape rises, which is reinforced by the moldings that vertically decorate each of the walls, ending at the top with lobed modillions. Two decorative motifs alternate on its eight fronts. The first consists of a decoration of quadrilobed flowers included in a rhomboidal pattern, in the manner of the sebka network, all glazed in green and bordering its contours with manganese oxide. The second has a trilobed arch, whose central lobe is a sharp pointed horseshoe arch, and which houses a decoration with a mirror pseudoepigraphic motif ending in palmettes that end in a twisted stem. It ends, under the mouth of the border, with two borders: the lower one with a stamped seven-point star decoration, on which three bands with incised zig-zag lines and a central one with knife-corded thread, and the upper one contains a inscription in florid Kufic, transcribed by Sahwki Zayed (2015) as *at-tawfiq*, \"The Providence\", repeated five times on each side of the octagon. The presence of this inscription is confirmed in numerous Almohad works, and is common in the Merinid and Mudéjar works, but not in the Nasrid works. Its upper edge, thickened on the outside and rectangular in profile, is octagonal and smooth.  \n  \nSuch wellheads can be understood within the broader development of water management systems in al-Andalus. Methods and objects were introduced and disseminated to optimise the water usage, an essential resource that significantly shaped everyday life. As part of these innovations, systems for water collection, distribution, and storage were devised. Among these, wells played a key role in accessing underground water, and wellheads such as this one were installed both in public spaces and in domestic courtyards.","type":"Wellhead","holder":"National Archaeological Museum","owner":"Spanish State","initial_owner":"Unknown / Daniel Aguilera Camacho (owner of the Córdoba house)","dates":"Hegira 6th–7th century / AD 12th–13th century","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height: 70cm, inside diameter: 55cm, outside diameter: 70cm","place_of_production":"Córdoba (attributed)","method_for_datation":"The techniques of stamping and the *cuerda seca* technique (original and innovative technique, created in al-Andalus at the end of the 10th century that will continue to be used in later centuries), become widespread and reach their best expression in the AH 6th - 7th / AD 12th–13th centuries. Decorative motifs such as stars are frequent in pieces from the Almohad, Mudejar and Nasrid periods, throughout the AH 6th - 8th / 12th–14th centuries.","method_for_provenance":"The stamping and the dry rope techniques (which were created in al-Andalus at the end of the 10th century and would continue to be used long afterwards) became widespread and reached their best expression in the Hegira 6th–7th / AD 12th–13th centuries. Decorative motifs such as stars are frequent in pieces from the Almohad, Mudéjar and Nasrid periods throughout the Hegira 6th–8th / AD 12th–14th centuries.","provenance":"House No. 6, Ambrosio de Morales Street, Córdoba.","obtention":"Bought from the antique dealer Apolinar Sánchez Villalba in 1943.","bibliography":"Galván, M. L., “Brocal de pozo morisco”, in *Adquisiciones del Museo Arqueológico Nacional (1940-1945)*. Madrid: Aldus, S.A. Imp., 1947: 168.  \n  \nSantos Gener, S., “Nuevos brocales de pozo hispano-mahometanos”, *Boletín de la Real Academia de Ciencias Bellas Letras y Nobles Artes de Córdoba*, Año XV: No. 49 (1944): 71-86.  \n  \nBernus-Taylor, M., “Brocal de pozo”, en Marte Bernus-Taylor (Com), *Las Andalucías. De Córdoba a Damasco.* Exposition presented in the Institut du Monde Arabe from 28 November 2000 to 15 April 2001, Paris: Ed. Hazan-IMA-Fundación El Legado Andalusí, 2000: 148.  \n  \nArias Sánchez, I., “Brocal” en Félix Jiménez Villalba (Dir.), *España, encrucijada de civilizaciones*. México. Madrid: Lundwerg Editores, 2007: 221.  \n  \nShawky Sayed, Z., *Brocales de pozo y aljibes andalusíes y mudéjares*. Doctoral thesis. Univesidad Complutense de Madrid, 2015: 135-137. \\[Date accessed: 3 January 2024 https://produccioncientifica.ucm.es/documentos/5d1df62d29995204f76639e1\\]","author":"Beatriz Campderá Gutiérrez","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","translator":"Dept. of Medieval Antiquities of the MAN","keywords":["cuerda seca technique","dwelling","water","stamped decoration"],"materials":["Engraving","Clay","stamping","metal oxide","firing","kaolin","partial dry rope"]},"40152862-7ac2-51ab-a591-e95b3acc0ced":{"name":"Jug with Design of Five Sphinxes and a Standing Figure","short_description":"A biconical jug with handle and buff-colored composite body, wheel thrown with painted decoration and gilded highlights over white glaze. A straight collar rim sits on the large truncated biconical body on a small flared unglazed foot, a vertical strap handle with an applied flat disc thumb rest. There is a dark blue-gray scalloped band on the lip. The rim has a frieze of gray-blue rectangles outlined above and below in black and divided by vertical red lines; each panel is filled with delicate black arabesque patterns and a small square gold leaf central highlight.  \nA red and black line defines the carination between neck and shoulder. The shoulder contains five spotted sphinxes with hats and collars, each a different color (blue, red, green, blue, red) walking to the viewer's left toward a vine or sprig with alternating red and blue buds. A figure in a long patterned blue robe and brown conical cap stands at the back of the procession. Gold leaf highlights the figure's shoulders, three areas on the body of each sphinx and the circular elements between them. A series of stylized buds in black and red sit below the top of the register and a second set rests on the decorative baseline. This decorative band is light green and filled with a pattern of red four-petaled rosettes drawn in black with white centers and blue dots above and below, separated by vertical blue lozenges. Some centers still preserve square gold foil elements.  \nThe bottom half of the body is undecorated except for a series of simple floral elements painted in black just under the band; a similar design is applied below the rim interior. The handle has a black *Kufic* inscription with blue highlights on the sides, the thumb rest is red. The glaze is badly cracked overall; six major areas of loss are in-filled and painted.","type":"Ceramics","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira c. 544-699 / AD c. 1150–1300","location":"Saint Louis","dimensions":"Height: 13.7cm; Diameter of mouth: 8.3cm; Diameter of body: 14cm; Diameter of foot: 5.4cm","method_for_datation":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","method_for_provenance":"During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Persian city of Rayy was an important political, economic, and cultural center. It produced a variety of pottery, of which the most costly were called Minai wares.  These thin-walled vessels were first glazed with an ivory or white ground, although some have a turquoise or blue underglaze.  They are usually embellished with figural decoration not unlike contemporary manuscript painting.","provenance":"Rayy, Iran, Asia","obtention":"Museum Purchase, William K. Bixby Trust for Asian Art, 1952","bibliography":"Al Khemir, Sabiha, *Beauty and Belief: Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture*, Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Museum of Art, 2012.","keywords":["ceramics","Fritware","Jug","Rayy","painting","Asia","Persian","Overglaze","Iran","Enamel","underglaze","Glazed"],"materials":["Glazed fritware with underglaze painting and overglaze enamel"]},"40301340-cb49-5d31-8fc4-0266c8f1e953":{"name":"*Medbasa* (Dibs/date-molasses Extraction Room)","description":"Many markets in the UAE had medbasas, which were special rooms that contained grooves in the floor for collecting *dibs* (date molasses). Date palm leaf bags full of dates were piled on top of each other above the grooved floor. The combined weight of the bags pressed molasses out of the dates. The molasses drained between the grooves and into a pot where it could be collected and sold. Several *medabasa* rooms still exist in Sharjah and can be visited at Al Hisn (Fort) Museum and Souq Shinasiyya.","holder":"Sharjah Hisn (Fort) Museum","owner":"Sharjah Museums Authority","dates":"Hegira mid 14th century / AD mid 20th century","location":"Sharjah, United Arab Emirates","provenance":"Arabian Peninsula","author":"Amanda Snyder","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Dates","Dibs","date","date molasses","medbasa"]},"4161ef6b-9657-5bfe-b8cd-b675c40d0f5f":{"name":"Small bowl","description":"Nielloed silver bowl (*çamça*) made in Van during the Ottoman period. The handle features a stylised bird figure, while the interior center contains a movable stylised duck motif.  \nIt bears both an Ottoman Turkish \"Van\" hallmark and an Armenian master’s mark with the initials “K.KH.\"","type":"Bowl","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 8cm, diameter: 11.5cm","place_of_production":"Anatolia","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","provenance":"Van","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Silver"]},"42efdee4-d0a0-588e-8606-1ebc9cb0a6cb":{"name":"Jar with green glaze","description":"This jar is covered with a green glaze on the outside and inside. The jar has an annular base and two small handles attached to the base of the short neck. The clay used is red. This vessel would have been used to store liquids and food.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH 12th–13th century / AD 18th–19th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 28cm, body diameter: 23.5, rim diameter: 1.8cm","place_of_production":"Iraq / Iran","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Al Zubarah, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Hansman, J., *Julfar: an Arabian port : its settlement and Far Eastern ceramic trade from the 14th to the 18th centuries*., London: Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1985.  \n  \nKennet, D., *Sasanian and Islamic Pottery from Ras al-Khaimah.: Classification, chronology and analysis of trade in the Western Indian Ocean*., BAR International Series, Oxford: Archaeopress, 2004  \n  \nQIAH, University of Copenhagen, Unpublished report Qatar Museums, 2013–2014","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","kitchenware","green glaze"],"materials":["green glaze","Earthenware"]},"43c5ab5f-241d-5114-a0de-5364612ff8df":{"name":"Jug with turqoise blue and brown glaze","description":"This small jar was discovered during an excavation in a house in Murwab, northwest Qatar in AH 1402 / AD 1981. The jar was in fragments, but it was possible to piece together the top part and restore it. It has a slightly flared rim with a rounded end and a small straight neck. The jar widens into a rounded shape with two small handles that have brown spots of paint. The jar is painted in turquoise blue with drips inside and outside and is covered with an opaque glaze. The jar is made from beige earthenware and may have been made by potters in Basra or Samarra in Iraq or Susa in Iran during the early Abbasid period.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 6.3cm, body diameter: 13cm, rim diameter: 6.5cm","place_of_production":"Basra, Iraq","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), *Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique*, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), *Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974*, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","table jar","splash"],"materials":["Glazed earthenware"]},"45320add-79cd-5e4e-a505-b843b89eb3f3":{"name":"*The Green Valley*","description":"Educated at the Beaux-Arts in Cairo, Samir Rafi displays some distance from his academic training. In AH 1366 / AD 1946, he co-founded *Le Groupe d'Art contemporain* (Contemporary Art Group) with Egyptians Al Gazzar and Nada. Leading the modern art movement in Egypt, they rejected storytelling, were inspired by local subjects, and simplified their styles. In this bucolic picture the rise of the Nile fertilises the earth.  \n  \nThrough this symbolic scene Rafi combines a common past with a hopeful present at a time in which British troops were withdrawing from the Suez Canal.","type":"Painting","holder":"Institute of the Arab World","dates":"AH 1367 / AD 1947","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Height: 97.8cm; length: 145.8cm (with frame)","obtention":"Purchased.","bibliography":"Bondil, N., Delpont, E;, Chakour, D., Majdoub, El Aissaoui, S., *Modernités arabes. Collection du musée de l'Institut du monde arabe*, Paris: Somadi, 2023: pp. 112-113.  \n  \nDelpont, E., *et al.*, *Le Monde arabe dans le Miroir des Arts. De Gudea à Delacroix, et au-delà*, Tourcoing: IMA, 2016: pp. 42-43.","translator":"Judy Harter","keywords":["painting","water","Cairo","Samir Rafi"],"materials":["Oil painting on canvas"]},"457749e2-01c8-568d-b28d-68edb462699d":{"name":"Date-harvesting basket (*al-mikhrafa*)","description":"The rigid, tray-like *al-mikhrafa*, traditionally used for harvesting dates, is designed to support heavy loads and is raised and lowered from the top of the date palm tree by means of a palm fibre rope. The *al-mikhrafa* is woven from split lengths of *al-isqah*, the woody, long-grained stem from which the date clusters hang.","type":"Date-harvesting basket (*al-mikhrafa*)","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Diameter: 52cm, thickness: 3cm","place_of_production":"Northern Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition","obtention":"Local acquisition.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Date palm fibre"]},"458f12d6-11aa-5aa1-8e81-ad3731f1366c":{"name":"Panel of six tiles","short_description":"The panel depicts the holy sanctuary of the mosque at Mecca. Within the compound the Ka\\`ba is shown in the centre among other sites such as the *minbar*, the well Zamzam and the structures of the different religious schools, all identified by their names.  \nSuch topographical works, with a votive or commemorative function, are typical of the Iznik workshops of the 17th century and follow analogous illustrations in manuscripts from the 16th century onwards.","type":"Ottoman ceramic, fritware with polychrome underglaze decoration","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"Hegira 11th century / AD 17th century","location":"Athens","dimensions":"73 cm X 49.5 cm","provenance":"Turkey","keywords":["Mosque interior decoration"],"materials":["Fritware with polychrome underglaze decoration"]},"4774c55a-a1aa-5860-91ed-a7105da0298d":{"name":"Water bottle","short_description":"This polychrome Iznik water bottle, *orsürahi*, is decorated with striking, stylised vegetal and arabesque motifs. The decoration was sketched out into the surface of the slip with a sharp instrument before the colours were applied, giving the artist a template from which to work but also allowing him to add additional painted details as he wished. The unusually large size of this bottle, and the spirited quality of its decoration, make it a particularly fine example of its genre.","type":"Ceramics","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira c.967-987 / AD c.1560-1580","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 47.3cm, Diameter: 22.9cm","provenance":"Turkey, Iznik","obtention":"Christie's London, Islamic Art and Manuscripts, 29 April 2003, Sale 6713, Lot 162 to Qatar Museums","bibliography":"Al Khemir, Sabiha, *From Cordoba To Samarqand, Masterpieces from the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha*, Milan: Musée du Louvre Editions, 2006.","author":"Reem Aboughazala","keywords":["ceramics","Turkey","floral","Iznik"],"materials":["painting","Underglaze","pigment","Glaze","Fritware"]},"47a9e1ed-a000-5cfc-8164-b1d48f168b3d":{"name":"Al-Naoor Waterwheel","description":"A wooden waterwheel known locally as naoor (plural: nawa'ir), traditionally used to lift water for agricultural irrigation along the upper Euphrates, from Syria into Anbar governorate in western Iraq. The town of Hit (north-west of Baghdad) is at the south-eastern limit of the area of their use.  \n  \nThe example pictured (around 5 metres in diameter) is a small replica constructed by a waterfront coffee shop owner around the year 2000, but most nawa'ir were larger, ranging from 8-12 metres in diameter. They were constructed from lengths of mulberry wood (known for its durabiliity), cut to size and connected with wooden pegs hammered into place. No metal was traditionally used in the waterwheel's construction: this modern example has corrugated metal paddles to power its rotation , but traditionally this function was served by similar rectangular paddles made of small straight sticks attached together in parallel.  \n  \nA traditional naoor had twenty-four wooden spokes and twenty-four ceramic jars attached to its outer circumference, tied on with palm fibre cordage. As the river current caused the wheels to rotate, the jars would raise water from the river and pour it into an aqueduct at the top of the stone platform, which fed into irrigation channels leading to nearby farms. Traditionally, several farms or families would share a waterwheel and distribute the water between them, each using it during agreed hours of the day; this whole community would also be involved in its construction and installation, which could take up to a month.  \n  \nAccording to local sources, this technology has been in use since Akkadian times to solve the problem that the river level in this region is much lower than the surrounding ground. The stone foundations (dahlia) supporting today's nawa'ir are estimated to be around 400 years old, and were built using a specific type of lime-based mortar that hardens underwater.  \n  \nMany traditional nawa'ir were destroyed in 1967 by a devastating flood on the Euphrates. Although some were rebuilt, electric pumps began to take over their function in the 1970s. The nawa'ir remained an important feature of local memory and were celebrated in reconstructions such as the one pictured. Between 2019-2021, a campaign by local residents led to the rehabilitation of four large waterwheels in Hit, and to their inscription on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021. Similar revivals have taken place in other parts of Anbar, notably in Haditha, where 24 waterwheels are said to be in operation.","type":"Noria","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Culture","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"Naoor, wooden waterwheel: AH ca. 1400 / AD ca. 2000  \n  \nDahlia, stone base: AH ca. 800 / AD ca. 1600","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Digital photographs up to 3464 x 4618 px; Waterwheel 5m diameter (approx).","method_for_datation":"Recorded by the photographer.","provenance":"Hit, Anbar Governorate, Iraq","obtention":"Photographs taken by institution founder.","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["waterwheel","irrigation","naoor","aqueduct","water","wood"],"materials":["Digital photography.","Wood (mulberry boughs)","joined with wooden pegs. Base: stone","hardens underwater","lime-based mortar"]},"485d9eee-a419-55b7-b3d8-04dfd6b91fa0":{"name":"Postcard","description":"Real photograph showing a view up the water-storage feature known as the Aden Tanks, Aden.","type":"Postcard","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"AH 14th / AD 20th century","location":"London","dimensions":"Height: 14.30cm, width: 9.30cm","place_of_production":"Germany","obtention":"Donated by Dr St John Simpson in 2013.","workshop":"Pallonjee, Dinshaw & Co","copyright":"This is an 'orphan work' in The British Museum’s collections. If you are the copyright holder and were not contacted, please reach out to Museum With No Frontiers at editing@museumwnf.net so that proper credit may be given on this website.","keywords":["Cisterns of Tamila.","postcard","water"],"materials":["Paper"]},"48dbd98b-5340-5f05-be6e-39f0d4addb1f":{"name":"Water-bag","description":"Double-mouthed water-skin made of leather with plaited suspension loops at both ends. Made from the complete skin of a small animal, the neck and leg apertures being tied up. Pieces of pink plastic cord and cotton string have been tied to the suspension loops.","type":"Water-bag","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"AH 1408 / AD 1988-1989","location":"London","dimensions":"Height: 54cm, width: 68cm, depth: 11cm","place_of_production":"Kordofan, Sudan","provenance":"Kordofan, Sudan","obtention":"Donated by Michael Asher in 1993.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1993-05-9","keywords":["leather.","water-bag","water","Sudan"],"materials":["plastic","leather","cotton"]},"49271df4-3589-5288-9f2d-848a3ad34181":{"name":"Cup","description":"Cup decorated with a series of lozenges with floral and leaf motifs. In the center a circular medallion dispays three fish and the number 25.","type":"Cup","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"AH 1215-1317/19th century","location":"Athens","dimensions":"Height: 10 cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Donation","bibliography":"Moratiou , M. (ed), *The Mando & Londos Oeconomides Collection of Coloured Glass*, Athens: Benaki Museum, 2013: cat. no. 17, p. 62.","author":"Mina Moraitou","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","materials":["gilt decoration","glass"]},"49a6379f-cd3f-5da3-80ce-ed27270c14f7":{"name":"Bowl","description":"A short metal bowl with thick walls, decorated with incised or hammered circumferential motifs of lines and vegetal or epigraphic ornamentation (including the inscriptions *“Lā ilāha illā Allāh” and “Al-ḥamdu lillāh”*). The surface shows green and blue copper oxidation.  \nThis type of bowl was known in that period as *Ṭāsat al-Ruʿwah* (“The Bowl of Fright”). Before medical prescriptions were written on paper, and before people understood anxiety or shock as they do today, Arab households relied on their faith and ancestral wisdom. In one such home, a small metal vessel — this very bowl — was kept and cherished as *Ṭāsat al-Ruʿwah*. Adorned with delicate engravings and Qur’anic inscriptions encircling it like a protective barrier, it was kept by women on the upper shelf of the family wooden chest, wrapped in white cotton cloth. It was used only in moments when the heart trembled in fear or panic.  \nWhen a family member experienced sudden fright, the bowl would be filled with clean water, or sometimes rosewater, and the inscriptions around it would be recited — not as a magical ritual, but as a reminder that tranquillity comes from God alone, and that the Qur’an was never just letters, but a source of serenity that flowed into the soul, even from a small copper vessel held by trembling hands.","type":"Bowl","holder":"Department of Antiquity","dates":"AD 568 - 922 / AD 1172–1516 AD","location":"Amman","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["bowl","water","Mamluks"]},"4a348cc6-05a3-5e8a-8b61-a980db3a8b21":{"name":"Plate.","description":"A deep dish with an underglaze-painted design showing a European-style sailing ship at sea, its sails billowing as it rides the cresting waves. Three tadpole-like fish are seen swimming below. In the rim of the dish, groups of simply drawn spirals, ultimately descended from the Chinese 'wave-and-rock' border pattern, reflect the oceanic theme. This dish is one of a number of similar pieces depicting sailing ships of either European or North African build. They were produced around the second quarter of the 17th century, when the Iznik ceramic industry had declined from its heyday of 50 or so years previous. Yet this plate retains considerable charm, especially the jaunty air the artist has given the ship.","short_description":"A deep dish with a representation of a ship at sea. Similar depictions of European and North African ships appear on a number of Iznik wares from the second quarter of the AH 11th / AD 17th century. Although the industry was in economic and artistic decline, examples like this retain a considerable charm.","type":"Ottoman ceramics, Glazed painting","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum.","dates":"Around hegira 1031–56 / AD 1625–50.","location":"London, England","dimensions":"Height 4.9 cm, diameter 31.2 cm.","method_for_datation":"Comparison with similar pieces of the same period.","method_for_provenance":"Iznik was the centre of quality ceramic production in this period.","provenance":"Iznik, Turkey.","obtention":"Purchased by the Museum in 1867.","bibliography":"Atasoy, N., and Raby, J., Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey, Istanbul/London, 1989, p.280.  \n  \nLane, A., Later Islamic Pottery: Persia, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, London, 1957, pp.57–8.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Barry Wood","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","materials":["Painted and glazed ceramic."]},"4a51e3f4-294d-54c9-a5ea-baa4868a2d16":{"name":"Sickle (*mijaz*)","description":"The sickle is a tool that has been employed worldwide for its utility: it is a manual agricultural tool that consists of a curved blade that is usually used for harvesting grain crops or cutting weeds used to feed livestock.","type":"Sickle (*mijaz*)","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height: 3.5cm, length: 49cm, width: 3.5cm","place_of_production":"Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition","obtention":"Local acquisition.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Wood and iron"]},"4aed1631-e500-5b52-9093-ae36e5e2ea38":{"name":"*Les foggaras*","description":"An ingenious system of drawing and distributing water simultaneously in an extremely dry area, foggaras consist of a row of wells on a gentle and uninterrupted slope that allows surface water to flow to gardens.  \n  \nThe well shafts are made by drilling a tunnel at the base of a mountainous area and following an aquifer, with the goal of bringing water to the surface for irrigation of agricultural land. The tunnels are horizontal and dug with extreme precision on a regular slope to allow the water to flow steadily.  \n  \nThe tapped foggara water table is deeper than the water table under the dunes, but closer to the surface in the nearby plateau of Tadmaït (to the east), which makes it accessible by digging horizontally. The size of this network of wells is estimated at thousands of kilometres between the Gourara and the Touat; seven kilometres for just the Mghayer, the foggara of Timimoun. The punishing work of digging could not have been accomplished without the exploitation of many slaves. For this reason maintaining foggaras that collapse or become silted is problematic.  \n  \nThe term foggara refers not only to this system of pumping from the water table, but also to the pooling of water to irrigate the palm groves. The oases of Gourara and Touat have comb-like structures (kesria) that direct the water flowing between the “teeth” (kiel el-Ma). The water is distributed according to the requirements of the private gardens, and routed through channels (seguias) that drain into ponds (majens) from which farmers draw water to the extent allowed. This system, specific to Saharan regions, is evidence of its early use, and of the people’s deep desire to live in harmony by sharing with each other the meagre resources of the Sahara in a strict but fair manner.","type":"Hydraulic system","location":"Algiers","author":"Farida Benouis","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["hydraulic system.","water","foggaras"]},"4c2706b3-1aef-5df4-b5b2-4acc99b47143":{"name":"Jar","description":"This transport jar was handmade and has a typical kitchenware profile. Its high neck with a wide rim allowed it to be covered with a lid (ceramic, wood, textile). Its ovoid body supports a single handle. The entire body is covered with a cream-coloured slip and geometric decoration painted in brown in a series of panels across the body.  \n  \nAlthough it was found in Al Zubara, in north-western Qatar, the characteristic grainy clay, as well as the manufacturing technique, shape and decoration, identify it as Julfar pottery. This type of pottery was made in Ras al-Khaymah (in the modern United Arab Emirates) and exported throughout the Gulf, particularly from the AH 12th-13th / AD 18th to the mid-20th century.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH 12th–13th century / AD 18th–19th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 21cm, rim diameter: 10cm, body diameter: 23cm","place_of_production":"Julfar, Ras al-Khaymah Emirate, United Arab Emirates","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Al Zubarah, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Hansman, J, *Julfar: an Arabian port : its settlement and Far Eastern ceramic trade from the 14th to the 18th centuries*., London: Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1985.  \n  \nKennet, D., *Sasanian and Islamic Pottery from Ras al-Khaimah.: Classification, chronology and analysis of trade in the Western Indian Ocean*., BAR International Series, Oxford: Archaeopress, 2004.  \n  \nQIAH, University of Copenhagen, Unpublished report Qatar Museums, 2013–2014.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","Transportation","kitchenware","storage"],"materials":["Earthenware"]},"4c9c682b-e3ff-589b-807b-5e22f9819c18":{"name":"Tankard","description":"A cylindrical tankard with one handle. The body is decorated with a series of white flowers with a blue centre and green leaves on a red ground. On the top and bottom there is a band in the form of a chain. The handle is decorated in blue and white.","type":"Tankard","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"AH 983 / c. AD 1575","location":"Athens","dimensions":"Diameter of base: 13.8cm, height: 22.7cm","place_of_production":"Iznik","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Donation","bibliography":"Carswell, J., Gibson, M. (ed.), and Moraitou , M., *Iznik Ceramics at the Benaki Museum*, London: Gingko, and Athens: Benaki Museum, 2023: cat. no. 58, p. 112.","author":"Mina Moraitou","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","materials":["Glazed ceramic"]},"4ccbf41b-58c9-561b-9afc-21680166f66c":{"name":"Shell with inscriptions","description":"This palm-size, perfectly shaped mother-of-pearl shell displays an elegant design and an intriguing function. Its luminous surface is engraved with eight concentric rings containing verses from the Qur’an and religious supplications. The variety of the calligraphic styles and their layout make the design both dynamic and quite dignified. Although the intensity of the decorative program on the shell and the attention given to the minutest detail are unique, the shell may have been designed for a specific purpose that demonstrates how Muslims evoked the Qur’an in their everyday life. The concave shape of the shell and some of its decorative motifs suggest that it may have been used as a drinking vessel. In line with the belief in the protective and therapeutic power of the Qur’an, some Muslims drank water that came into direct contact with Qur’anic verses in order to obtain blessings and protection. Could this have been the role of this singular shell?","type":"Shell","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"18th century AD","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 14,7cm, width: 14,5cm, depth: 3,2cm","place_of_production":"India","bibliography":"Makariou, S., Buresi M., Canby S.R., and Collinet A., *Chefs-d'oeuvre islamiques de l'Aga Khan Museum* , Milan: 5 Continents Editions, 2007.  \n  \nKim, H.S., P. Jodidio, R. Kana'an, A. Melikian-Chirvani, and L. Monreal, *Pattern and Light: The Aga Khan Museum* , Milan: Skira Rizzoli, 2014.  \n  \nDaiber, V., and B. Junod, *Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum. Masterpieces of Islamic art* , Berlin: Nicolai Verlag, 2010.  \n  \nÖlçer, N., B. Bankac›, L. Monreal, B. Junod, S. Ipert, F. Vinourd, and M. d’Adhémar, *Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum ~  \nArts of the Book & Calligraphy* , Istanbul: Sabanc› University Sak›p Sabanc› Museum, 2010.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/shell-inscriptions-akm665","keywords":["verse","pearl","incised","Thuluth","Shell","Engraved","Qur’an","oyster","water","sea","Quran","Pteriidae","Quranic","Mother-of-pearl","drinking vessel"],"materials":["Incised mother-of-pearl"]},"4d43096d-e741-5b21-a636-ccbb17e263cf":{"name":"*Windows*","description":"Wafa al-Hamad’s exploration of doors and windows delves into the intersection of heritage and visual transformation within the Gulf region. These architectural elements, often crafted with precision, symbolise entry and exit-gates to the past, present, and future. Drawing from the historic buildings of Qatar, UAE, and Bahrain, she captures their ornate facades as a means of preserving fading architectural traditions amidst rapid modernization. Her paintings, such as this one, function as portals, inviting viewers into spaces where the past remains alive.  \n  \nRooted in Islamic art, al-Hamad’s work frequently incorporates geometric abstraction and calligraphy, though these elements are not present in this piece. In the 1990s (AH 1410), she has additionally woven Arabic proverbs into her compositions, enriching her art with cultural depth. These proverbs serve as visual metaphors, blending the functionality of objects with poetic symbolism and allowing her to explore concepts within a contemporary framework.  \n  \n\"I have developed a strong interest towards these ancestral doors, in their excellent craftsmanship, a sublime beauty, uniqueness and inspirational representation of faith…My paintings convey such meanings especially door panels which truly express what I believe in. Door panels stand at the crossroad of our ancestral heritage. They pave the way to the realm of Islamic art, its form, decorative accents and inscriptions.\" - Wafa al-Hamad","type":"Painting","holder":"MATHAF, Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"AH 1415 / AD 1994","location":"Doha","dimensions":"92cm x 122cm","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["window","water","watercolour","art"],"materials":["watercolour","Fibre paper"]},"4d52d723-2eaf-5fc7-ba06-13ce4807735a":{"name":"Deep glazed bowl with pseudo-epigraphic inscription","description":"This bowl was discovered on the site of a house during the Qatari-French archaeological mission in 2009. The bowl itself dates to the 9th century. It is covered in an off-white opaque glaze with a wide band of turquoise glaze or paint around the upper part. The black-brown paint around the outside resembles Arabic script, but it is unclear whether real words were intended or this is simply a design. This kind of stylised painting is known as 'pseudo-epigraphic' decoration and is particularly associated with workshops in Samarkand and Nishapur (present-day Uzbekistan and Iran, respectively). These types of wares illustrate the influence of Islamic design and Arabic script throughout the Muslim world during the early Islamic period.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 11cm, body diameter: 14cm, base diameter: 10cm, weight: 340.86g","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Guerin, A. and Na'imi, F., ‘Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar’, in *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, vol. 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), *Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique*, 1984, pp. 169–188.  \n  \nLopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), *Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974*, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Glazed earthenware"]},"4dbcd917-010c-5ebd-8b39-646ec4f29059":{"name":"\"Bahram Gur Sees a Herd of Deer Mesmerized by Dilaram' s Music\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"Approximately one century after the Persian poet Nizami wrote his Khamsa (Quintet), the Indian poet Amir Khusrau Dihlavi composed a response using Nizami’s structure but varying his stories slightly. This painting comes from the Mughal emperor Akbar’s (r. 1556–1605) personal copy of Amir Khusrau’s verses. It shows the king Bahram Gur with his beautiful slave girl, Dilaram, who could make animals sleep or awaken with the sound of her music.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.5cm, width: 15.1cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to India","provenance":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \n\"Mughal Painting under Akbar the Great.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, New Series, vol. 12 (October 1953).  \n  \nDimand, M. S., *Indian Miniatures.*, New York-Milan, 1959.  \n  \nUniversity Gallery, University of Florida. \"April 10th thru May 29th, 1966.\" In *Miniatures and Small Sculptures from India.*, (1966).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, Venice: Edizioni Oriens, (1968).  \n  \nGlynn, C.. \"An Early Mughal Landscape Painting and Realted Works.\" in *Los Angeles County Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 20, no. 2 (1974).  \n  \nBeach, M.C.; E. Fischer, B. N. Goswamy, and K. Overton, *Masters of Indian Painting.* Vols. I, II., Zurich, Switzerland: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2011.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\" in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89).  \n  \nPal, P., ed., *Master Artists of the Imperial Mughal Court.*, Bombay: Marg Publications, 1991.  \n  \nKossak, S. M., ed., *Indian Court Painting 16th–19th century.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1997.  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.* Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, (2001).  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, (2003).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446562","materials":["and gold on paper","Margins: gold on dyed paper","Opaque watercolour","Main support: ink"]},"4df535c3-b510-5c68-a479-e3f13cd24179":{"name":"Morocco. Irrigation channels in Marzuga","description":"The irrigation channels of Morocco, locally known as khettaras, are predominantly located in the southern areas of the country, on the margins of the Sahara Desert. Isolated oases, such as Merzouga, have relied on the khettaras for irrigation and survival since the 14th century AD. Functioning similarly to the aflaj of Oman, they work by drawing groundwater from areas of higher altitude to oases via underground tunnels that can be several kilometres long. In these images, we see them in use in local contexts, with water arriving to the village to irrigate the land.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private collection","owner":"Private collection","dates":"2 Safar 1439 / 27 October 2017","place_of_production":"Merzouga, Morocco","author":"Yelyzaveta Basysta","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Morocco.","Merzouga","irrigation system","water"],"materials":["photography"]},"4e79bace-bc0e-55dc-9c99-de21e6fc0f6b":{"name":"*Kelek* raft","description":"The Iraqi word for raft is *kelek*, a name that can be traced from Sumerian (*ka-la*) via Akkadian (*kalakku*). Most *keleks* were made on banks of the Tigris in mountainous areas of what is now Iraqi Kurdistan and southern Turkey. *keleks* were traditionally constructed using a grid of long, straight poles made from tree saplings – an important export from the northern highlands to Mosul and Baghdad since ancient times, used in construction and for a wide range of purposes after the rafts had been dismantled.  \n  \nThe *kelek* differs from log rafts as its poles are supported on floats to increase buoyancy: traditionally these were made from inflated animal skins (more recent versions have been known to use tyre inner tubes). The poles and floats are tied together with cordage made from leather, goat-hair, or other materials sourced from further afield.  \n  \nSome *keleks* were used simply to transport the wooden poles that made up the raft; others carried additional heavy cargoes, including giant millstones and the raw stone used to build ancient Mesopotamian cities. *Keleks* from the northern highlands generally made only one downstream journey before being dismantled and used for their materials. *Keleks* were photographed on the Tigris in the early AH 14th / AD 20th century and were used by archaeologist A. H. Layard to transport statues from Nineveh downstream to Baghdad in the AH mid 13th / AD mid-19th century.  \n  \n*Keleks* are depicted on at least two Assyrian reliefs from the reign of Sennacherib (705-681 BC): in one scene the raft carries passengers and a fisherman, while another shows it carrying two large stone blocks. Both rafts are propelled by oarsmen seated at the front of the raft. One is guided by a swimmer on an animal skin float.  \n  \nThe *kelek* in the collection of the Open Museum for Water Culture is a reconstruction made in AH 1446/ AD 2024 by a craftsman from Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan.","type":"Watercraft","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Cultures","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1446/ AD 2024","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Length: 3m, height: 0.4m, width: 2.4m","method_for_datation":"Production was supervised by current owner.","method_for_provenance":"Production was supervised by current owner.","provenance":"Sulaymaniyah, Iraq","obtention":"Made in workshop organised by Safina Projects.","bibliography":"Agius, D. A.,*Classic Ships of Islam: from Mesopotamia to the Indian Ocean.*, Leiden: Brill, 2014.  \n  \nAl-Behadli, J., 'The Ark for Iraq Programme: the Experience of Safina Projects in the Study of Traditional Boats and their Revitalisation', *Al-Turath al-Sha’bi*, (2024), 325 \\[Published in Arabic\\].  \n  \nMcGrail, S., *Boats of the World: from the Stone Age to Medieval Times*, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.  \n  \nRitter, H., 'Mesopotamische Studien', *Der Islam: Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Kultur des Islamischen Orients* (1919).","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["raft","boat","Watercraft","Transport"],"materials":["knotting.","inflated goat skins","cordage","Poplar wood","carpentry"]},"50179dc4-4e0f-5796-85ea-539270a46a71":{"name":"Cooking pot","description":"This kitchen utensil was discovered at the al Wakra site during excavations carried out in 2011.  \nIt is a cooking pot that was made in Julfar (in the Emirate of Ras al-Khaymah) and used for storing and preparing foodstuffs and liquids. With a globular body and a flat base, this pot bears a grey slip, and some of the specific decoration painted in red from the Julfar production workshop can be discerned on the upper part of the body, neck and shoulder. This bears witness to the import of pottery and to Qatar's commercial links and activities.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH 12th–13th century / AD 18th–19th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 23.5, body diameter: 28.5cm, rim diameter: 2.1cm","place_of_production":"Julfar, Ras al-Khaymah Emirate, United Arab Emirates","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Al-Wakra, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Hansman, J, *Julfar: an Arabian port : its settlement and Far Eastern ceramic trade from the 14th to the 18th centuries*., London: Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1985.  \n  \nKennet, D., *Sasanian and Islamic Pottery from Ras al-Khaimah.: Classification, chronology and analysis of trade in the Western Indian Ocean*., BAR International Series, Oxford: Archaeopress, 2004.  \n  \nQIAH, University of Copenhagen, Unpublished report Qatar Museums, 2013–2014.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","Transportation","kitchenware","storage"],"materials":["Earthenware"]},"50cb0435-f17d-5672-aecf-be44c5bba6ef":{"name":"\"The Castle Water Clock,\" from the Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices by al-Jazari","description":"Missing description","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"AH 715 / AD 1315","location":"Boston","dimensions":"31.1cm × 21cm","place_of_production":"Eastern turkey or Syria","obtention":"By 1931, Denman Waldo Ross, Cambridge, MA;  \n1931, gift of Denman Waldo Ross to the MFA.","scriber":"Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri","keywords":["Technical Manuscripts","water","Mamluks","folio"],"materials":["Ink","watercolor and gold on paper"]},"517b9478-f631-507d-9c9f-4381e1f51b61":{"name":"Textile Panel","short_description":"Most of the textiles that survive from Fatimid Egypt, mainly fragments, were made or reused as burial shrouds and were preserved on account of the dryness of the Egyptian climate. This comparatively large panel may therefore derive from a funerary context; to compensate for areas of loss, it appears to have been pieced together in modern times from four parts of the same cloth, suggesting the original panel was once much longer. Its materials (bleached linen and silk), tapestry-weave technique, and bands of geometric decoration all mark it as a product of the Fatimid period. There are several bands of inscription that can be read as a repetition of “Help from Allah,” but because it lacks a royal or historical inscription, this cloth was likely made for a humbler clientele rather than for the ruling elite. However, it is otherwise very similar in style and manufacture to the so-called Cadouin Shroud (Abbey of Cadouin, France), inscribed in the name of the caliph al-Musta‘lī (r. Hegira 487-495/ AD 1094–1101).","type":"Textiles","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira late 5th century / AD late 11th-early 12th century","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"85.4 x 84.5cm","method_for_datation":"Although it lacks an historical inscription, it is similar to the so-called Cadouin Shroud, inscribed in the name of the Fatimid caliph al-Musta‘lī (Hegira 487-495 / AD 1094–1101).","method_for_provenance":"The materials, tapestry-weave technique, and bands of geometric decoration mark it as a product of the Fatimid Egypt.","provenance":"Egypt","obtention":"Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mallon (1884-1975, and 1890-1968, respectively), New York, until 1947 (sold to); LACMA, through the Hearst Foundation Fund.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Beauty and Identity: Islamic Art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2016: 124-125, cat. No. 55.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["geometric decoration","linen","panel","silk","Fatimid","inscription"],"materials":["Linen plain weave","linen with silk weft-faced tapestry weave"]},"520fc7bb-8275-5706-8db3-39ed2161c029":{"name":"Bucket","description":"A leather bucket in the form of a hemispherical container with fluted sides. Its rounded rim is made of wood and covered with leather strips. On each side are two rings attached to a handle formed of a braided leather rope, to which another rope was tied for lowering the bucket into the well to draw water for drinking and watering animals.","type":"Bucket","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"Late AD 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Diameter: 42cm, Height: 18, 30cm","provenance":"The Arabian Peninsula","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["leather","Bucket","water"],"materials":["leather","cutting and sewing"]},"52262e70-2860-5b5b-8fff-109c9c07916c":{"name":"Janissary water jug","description":"The pitcher is copper, coated with tin, and bears Janissary symbols.  \nIt is inscribed in Ottoman Turkish with the text:  \n  \n*\"Es-SeCenturyid Salih Beşe, sene \\[H.\\] 1232, Bölük 25.”*: \"Es-SeCenturyid Salih Beşe, Year \\[AH\\] 1232, Regiment 25.\"  \n  \nAdditionally, the body is decorated in engraved workmanship with stylised motifs of a naval anchor and a fish, symbolising maritime affiliation.  \n  \nThis pitcher was owned by Agha (commander) of the 25th Janissary Regiment.","type":"Jug","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira early 13th century / AD early 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Diameter: 10cm, height: 14cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Turkish","Ocean.","Copper","Jug","Ottoman","water","fish","Janissary","Maritime","Anchor"],"materials":["copper"]},"5337eb4c-b40b-5fbe-9d53-67905e8aef78":{"name":"Water Distribution in Urban Life — Abu Dhabi","description":"A delivery truck transports large refillable water dispensers, a familiar sight in many Gulf cities. In Abu Dhabi, where natural freshwater sources are scarce, and tap water is often not preferred for drinking, bottled and delivered water play a central role in daily life. These large containers — ordered through coupon systems and delivered to homes, offices, and public buildings — are part of the infrastructure that secures safe, drinkable water for urban communities.  \n  \nWater, though readily available in modern cities, remains a resource managed by desalination, distribution, and consumption patterns unique to the Gulf.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private collection","author":"Dina Turkieh","copy_editor":"Judy Harter"},"53bfd120-38d2-542e-8411-f7f2250cf956":{"name":"Label","description":"Turkmen mineral water label; design includes the idealised image of a female water-carrier in tradition local costume; originally attached to 1.5 litre plastic bottle.","type":"Label","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"AH c. 1400-1415 / AD c. 1980-1995","location":"London","dimensions":"Length: 22.80, width: 10.50cm","place_of_production":"Ashgabat, Turkmenistan","provenance":"Turkmenistan","obtention":"Donated by Dr St John Simpson.","copyright":"This is an 'orphan work' in The British Museum’s collections. If you are the copyright holder and were not contacted, please reach out to Museum With No Frontiers at editing@museumwnf.net so that proper credit may be given on this website.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_EPH-ME-275","keywords":["water-carrier","label.","water"],"materials":["Paper"]},"54e4dfd7-48fc-5972-94f5-cea81c315201":{"name":"Bowl.","description":"Wide-mouthed bowl with a slightly convex base. As in the majority of examples of this type of object, the decoration, which covers the whole of the outer surface, consists of a wide band, interrupted by medallions, made up of a series of scrolls bearing inscriptions in Mamluk cursive characters known as *thuluth*. The underside decoration includes typical motifs, such as phoenixes in flight and peonies, peculiar to Mamluk metalwork, revealing the influence of Far Eastern naturalism tempered by its Iranian background.  \n  \nThe inscriptions, which offer a typical example of the titles used in Mamluk protocol for objects intended for high-ranking persons, include \"*al-maqarr*…*al-âli*\" (High Excellency), \"*al-mawlawî*\"(the Master), \"*al-mâlikî*\" (the Sovereign), \"*al-âdilî*\" (the Just), \"*al-amîri*\" (the Amir) and \"*al-mâmâlk*\" (the Mamluk). The bowl probably belonged to an unknown high-ranking official of the sovereign’s court, who is referred to in one of the inscriptions.  \n  \nThe bottom of the inside of the bowl bears a particularly interesting motif made up of a series of fish in a whirlpool pattern. This is a very common decorative element in Islamic metalwork, particularly during the Mamluk period. The fish motif, as well as being obviously linked to the intended use of the piece (to hold water), probably also holds a special magical or symbolic significance as fish are bearers of good omens in the East and specifically in this case for the owner of the piece.","short_description":"This bowl, used for holding water and decorated with inscriptions and zoomorphic motifs (fish and phoenixes in flight), is a good example of calligraphy being used for decoration and as a good omen in the Muslim world.","type":"Bowl, metalwork","holder":"Museum of Civilisations | Museum of Oriental Art “Giuseppe Tucci”","dates":"Hegira 8th century / AD 14th century.","location":"Rome","dimensions":"Diameter 20cm.","method_for_datation":"This type of Islamic metalwork was quite widespread in the 8th / 14th century.","method_for_provenance":"This type of bowl is widespread in the Iranian as well as the Syrian/Egyptian spheres of influence.","provenance":"Egypt or Syria.","obtention":"Purchase.","bibliography":"Atil, E., *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks*, Washington, 1981.  \nBaer, E., “Fish-pond Ornaments on Persian and Mamluk Metal Vessels”, *Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies* 31, 1968, pp.14–27.  \nSafadi, Y. H., *Islamic Calligraphy*, London, 1979.  \nScerrato, U., *Metalli Islamici*, Milan, 1966.  \nTorre, P., “Metalli Islamici”, *Museo Poldi Pezzoli: Tessuti-Scultura-Metalli Islamici*, Milan, 1987, pp.273–304.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Paola Torre","copy_editor":"Pier Paolo Racioppi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["bowl","inlay","animal decoration","Phoenix","brass","imaginary animal","zoomorphic imagery","Mamluk art","nashki","calligraphy"],"materials":["Brass inlaid with gold and silver."]},"55612a5e-2511-58ed-bb67-272440566fbb":{"name":"Imperial decree (*Ferman*)","description":"This imperial edict (*ferman*), bearing the hand-drawn *tughra* (imperial monogram) of Sultan Abdülmecid, concerns the schedule of water distribution days among the villages of Eşeközü hamlet in the Kayseri district.  \nThe *ferman* is black in color and originates from the Kayseri region.","type":"Imperial Decree","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 75cm, width: 51cm","place_of_production":"Anatolia","method_for_datation":"Determined following an examination by Yıldırım Ağanoğlu, an expert of the Ottoman Archives.","method_for_provenance":"It was identified by being read by Yıldırım Ağanoğlu, an expert of the Ottoman Archives.","provenance":"Kayseri","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans.","Water: Imperial edict","calligraphy"],"materials":["Paper","handwritten"]},"556ddc9e-29c0-523e-bb8e-eb53f4c45d06":{"name":"Ablutions basin.","description":"This parallelepipedic tank marked with plain striations on the inside, the short sides and the corners, was beautifully adorned on the outside, and almost all of the decoration has survived on two sides. The design on the decorated face, whose inscription has been destroyed, is divided into two styles. The first one, rising from the base, consists of a large frieze of grooved foliage, dotted with buds and rosettes and wide-veined plain palms with calyxes, and double ones with acanthus leaves and buds. The second comprises a strip in relief with two lines of grooved intersecting knotwork, one curved and the other straight, bearing fleurons and veined palms. It is framed by an edge, set back, formed by vegetal knotwork accentuated with small stylised palm leaves in the shape of six-pointed stars.  \nThe short side is occupied by two identical animal scenes, sculpted on two vertical panels separated by an empty space. On each panel, there is an eagle spreading its tail, carrying two quadrupeds on its wings and two gazelles from its claws. Two winged ibex confronting each other on either side of a fleuron finish the scene in the lower part.  \nMost of the ornamentation on the other two sides has been destroyed, leaving only the text in *kufic* characters sculpted in relief on the rim and the decoration of the framing ribbon on the large side, which consists of a frieze of aquatic birds and fish alternating on a plant background.  \nThe surviving elements of the inscription that crowned the entire rim of the tank include the last digit of the hegira date (300), and the name of the patron, 'Abd al-Malik, *hajib* (chamberlain) of Hisham II.  \nThe design and animal scenes of this beautiful example of Caliphate artwork are reminiscent of the tank at al-Mansur and would appear to be from the same Madinat al-Zahira marble workshop in Córdoba.","short_description":"This basin is the work of a marble workshop in Madinat al-Zahira, Córdoba, the princely city built by al-Mansur. It was brought to Marrakesh by 'Ali ibn Yusuf and placed in the ablutions room of the Great Mosque.","type":"Basin, marble","holder":"Dar Si Saïd Museum.","dates":"Hegira 381–98 / AD 991–1008 (when 'Abd al-Malik served as *hajib*).","location":"Marrakesh.","dimensions":"Height 70 cm, length 155 cm, width 82 cm, depth 50 cm, thickness of sides 10 cm, thickness of base 20 cm.","method_for_datation":"1\\. The inscription, partially destroyed, sculpted on the upper rim of the tank reads '(the year) three hundred, in the name of God! God's blessing. Victory and divine assistance to the Hajib \\[followed with his honours\\] Abu Marwan 'Abd al-Malik ibn Amir (…), this is part of what he commissioned (…)'.  \n2\\. We know that 'Abd al-Malik was appointed *hajib* of Hisham II between 381 and 398 / 991 and 1008) by his father al-Mansur.","method_for_provenance":"Although it was discovered in the Ibn Yusuf Madrasa in Marrakesh, which belongs to the Sa'did period (10th / 16th century), the name of the patron and the comparative study with the al-Mansur basin in the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid suggest that it was originally from Madinat al-Zahira in Córdoba.","provenance":"Córdoba.","obtention":"As state property from a historical monument.","bibliography":"Deverdun, G., *Marrakech des origines à 1912*, Rabat, 1959.  \nDeverdun, G., *Inscriptions arabes de Marrakech*, Rabat, 1956.  \nGalloti, J., “Sur une cuve de marbre datant du Khalifat de Cordoue”, *Hespéris*, III, fasc. 3, Rabat, 1923, pp.363–91.  \nLévy-Provençal, É., *Histoire de l'Espagne musulmane*, Vol. III, Paris, 1953.  \nPigeon, G., *Manuel d'art musulman*, Vol. I, Paris, 1927.","workshop":"Madinat al-Zahira workshop, Córdoba.","author":"Naima El Khatib-Boujibar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["floral decoration","epigraphic decoration","geometric decoration","vegetal decoration","water","religious object","figurative decoration"],"materials":["Sculpted white marble."]},"5656dd0b-ba48-5ef4-a959-1d9718ee9e56":{"name":"Ablutions font.","description":"Ablutions font with a circular bowl, formed with eight lobes in the style of a flower. It has a unique decoration on the outside of the rim, a band in relief bearing an epigraph. Water has worn this away, obliterating the letters on the outer curves, with just a few remaining on the corners where the lobes meet. On one of them it is possible to read the beginning of the *Basmala* (first verse of the Qur'an) and everything leads us to suppose that this was completed with a quotation from the Qur'an, as was common on facilities of this kind related to ritual ablutions at the entrances to mosques. Another specimen of similar characteristics and probably from the same period is known in the Lisbon area.","short_description":"Almohad ablutions font decorated on the outside of the rim with a band inscribed in relief with the beginning of the *basmala*, which suggests that it also included a Qur’anic inscription. This piece was probably related to the ablutions ritual practised when entering a mosque.","type":"Font, marble","holder":"National Museum of Archaeology.","dates":"Hegira 6th century / AD 12th century.","location":"Lisbon.","dimensions":"Height 18 cm, diameter 53.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The style of lettering dates it to the Almohad period.","method_for_provenance":"Dr José Leite de Vasconcelos left notes in the National Museum of Archaeology to the effect that it belonged to the collection of Estácio da Veiga and that it probably came from Cacela.","provenance":"Cacela (?) (Faro).","obtention":"It was probably taken to the National Museum of Archaeology by Dr José Leite de Vasconcelos.","bibliography":"Borges, A. G. M., “Pia de Abluções”, in *Portugal Islâmico*, Lisbon, 1999, p.265.  \nLabarta, A. and Barceló, C., “Inscripciones Árabes Portuguesas: Situación Actual”, *Al-Qantara*, 8, 1987, p.404.  \nNykl, A. R., “Arabic Inscriptions in Portugal”, *Ars Islamica*, 11–12, 1946, p.173.  \nNykl, A. R., “Inscrições Árabes no Museu Etnológico do Dr. José Leite de Vasconcelos”, *Ethnos*, 2, Lisbon, 1942, pp.27–8.  \nVasconcelos, J. L., *Etnografia Portuguesa: Tentame de Sistematização*, Vol. 4, Lisbon, 1982.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PT_EN_001","author":"Artur Goulart de Melo Borges","translator":"Gilla Evans","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["Basmala","marble","Almohad","Font"],"materials":["Sculpted marble."]},"5737c1ee-cc7f-51c5-a3a0-7d7bf8615842":{"name":"Iznik bottle","description":"An Iznik flask, with a spherical body and a long neck, is decorated with polychrome flowers: roses, hyacinth and carnations and the neck displays vertical panels. Bought by A. Benakis in Cairo in 1920 and according to the etiquettes under the base it was part of the 1885 exhibition at the Burlington Arts Club in London and of the 1925 exhibition in Alexandria. Ottoman c. 1575.","type":"Ceramic","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"16th century; bought in 1920","location":"Athens","provenance":"Turkey, Iznik","author":"Mina Moraitou"},"58467eac-791f-5968-9787-74e5c5043757":{"name":"Large pitcher","description":"This pitcher is inscribed in Ottoman Turkish with the following text:  \n  \n*\"Bu güğümden su içene şifalar olsun; eğer dahi kâfir içerse İslamla müşerref olsun. Tarih 1266’dır, cümle hakkında hayr olsun.\"*: “May those who drink water from this ewer be granted healing; and if an unbeliever drinks, may he be honored with Islam. The date is \\[AH\\] 1266; may it bring goodness to all.\")  \n  \nIt also reads *\"Fet oğlu Hüseyin Ağa, tûl-i ömrü ile muammer olsun.\"*: \"May Hüseyin Ağa, son of Fet, live a long and prosperous life.\"","type":"Pitcher","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 40cm","place_of_production":"Anatolia","method_for_datation":"Its date was determined by Islamic metal artefacts expert Güner Liman.","method_for_provenance":"Its date was determined by Islamic metal artefacts expert Güner Liman.","provenance":"Kastamonu","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","Copper","water","Blessing","pitcher"],"materials":["copper"]},"5873b7f8-20de-5178-a5f8-4103250abc6c":{"name":"Bedouin women waiting to draw their ration of water.  Beni Selah, South Palestine. July 1917","description":"A very long queue, mainly of Bedouin women, waiting to collect water rations in an open area with domestic buildings behind. To the left are two mounted Allied soldiers. There is a third mounted soldier facing the line of women on the right. To the far right are five Allied soldiers standing behind a barbed-wire fence, in front of a temporary cistern full of water. Near the soldiers are two local men holding a box. The Allied troops are supervising the collection of water.","type":"Original photographic print","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Captain Arthur Rhodes","dates":"AH 1335 / AD 1917","location":"London","dimensions":"28.7 x 8.8cm","place_of_production":"South Palestine","method_for_datation":"On captions beneath photograph.","method_for_provenance":"On captions beneath photograph.","provenance":"South Palestine and New Zealand","obtention":"Donation through family","workshop":"Beersheba Campaign","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["rationing","Beersheba campaign","soldiers","water shortages","WWI","bedouins"],"materials":["Panoramic photographic print"]},"58752dc4-a710-5e08-bb58-f1e52b715cb4":{"name":"Axe","description":"The traditional hand-forged axe is a simple but highly functional implement which dates back to antiquity in Oman. It is used to shape, chop and split wood, with its steel head serving as a wedge to force wood fibres apart and its wooden handle acting as a lever to increase force at the cutting edge.","type":"Axe","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height: 6cm, length: 63.3cm, width: 18.5cm","place_of_production":"Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition","obtention":"Local acquisition.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Wood and iron"]},"587837e2-ba2c-5d56-b39a-b5dcb62c7f11":{"name":"Model of traditional pearling boat","alternate_name":"Sama'a","description":"This type of boat represents the most common type of vessel that was involved in the pearling trade in Sharjah. Throughout the Arabian Gulf, several types of boats such as the Jalboot, Sambooq, Battil and the Sama'a, although in fact multi-purpose, were used for pearling at the peak of the industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Depending on the boat and size, the boats had the capacity to carry between 10 and 100 crew. This model is of the 'Saku', a Sama'a-type boat originally belonging to Juma Al Sari, the father of the model donor.","type":"Wooden boat model","holder":"Sharjah Maritime Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira first half of the 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Sharjah Emirate","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"58a491a4-71cc-5b24-a1a9-764a71488439":{"name":"*Works for the opening of the Corinth Canal*","description":"The Corinth Canal being dug. Photographer unknown.  \nThe Corinth Canal separates the Peloponnesian peninsula from the Greek. The idea of the canal was revived after Greece gained independence but soon abandoned due to economical reasons. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 gave an new impetus and the following year, the Zaimis government passed a law authorising the construction of the canal, which was formally inaugurated on 23 April 1882. Zaimis assigned the project to the Hungarian István Türr who set up the Société Internationale du Canal Maritime de Corinthe but the company failed and the project was finished by the company of Andeas Syngros. The canal was designed by the Hungarian engineer Béla Gerster with the assistance of the French Vincent Dauzants, a chief engineer of the Suez canal.","type":"Photograph","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"c. 1885","location":"Athens","author":"Maria Dimitriadou"},"595f376a-1ffd-5325-a198-c5d6d88c28f7":{"name":"Trough","description":"A limestone trough in the form of a deep square basin, placed beside the well to be filled with water after extraction, and for watering animals.","type":"Basin","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"Late AH 13th century / AD 19th century CE","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Width: 53cm, Length: 34cm","provenance":"The Arabian Peninsula","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Basin","water","carved limestone","animals"],"materials":["carving","Limestone"]},"59aacd3c-1eb0-50be-81af-310b08deaa40":{"name":"Glazed and decorated bowl","description":"This small open bowl was intended to serve food. The glaze and decoration remain only on the outside, with alternating vertically painted lines in red and yellow running from the lip to the foot. The glaze above the painted decoration is transparent. This particular combination of colours and patterns suggest that this bowl was a product of a workshop in Susa (Iran) or Samarra or Basra (Iraq).","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 5.5cm, base diameter: 14.1cm, rim diameter: 16.6cm","place_of_production":"Iraq/Iran","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","bowl","Tableware","Glaze"],"materials":["Glazed earthenware"]},"59e80b7c-1bba-5071-b131-361159bba754":{"name":"Dish","description":"Istanbul was a lively center of trade, and many ships, both Turkish and Western, called at its harbor. Most of the Turkish vessels were light, fast ships with lateen sails, like the one depicted on a flask (11/1971). Western European galleys were much heavier, and this dish shows a monumental oceangoing three-master on the raging sea.  \n  \nWhat were presumably the muzzles of threatening cannons were transformed by the Turkish potter into flowerheads. An early example of the slogan Make Love, Not War?","type":"Dish","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH c. 1009 / AD c.1600","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Height: 6.8cm ; Diameter: 36cm","place_of_production":"Iznik (Türkiye)","bibliography":"Atil, E., *The Age of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent*, Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1987: cat.no. 201.  \n  \n*Soliman le Magnifique: 15 fevrier au 14 mai 1990*, Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris 1990: cat.no. 86.  \n  \nFolsach, K., *et al.,*, *Sultan, Shah and Great Mughal: the history and culture of the Islamic world*, Copenhagen: The National Museum, 1996: cat.no. 182.  \n  \nDenny, W., *Iznik: la céramique turque et l'art ottoman*, Paris: Citadelles & Mazenod, 2004: 184--185.  \n  \nBurrison, J.A., *Bautiful clay: a traditional craft as art*, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2025: 174, 186, 182, fig. 3.39.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Ottomans","Fritware","Iznik","water","Dish"],"materials":["and black and with a red slip under a transparent glaze","painted in blue","green","Fritware"]},"5aabfcb6-a13b-500a-8564-a220ab8e6df8":{"name":"Photographic print","description":"Photographic print (black and white); showing rows of clay vessels. A man in tattered clothes is shaping the neck of one. A group of children are standing behind and between the vessels.","type":"Photograph","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"AH 1399-1400 / AD  1979-1980","location":"London","dimensions":"Height: 30cm, width: 21cm","place_of_production":"Kosti, Sudan","obtention":"Purchased from Natalie Tobert.","copyright":"This is an 'orphan work' in The British Museum’s collections. If you are the copyright holder and were not contacted, please reach out to Museum With No Frontiers at editing@museumwnf.net so that proper credit may be given on this website.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/E_Af1980-21-237","keywords":["photographs","Kosti","water","Sudan"],"materials":["Paper"]},"5afe91bf-fea8-55d3-82ee-a8b6233aab07":{"name":"Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary).","description":"The Haram al-Sharif is of great importance in the Islamic faith. It is where the Prophet Muhammad set out on his midnight journey from Mecca to Jerusalem (*Isra'*) and from where he ascended to the heavens (*Mi'raj)*. Furthermore, God blessed the Haram in the Holy Qur'an, and made it the first *qibla* (or direction of prayer) for Muslims.  \nThe Haram takes an elevated position up in the hills of Jerusalem. It is composed of a rectangular platform of approximately 1450,000 sq m forming one-sixth of the old city of Jerusalem.  \nScholars agree that as it exists today the Haram al-Sharif is devoid of any visible remains that precede the arrival of the Muslims in Jerusalem in AH 15 / AD 638, due to the fact that the buildings which were standing were destroyed by Titus and his legions in AD 70.  \nWhen the Arab-Muslims arrived, Jerusalem surrendered peacefully as part of a contractual agreement set up by Caliph ‘Umar bin al-Khattab (r. AH 13–23 / AD 634–44) with the Patriarch, Sophronius. The Arabs did not destroy any buildings in the area of the Haram and the agreement made with Sophronius guaranteed the protection of the inhabitants, their households and their possessions. Most of the city was inhabited, with the exception of the Haram area, which at the time was neglected.  \nThe Haram site slopes from the north to the south. The highest point of it is in the centre where the Dome of the Rock is located. This tendency to slope is addressed by a platform that traverses it. One section of the platform is known by the name of al-Aqsa al-Qadim, while the other is known as al-Musalla al-Marwani.  \nDevelopment of the Haram is focused on its northern and western borders, although this was following construction at the centre, along with some important buildings such as the Dome of the Rock and the Qubbat al-Silsila (Dome of the Chain). The eastern edge of the Haram inclines towards a slope running down to the Wadi Jahannam (Qidron Valley), used as an Islamic cemetery from the very beginning of the Islamic conquests. On the southern side there is an even steeper inclination that offers better structural support to the architecture, and because of this, Umayyad edifices on the southern limit, best represented by the Dar al-Imara in the south of the Haram, have been continuously inhabited throughout history.  \nThe Haram al-Sharif is composed of three levels. The ground level includes Bab al-Rahma (Gate of Mercy), Bab al-Tawba / Bab al-Dhahabi (Gate of Repentance / Golden Gate), al-Musalla al-Marwani, al-Aqsa al-Qadim (Old Aqsa) and the Masjid of Buraq. The middle level includes the Aqsa Mosque, the Islamic Museum and the side arcades in the western and northern walls, along with a multiplicity of gates and buildings such as *sabil*s, *madrasa*s, *mastaba*s, minarets and domes. The highest level is that of the Dome of the Rock, reached by a series of stairwells, and where there are a series of magnificent domes and some *khanqa*s (Sufi retreats), also the Minbar Burhan al-Din and the Mastabat al-Kark, and a number of cisterns and fountains.","short_description":"This is the third oldest Islamic site after Mecca and Medina and the oldest and most important sacred Muslim site in Palestine. It is a large complex with an area of some 145,000 sq. m. It includes the Dome of the Rock, al-Aqsa Mosque, the Dome al-Silsila (Chain) and the Bab al-Rahma (Gate of Mercy) as well as more than 90 other commemorative buildings. The complex thus represents diverse Eastern Islamic architectural arts in different styles over the course of various periods, transforming it into an outdoor architectural museum. The site is linked with Islamic stories, specifically that of the *Isra'* and *Mi'raj* (Night of the Prophet's Ascension).","dates":"Hegira 15–493 / AD 637–1099; AH 583–1336 / AD 1187–1917.","location":"Jerusalem","method_for_datation":"The Haram al-Sharif is dated by the inscriptions it bears, by historical sources and finds from archaeological excavations.","bibliography":"Burgoyne, M., *Mamluk Jerusalem: An Architectural Study,* London, 1987.  \nCreswell, K. A. C., *Early Muslim Architecture,* Oxford, 1932.  \nHamilton, R. W., *The Structural History of al-Aqsa Mosque: A Record of Archaeological Gleanings from the Repairs of 1938–42*, London, 1949.  \nAl-Hanbali, Mujir al-Din, (d. AH 927 / AD 1520), *Al-Uns al-Jalil fi Tarikh al-Quds wa al-Khalil \\[The Significant Ambiance in the History of Jerusalem and Hebron\\]*, Amman, 1973.  \nNatsheh, Y., “The Architecture of Ottoman Jerusalem”, in S. Auld and R. Hillenbrand (eds), *Ottoman Jerusalem: The Living City 1517–1917* (Part II),London, 2000.  \n*Pilgrimage, Sciences and Sufism: Islamic Art in the West Bank and Gaza* (pp.69–71).","patrons":"A number of caliphs, sultans and princes of the Islamic lands oversaw the construction of the buildings of the Haram al-Sharif. The most prominent was the Umayyad caliph, Abd al-Malik bin Marwan (r. AH 65–86 / AD 685–705). Subsequent renovations were undertaken by several Muslim sultans and caliphs, the most prominent being: the Fatimid caliph, al-Zahir (r. AH 411–27 / AD 1021–36) and sultan Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (known as Saladin, r. AH 564–89 / AD 1169–93) and the Ottoman sultan, Sulayman al-Qanuni (Sulayman the Magnificent; r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66).","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PA_EN_001","author":"Yusuf al-Natsheh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Al-Isra’","sacred objects","miraj","Sanctuary","religious building"]},"5ba1e422-156b-52c9-b178-d1de57501788":{"name":"Piri Reis b. Hajji Mehmed, *Bahriye* (Navigation or Sailing Manual)","short_description":"The important manual on navigation and sailing called “*Bahriye*” was authored by Piri Re’is b. Hajji Mehmed (died 962 AH / 1554–55), an Ottoman navigator and cartographer. This 17th-century copy was penned in large *naskh* script, possibly in Ottoman Istanbul. Piri Re’is, a Turkish captain and later admiral of the Ottoman fleet, is credited with the creation of two famous world maps as well as this sailing manual for the entire Mediterranean. While the latter is relatable to Catalan and Italian *Portolane* and *Isolarii* (Sea Atlases or Naval Manuals, and Island Books respectively), the work of Piri Re’is is considered quite independent and original as it contains detailed descriptions of the coasts and islands of the Mediterranean, starting from the Bosporus and the Dardanelles. Interestingly, this manuscript is a late copy of his first version of 1521, while a separate second version, which included a longer and more detailed text, was made five years later and was dedicated to Suleyman the Magnificent. The earlier text consists of 132 chapters with descriptive texts of historical, geographical, and navigational content. Moreover, this copy contains 133 half– to full-page map sketches that accompany the text, of which most feature a black compass rose in the centre. Like the other more than 20 surviving copies, it likely served primarily practical purposes. In contrast, the second version of the text is extant in about ten surviving copies which reflect a representative courtly quality both in their elaborate calligraphy and illustration. This suggests that these manuals were rather intended for the education of the nobility. It has been postulated that the Vienna copy, with its schematic, rather inconsistently oriented sketches that sometimes even extend into the text block, was produced by sailors or members of the Ottoman Navy in the arsenal or in cartographic workshops. The map sketches show port cities and fortresses identified by toponyms and other representational details added in bright colours. These representations seem to follow a fixed compositional formula with stylised landscape depictions. Small offshore islands or reefs, for example, are usually highlighted in red. Judging from the illustrations, this manual is stylistically comparable to the copy kept in the University Library of Bologna (MS 3613, dated 977 AH / 1569 AD), and it has been argued that the Vienna manuscript may be a copy of the Bologna manuscript from the second half of the 17th-century. The owners’ notes and stamps on fol. 1a reveal that the manual was part of the collections of a certain Zeynül'Abidin Evliyazade as well as of Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"Possibly 17th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"316x220mm (250x155mm), ff. III, II*, 172 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Istanbul","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, the owner's notes and stamps of a Zeynül 'Abidin Evliyazade and of Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall (dated 1223 AH/1808 AD) are visible.","obtention":"Purchased from Hammer-Purgstall in 1832.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II/2. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5/2, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008: 232-242.","binding_desc":"The light brown half-leather binding features the title as well as additional ornaments in gold print on the spine. It consists of European marbled paper over boards, which suggest that it was likely made in 19th-century Vienna.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14393579","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["manual","naskh","geography","navigation","Cartography","island","sailing","Map"],"materials":["opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Large calligraphic naskh of 19 lines per page.","Ink"]},"5cb50de2-2586-516f-843e-945e72d7f294":{"name":"Miniature","description":"In this miniature, an entire world of living beings—mothers and children, animals, plants, and all forms of life—is depicted within a single drop of water. Beneath the drop appears an Arabic inscription from the Qur’an, Surat al-Anbiya (21:30):  \n\"*Ve ce‘alnā min al-mā’i kulla shay’in ḥayy*\" —  \n“We created every living thing from water.”  \n  \nThe work symbolises the idea that all beings are bound together through water, sharing a common origin and interdependence. Reflecting this message, the Istanbul Water Museum has embraced the motto “Su Kardeşliği” — \"The Brotherhood of Water.\"","type":"Miniature","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 1431 / AD 2011","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 26cm, width: 39cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["water","Qur'an","miniature"],"materials":["Ink","Paper"]},"5e718b75-a6e3-5eae-9b65-a96062887c90":{"name":"*Dlu*","alternate_name":"Traditional leather well bucket","description":"The *dlu* is a traditional leather bucket used in Moroccan oases to draw water from deep wells. Typically crafted from thick goat leather treated with natural oils, it was strong enough to withstand constant immersion while remaining flexible. Attached to a rope and pulley system, the *dlu* was lowered into wells to collect water, then hoisted up for domestic, agricultural, and animal use. Its design reflects both simplicity and efficiency, adapted to arid environments where groundwater was the primary source of survival. In Tafilalet, where *khettaras* and wells structured daily life, the *dlu* was indispensable to communities before mechanised pumps. It represents the resilience of rural craftsmanship and the crucial role of traditional tools in sustaining livelihoods in desert societies.","type":"Water-drawing vessel","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Rural communities of Tafilalet","dates":"AD 14th / AD 20th century","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"42cm × 25cm","place_of_production":"Tafilalet","method_for_datation":"Based on typology and ethnographic evidence.","method_for_provenance":"Museum records and oral accounts.","obtention":"Museum acquisition (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","workshop":"Rural leathercraft workshops, Tafilalet","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["dlu","leathercraft","leather","Tafilalet","water extraction","well bucket"],"materials":["Goat leather","stitched and waterproofed with natural oils","rope handle"]},"5ed0eaf8-52ab-5071-826a-912d48b8619d":{"name":"*Perahu*","alternate_name":"*Perahu Padewakang*, *Prau*","description":"This scale model represents a *perahu padewakang*, a traditional sailing vessel of the Makassans and Bugis peoples of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The *padewakang* was one of the largest and most important maritime crafts of the Indonesian archipelago from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. It was widely used for long-distance trade and is closely associated with the historic Makassan voyages to northern Australia.  \n  \nThe visits of the Makassans to the northern shores of Australia are thought to have begun between 1650 and 1780 CE, according to different scholarly interpretations. Their primary aim was the collection of trepang (sea cucumber), a valuable commodity in Chinese markets. Sailing from the port of Makassar, the heart of this trade network, the Makassans established seasonal camps along the Arnhem Land coast where they harvested, boiled and dried the trepang before transporting it back to Indonesia and onward to China. These voyages represent some of the earliest sustained contact between people from outside the continent (Southeast Asian Muslims) and the Indigenous Australian communities, a history remembered in Aboriginal oral traditions and depicted in rock art and later bark paintings.  \n  \nThe *padewakang* was a relatively large vessel, able to carry around thirty crew members, provisions and the processed trepang cargo. Its form, with high stern and prow, made it a seaworthy vessel for the open waters of the Timor and Arafura Seas.  \n  \n**Cataloguing Information**:  \nThis particular model was commissioned in 2019 by the IMA from Premier Ship Models, a specialist firm. Crafted abroad in Mauritius as a representational piece, it reflects the essential features and proportions of the historic *padewakang*. It serves as an educational tool and visual record of one of Indonesia’s most significant indigenous ship types and its role in cross-cultural maritime history.","type":"Ship model (*perahu padewakang*)","holder":"Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA)","owner":"Islamic Museum of Australia","initial_owner":"Islamic Museum of Australia","dates":"AH 1440 / AD 2019","location":"Thornbury, VIC 3071","dimensions":"Height: 150cm, length: 150cm, width: 150cm","place_of_production":"Mauritius","method_for_datation":"The maker (Premier Ship Models) provided documentation confirming the model was produced in 2019. Vessel type identified as perahu padewakang, traditionally built and used in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, based on characteristic design features and historical records.","method_for_provenance":"Provenance confirmed through documentation from Premier Ship Models (commission record, 2019) indicating the model was crafted abroad for the IMA.","provenance":"The model was crafted abroad by Premier Ship Models in 2019 for the IMA.","obtention":"Comissioned","workshop":"Premier Ship Models","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Arnhem Lands","perahu padewakang","South Sulawesi","trepang","Indonesia","Makassar","Muslim","Chinese market","sea cucumber","perahu","makassan","sea vessel","northern shores","prau","China","boat","Islam in Australia"],"materials":["Wood","fabric and metal"]},"5f34d8aa-7227-5757-ad27-808b70e892e9":{"name":"Travel cup","description":"An exquisite Ottoman piece crafted by the renowned Aznavur workshop, featuring the *tughra* (imperial monogram) of Sultan Abdülhamid II and designed in an interlocking, nested form.","type":"Cup","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 10cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Silver"]},"5f40f57f-eab0-5e59-ab8b-a946c85ff75c":{"name":"Woman in traditional dress, Jardin d'Essai","description":"","type":"Paper","holder":"Musée Public National des Antiquités","location":"Algiers","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"5f76f108-6ffb-5c2b-8fe2-0ec05a6fae48":{"name":"Various hydraulic machines used in Egypt to water the land. The first method is constructed in a linear manner and provides the land with water whenever it is in need. Part of \"Dyke A\"","alternate_name":"Illustrations taken from *Voyage d'Egypte et de Nubie*","description":"The captain of the Danish Royal Marines Fréderic-Louis Norden (1708–1742) was sent to Egypt to draw monuments. His collection, *Voyage d’Égypte et de Nubie*, was published posthumously in 1755, and was added to in 1795 by the inclusion of scientific commentaries by Louis Langlès (1763–1824), founder of the École Spéciale des Langues Orientales and curator of oriental manuscripts at the Bibliothèque Impériale. This new edition, a product of Europen \"Egyptomania\", introduced some splendid new illustrations. In this particular page, the artist has focused on traditional hydraulic machinery.","type":"Engraving","dates":"1795","location":"Paris","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"5ff2f6bf-6eef-590b-81ac-758e18790131":{"name":"Calligraphy","description":"This artwork blends modern calligraphy with classical Islamic *sülüs*– and *tuğra*–inspired forms. The central inscription features the Qur’anic verse from Surah Al-Anbiyā’ (21:30): “And We created every living thing from water.” The phrase emphasises the essential and sacred nature of water as the origin of life, reflecting a cosmological theme deeply rooted in Islamic thought.  \n  \nOn the right side, the intricate calligraphic motif expresses a devotional invocation, rendered in fluid, interwoven lines that echo the movement and vitality of water. The turquoise background reinforces the symbolism of purity, creation, and continuity. Together, these elements merge spiritual meaning with visual harmony, inviting viewers to contemplate the relationship between nature, divine creation, and artistic expression.","type":"Calligraphy","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 1432 / AD 2011","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 40cm, width: 114cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["verse","water","Qur'an","calligraphy"],"materials":["Calligraphy on paper"]},"5ffeeb7c-0b57-5dd4-a331-6d70ed986d0d":{"name":"Bottle with wide rim","description":"This black glass bottle has a spherical body supported by a ring-shaped base. The tubular neck narrows slightly towards the top and ends with a flat rim. At its base it is circled by a twisting black glass ribbon overlay, the sole design element. Blown glass existed from the first century AD, making possible a considerable increase in the production of glass objects. The process became popular and played a significant part in the fabrication of vessels.","type":"Glass object","holder":"Institute of the Arab World","dates":"AH 6th / AD 12th century","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Height: 16cm","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased at public sale, Paris.","bibliography":"Glass from Islamic Lands. The al-Sabah Collection. Stefano CARBONI (London, 2001)  \n  \nAlbum du musée. Eric DELPONT (et al.) (Somogy éditions d'art, Paris, 2012) - p. 289  \n  \nCarboni, S., *Glass from Islamic Lands: the al-Sabah collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2001.  \n  \nDelpont, E. *et al.*, *Album du musée*, Paris: Somogy éditions d’art, 2012: p. 289","translator":"Judy Harter","keywords":["bottle","water","glass"],"materials":["Black blown glass","with added decoration of threads of molten glass"]},"601dea0d-c3b8-5a7e-bb87-bec596bffd3b":{"name":"Metal bucket (*Bakraç*)","description":"Decorated with engraved vegetal motifs executed in fine craftsmanship.  \nInscribed in Ottoman Turkish with the text:  \n  \n\"Sâhibü Ömer ibn-i Ubeyd, sene \\[H.\\] 1131.\"  \n  \n\"Owner: Ömer, son of Ubeyd. Year \\[Hijri\\] 1131.\"","type":"Bucket","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Diameter: 28cm, depth: 23cm","place_of_production":"Anatolia","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","provenance":"Tokat","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["copper"]},"611b1a5d-121e-5d2d-aabc-4a2151130229":{"name":"Aghlabid Reservoirs.","description":"These two reservoirs were built using the same method. They are constructed of rubble and surfaced with a waterproof coating. The walls are consolidated by internal and external buttresses which alternate, thus providing maximum resistance against the water pressure. These buttresses are semi-cylindrical in shaped and topped with semi-spheres, combining aesthetics with technical performance.  \nThey are composed of three main sections:  \n– The small reservoir measures 17 m in diameter and is reinforced by 17 internal and 26 external buttresses. Its holding capacity is 4,000 cubic metres. It is a filtering basin which receives the untreated water and rids it of most of the debris that it carries before decanting it into the large reservoir.  \n– The large reservoir is circular in shape, measures 128 m in diameter and is 4.8 m deep. Its holding capacity is 57,000 cubic metres. No less than 182 buttresses were needed (118 external and 64 internal) to contain the pressure and guarantee the viability of the project, which was to store enough water for the needs of daily life in the town. A squat poly-foil pillar rises up from its centre. Formerly surmounted by a dome, it was used as a leisure pavilion.  \nThe water travels from here into two parallel dispensing water-tanks set perpendicular to the reservoirs. They are covered with barrel vaults held up by arch-beams that rest on pillars. Six openings at the top of the vaults allow the water to be drawn.","short_description":"These hydraulic structures are the most famous in the Muslim world. They were among 15 pools outside the city walls that provided water to Kairouan. The imposing majesty of these installations earned Kairouan the epithet ‘city of water tanks’ in the Middle Ages. There are two semi-cylindrical pools supplied by an ingenious system for draining rainwater and the water from a nearby depression filled by tributaries of the *wadi* Merguelli.","dates":"Hegira 248 / AD 862.","location":"Kairouan","method_for_datation":"Historical sources: Ibn Khaldoun, *Histoire des Berberes*.","bibliography":"Lezine, A., *Architecture de l'Ifriqiya, recherches sur les monuments Aghlabides*, Paris, 1966.  \nMaoudoud, K., *Kairouan*, Tunis, 2000, pp.37–9.  \nSolignac,M.M., *“Les installations hydrauliques de Kairouan et des steppes tunisiennes du VIIIe au XIe siecle”*, t.X, Algiers, 1953, pp.187–92.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.162–3.","history":"The Aghlabid reservoirs, of which only two survive, were part of a group of about 15 reservoirs, located outside the city walls, which supplied the town with water. They are considered to be among the most important hydraulic works of the Muslim world. They provoked the admiration of travellers and led to the town being given the name 'city of the cisterns'. They were filled by draining rainwater as well as water from the tributaries of the *wadi* Merguelli, which flow in the surrounding lowlands. Its waters were harnessed by small dams and a conveyance canal which transported it to the small pool. In 350 (961), the Fatimid Caliph al-Mu'izz built an aqueduct that brought water from the Shreshira springs, located 40 km to the west of Kairouan.","patrons":"Abu Ibrahim Ahmed.","author":"Jamila Binous","keywords":["Cisterns","leisure pavilion","Umayyad","aqueducts","buttresses","Aghlabid","reservoirs","filtering pools","hydraulic works"]},"6177d6e0-4105-5c92-a2c3-cf308dc051e6":{"name":"\"Alexander Fights a Sea Battle\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"In the episode illustrated, Alexander the Great has ordered the construction of a tall tower surmounted by a revolving mirror in order to battle the pirates menacing the Mediterranean Sea. The protagonists appear as contemporary Indians wearing turbans and tunics, rather than ancient Greeks, and one of the fighters uses a gun, an invention from nearly two millennia after Alexander’s time.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY (until 1913)","dates":"AH 1005-6 / AD 1597-8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 24.8 cm, width: 15.9 cm","place_of_production":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin , vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nBowie, T. R., and T. Brend. *East-West in Art. Patterns of Aesthetic and Cultural Relationships.*, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1966.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Akbar's Khamsa of Amir Khursaw Dihlavi-A Reconstruction of the Cycle of Illustration.\"in *Artibus Asiae*, vol. 49, nos. 3, 4 (1988/89)  \n  \nSeyller, J., \"The Walters Art Museum Khamsa of Amir Khusraw of Delhi.\" In *Pearls of the Parrot of India.*. Baltimore, MD: Walters Art Museum, 2001.  \n  \nBrend, B., \"Illustrations to Amir Khusrau's Khamsa.\" In *Perspectives on Persian Painting.*, New York: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446566","materials":["gold on paper Margins: Gold on dyed paper","Opaque watercolour","Main support: ink"]},"61c3680d-7e1f-5627-a43b-1ebb99008f0e":{"name":"Folio with two miniatures from Persian translation of 'The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence' by Zakaria Qazwini","short_description":"A folio from Persian translation of a popular cosmography treatise \"The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence\" by Zakaria bin Muhammad al-Qazwini. The book, written in AD 13th century, covers the fields of geography, astronomy, astrology and natural history, in a mixture of science and superstition. Both sides of the folio are embellished with miniatures featuring fruit-bearing trees.","type":"Manuscript; Miniature; Calligraphy","holder":"The Khanenko Museum","dates":"AD 16th century","location":"Kyiv","dimensions":"Length: 11.5cm, Width: 11.5cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis by V. Krachkovskaya (publication, 1926, origin), A. Ivanov (examination, 1966, date).","method_for_provenance":"Publication of Vera Krachkovskaya (1927): the Khanenkos' collection.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Purchased by Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko in Paris, 1914, presumably from Fredrik Robert Martin's collection. Donated by Varvara Khanenko in 1918, nationalised by Bolshevik regime in 1919.","bibliography":"Berlekamp, Persis, *Wonder, Image, and Cosmos in Medieval Islam*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2011.  \nBilenko, H. and Rudyck (Rudyk), H., *Oriental Collection*, guidebook, Kyiv: The Khanenko Museum, 2005.  \nKrachkovskaya, V., \"Musulmsnskoye iskusstvo v sobranii Khanenko (Muslim Art from the Khanenkos' Collection)\", in Bartold V.V. (ed), *Zapyski Kollegii Vostokovedov (Notes of the College of Orientalists)* at Asian Museum of USSR Academy of Sciences, Vol II, Leningrad: USSR Academy of Sciences, 1927.  \nNewman, Andrew (ed), *Society and Culture in the Early Modern Middle East: Studies on Iran in the Safavid Period*, Leiden: Brill, 2003.  \nVyazmitina, M. (ed), *Mystetstvo krain islamu (Art from Islamic Countries)*, catalogue, VUAN Museum of Art, Kyiv: All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, 1930.","author":"Antonina Makarevych","copy_editor":"Janice Medina","keywords":["manuscript","Safavid","Iran","miniature","calligraphy"],"materials":["Paints and ink on paper"]},"628ff64b-bf4e-573e-86cb-55190cee5fba":{"name":"Water women 1/5","description":"The photograph, entitled *Water Women* (2016), is a striking work from the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts that fuses portraiture, landscape and cultural symbolism into a multilayered visual narrative. By employing the technique of double exposure, the artist superimposes an image of a smiling woman carrying a water container on her head upon the typically rugged sandstone terrain and ancient steps that are characteristic of Petra. This merging of human and environment transforms the subject into a living embodiment of endurance and heritage, connecting the labour of daily survival with the monumental legacy of Jordan's desert civilisation. The photograph is indicative of themes of resilience, gender and ecology. The subject's countenance, characterised by a poised yet radiant expression, serves to create a pronounced visual contrast with the arid landscape, thereby underscoring the pivotal role women play in the sustenance of life in such inhospitable environments. The water jug positioned on her head functions as both a literal vessel of survival and a metaphorical burden, thereby echoing the carved steps and eroded stone, which are symbols of persistence and continuity through time. From a visual perspective, the warm ochres of the sandstone blend harmoniously with the cool tones of her embroidered clothing. This creates a dialogue between tradition and adaptation. The presence of an additional veiled woman, walking in the background and carrying bottled water, serves to anchor the image in contemporary realities of scarcity and modernity. Collectively, these elements form a layered composition that evokes a poetic meditation on the intersection of nature, culture and feminine strength. This work is situated within a broader discourse of Middle Eastern identity and environmental consciousness in modern photographic art.","type":"Photograph","holder":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts","dates":"AH 1439 / AD 2017","location":"Amman","catalogue_holding_link":"https://nationalgallery.org/artist/charlotta-sparre/#artwork-1","keywords":["photograph","woman","water","print"],"materials":["Photographic giclee prints"]},"62a33986-22ab-54e6-b59d-861e59b608f3":{"name":"*Khabia*","alternate_name":"Water storage jar; Large earthenware jar; clay cistern jar","description":"The *khabia* is a large earthenware jar traditionally used in Morocco for the storage and preservation of drinking water. Handcrafted by skilled potters from the Marrakech region, the *khabia* was an indispensable element of both domestic and communal life before the spread of modern water supply systems. Its substantial size, often exceeding two metres in height, allowed families, mosques, or fountains to store large quantities of water drawn from wells or *khettaras*.  \nThe process of making a *khabia* required specialised knowledge—shaping and assembling clay coils, smoothing the surface, and firing in traditional kilns — reflecting centuries of artisanal heritage. Beyond its utilitarian role, the khabia embodied the cultural significance of water conservation in Moroccan society.  \nThe *khabia* displayed at the Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation offers insight into vernacular technologies of storage and sustainability, serving as a reminder of how communities safeguarded water in arid environments long before industrial systems.","type":"Water storage vessel","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Traditional Moroccan households and public fountains","dates":"AH 13th - 14th / AD 19th–20th centuries","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"52 x 42 × 27cm; 53 x 55 × 33cm","place_of_production":"Marrakech","method_for_datation":"Based on typology, traditional pottery methods, and curatorial records.","method_for_provenance":"Museum documentation and oral accounts of usage.","provenance":"Acquired as representative of domestic and communal water storage tradition","obtention":"Museum acquisition for permanent exhibition (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","workshop":"Traditional pottery workshops of Marrakech region","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["domestic life","water storage","water conservation","pottery","Marrakech","khabia"],"materials":["Terracotta clay","some glazed surfaces for waterproofing","hand-shaped and fired"]},"62e625a3-a3f0-51a2-b3d3-9ee1fce45141":{"name":"Süleymaniye Complex.","description":"The Süleymaniye Mosque is considered a work of the architect, Sinan's, fellow-master or *kalfa* period, with the Selimiye Mosque representing the absolute pinnacle of his career in his master (*usta*) period. The mosque is part of a *külliye*\\-type complex, where the mosque occupies the central position, occupying about 60,000 sq m in a district of Istanbul also known as Süleymaniye. The mosque is independent of the other buildings, standing within a courtyard measuring 216 m x 144 m. There is a graveyard adjoining the mosque to the south. The tombs of both Sultan Süleyman and his wife Hürrem Sultan are found in the graveyard, as well as a tomb-keeper's room. The other buildings of the complex are arranged around the mosque and graveyard on the east, west and north in a 'U' shape. To the north of the mosque are the guest rooms (*tabhane)*, the soup-kitchen (*imaret*) and hospital (*darüşşifa*); to the west are the primary school, medical school, the first and second *madrasa*s and the Tiryaki Market with its 36 shops; to the east are the third and fourth *madrasa*s; and to the southeast are the school of traditions of the Prophet (*darülhadis*) and the bathhouse (*hammam*). The modest baldachin tomb of the mosque's architect, Sinan is in the northeast corner of the complex.  \nThe Süleymaniye Mosque consists of a rectangular, nearly square prayer hall measuring 69 m x 63 m and a courtyard with porticoes. There is a rectangular pool in the middle of the courtyard. All the bays of the porticoes are domed. The building has four minarets, two on the northeast and northwest corners of the prayer hall and two on the northeast and northwest corners of the courtyard. The minarets rising from the prayer hall are 76 m high and have three balconies each, while those rising from the courtyard are 56 m high and have two balconies each. The prayer hall is covered by a central dome, 27.40 m in diameter, which is carried on four monumental piers, each measuring 6.20 m x 5.10 m and joined by pointed arches. The dome rises to 49.50 m off the ground. The rectangular spaces to the north and south of the central space are each covered by a half-dome; those on the east and west are covered by domes of different sizes. The monumental piers in the central space are joined to pointed arches which connect to monumental buttresses placed in the main walls. To break up any monotony the buttresses might create the east and west walls of the building are enlivened with porticoes and galleries.  \nAll the buildings of the complex are faced with fine cut stone. Elements such as the portal of the mosque, the *mihrab*, and the *minbar* are covered in marble.  \nThe most richly ornamented buildings in the Süleymaniye Complex are the tombs of Süleyman and Hürrem Sultan, which are decorated with tiles and painted (*kalemişi*) designs. The decoration of the mosque is fairly simple. The principal elements of decoration are the *kalemişi* designs of the domes in the prayer hall and courtyard, the inlaid designs of mother-of-pearl and ivory in the wooden shutters of the lower row of windows, and the stained-glass windows of the south wall which are original. In the 13th / 19th century the Fossati brothers added ornament in the style of the day over the painted decoration of the prayer hall; this was removed during the restorations 1961–7, and the original decoration was revealed. The other buildings of the complex are not decorated.  \nThe mosque continues to function as a place of worship to this day. The other buildings in the complex are used for a variety of purposes.","short_description":"The complex has many structures with various functions such as mosque, *madrasa*, *tabhane* (guest-rooms), *imaret* (soup-kitchen), hospital, children's school, mausolea, *darülhadis* (school of traditions of the Prophet), bathhouse and market. The great Ottoman architect Sinan, who built the complex, is buried here. The central mosque is considered to be a work of Sinan's *kalfa* (fellow-master or intermediate) period. It is covered with a dome 27.4 m in diameter rising 49.5 m above the ground and resting on four large piers. This central dome is flanked with a semi-dome on the south and north and five lesser domes each on the east and west.","dates":"Hegira 957–64 / AD 1550–7.","location":"Süleymaniye, Istanbul","method_for_datation":"An inscription in Arabic by the calligrapher Karahisari Ahmed Effendi on the north portal of the prayer hall states that the building's construction began in AH 957 / AD 1550 and was completed in 964 / 1557. The *Tezkiretü'l-Bünyan* (*Memorial of Buildings),* dictated by Sinan to his close friend Mustafa Sai çelebi, states more exactly that construction began on 27 Jumada I 957 / 13 June 1550 and finished on 21 Dhu'l-Hijja 964 / 15 October 1557. According to documents, the first and second *madrasa*s were completed in 960 / 1553, and the third and fourth in 966 / 1559. The tomb of Hürrem Sultan was built in 965 / 1558, that of Süleyman in 974 / 1567.","bibliography":"Aslanapa, O., *Osmanlı Devri Mimarisi \\[Architecture of the Ottoman Period\\]*, Istanbul, 1986.  \nKuran, A., *Mimar Sinan*, Istanbul, 1986.  \nMülayim, S., *Ters Lâle, Osmanlı Mimarisinde Sinan çağı ve Süleymaniye \\[Inverted Tulip: The Age of Sinan in Ottoman Architecture and Süleymaniye\\]*, Istanbul, 2001.  \nSözen, M., *Türk Mimarisinin Gelişimi ve Mimar Sinan \\[The Development of Turkish Architecture and Mimar Sinan\\]*, Istanbul, 1975.  \nBarkan, ö. L., *Süleymaniye Camii ve İmareti İnşaatı: 1550–1557 \\[The Süleymaniye Mosque and its Construction: 1550–1557\\]*, Vols. I and II, Ankara, 1972; 1979.","patrons":"Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66).","architects":"Architect: Koca Mimar Sinan Ağa (d. 996 / 1588); calligrapher: Karahisari Ahmed Effendi (AH 875–963 / AD 1470–1556).","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Şakir Çakmak","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["kalemişi","religious architecture","dome","Sinan","Istanbul"]},"636b9fbc-cc5c-5372-876f-fc8b279f7e51":{"name":"Spout","description":"The flowing fountain spout has a funnel-like shape, with a wider diameter at the wall-connection end.  \n  \nFaucets, such as this one, were placed on street fountains, where water continuously flows.","type":"Spout","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 6th–7th century / AD 12th–13th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Length: 35cm","place_of_production":"Mesopotomia","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["fountain","spout","water"],"materials":["Bronze"]},"63941bb7-1c0a-5e01-8b06-e6ae1b313ece":{"name":"Water bottle/jar","description":"A red pottery water jar used for filling and pouring water. It has a cylindrical body rounded at both ends, with a circular mouth at the centre flanked by two prominent handles, allowing it to be tied with ropes, hung, or carried easily - especially during travel. Due to the porous nature of pottery, the container also helped in cooling the water.","type":"Water bottle","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"Late AH 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Diameter: 80cm, Length: 50cm","provenance":"The Arabian Peninsula","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["bottle","water"],"materials":["molding","Pottery"]},"647040db-954c-553c-b7b9-c7c2901d4516":{"name":"Album of calligraphies including poetry and prophetic traditions (*hadith*)","short_description":"This album contains samples written by one of the most celebrated Turkish calligraphers, Shaikh Hamdullah (d. 1519), who developed the *naskhi* and *thuluth* styles from masters of the past to suit Ottoman taste. These pages, which show control, exactitude, and gentle flow, but also exaggeration of some letters to create a lively rhythmic pattern, demonstrate the calligrapher’s mature phase. The text comes from the hadith, the compilation of the Prophet Muhammad's words and deeds that is an important source for moral and legal guidance in the Islamic tradition. On each page, several lines of a small script (*naskhi*) are framed by one or two lines in a larger script (*thuluth* or *muhaqqaq*) and then pasted onto sheets of marbleized paper, which developed in Turkey and came to be much favored for calligraphic works.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art","dates":"Hegira c. 905 / AD c. 1500","location":"New York","dimensions":"H: 32.1cm, W: 23.8cm","provenance":"Probably Istanbul, Turkey","obtention":"Purchase, Edwin Binney 3rd and Edward Ablat Gifts, 1982  \nCalligrapher: Shaikh Hamdullah ibn Mustafa Dede, (d. 1520)  \nVendor: Philip Hofer, Cambridge, MA  \nFormer owner: Philip Hofer, Cambridge, MA (until 1982; sold to MMA)","bibliography":"Atil, Esin, *The Age of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent*, Washington DC: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1987: 44ff.  \nDerman, M. Ugur.,*Letters in Gold. Ottoman Calligraphy from the Sakip Sabanci Collection, Istanbul*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998: 29–30, 46–47.  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, Canby, Shelia R., Haidar, Navina and Soucek, Priscilla P. (eds), *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011: 292–93, no. 204, ill. 293 (colour).  \nEkhtiar, Maryam, *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018: 46–47, no. 7, ill.  \nHaidar, Navina,\"Visual Splendour: Embellished Pages from the Metropolitan Museum 's Collection of Islamic and Indian Manuscripts\", *Arts of Asia*, 42 (2012): 112–13, ill. fig. 9 (colour).  \nRaby, Julian and Tanindi, Zeren, *Turkish Bookbinding in the 15th Century. The Foundation of an Ottoman Court Style*, London: Azimuth editions, 1993: 96–100.  \nRogers, J. M., *Empire of the Sultans: Ottoman Art from the Collection of Nasser D. Khalili*, London: Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Geneva, 1995: 162, 233–35, no. nos. 161, ill. pls. 161, 162.  \nRoxburgh, David J., *The Persian Album, 1400–1600. From Dispersal to Collection*, New Haven/London: Yale University Press, 2005.  \nSafwat, Nabil F., *The Harmony of Letters*, Kuwait: Asian Civilisations Museum, 1997: 20, 62–63, ill. (colour).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Calligraphy\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New Series*, 50/1 (Summer 1992): 21, ill. fig. 26 (colour).  \nSchimmel, Annemarie, \"Islamic Art\", *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, 40 (1982–1983): 10, ill. (b/w).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, *The Islamic World. Vol. 11*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: 123, ill. fig. 93 (colour).  \nWelch, Stuart Cary, Schimmel, Annemarie, Swietochowski, Marie Lukens and Thackston, Wheeler M., *The Emperors' Album: Images of Mughal India*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987: esp. pp. 23ff. Album making in the Mughal period.","copyright":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Edwin Binney 3rd and Edward Ablat Gifts, 1982","keywords":["calligrapher","Basmala","binding","leather","Turkey","Thuluth","poetry","leather binding","manuscript","marbling","Ottoman","Hadith","watercolor","Arabic inscription","Prophet Muhammad","inscription","ink","Ottoman Calligraphy","Istanbul","craftsmanship","Paper","nashki","calligraphy","gold"],"materials":["marbled paper. Binding: leather and gold.","and gold on paper. Margins: ink","watercolour and gold","Main support: ink","watercolour"]},"64c7bc97-7cc3-58be-9d17-18bd4395053c":{"name":"Map of Beirut's water networks","description":"This map shows the water networks around Lebanon, set up by the Ottoman government.","type":"Map","holder":"Khalil Itani's Archive","dates":"1873","location":"Beirut","provenance":"Lebanon","author":"Jeff El-Msanne","copy_editor":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"64e3e4fa-1a13-5862-88d5-b4956e026fd7":{"name":"Perfume Sprinkler with Design of Marvered White-Trail Feather Pattern","short_description":"A doughnut-shaped bottle made of bubbly translucent amethyst glass, blown with marvered opaque white trail decoration and dragged into a feather pattern. Opposing S-shaped handles applied in amethyst glass at shoulder and pulled up to neck. The globular form is flattened and tooled into an asymmetrical donut-shaped body. The thin elongated neck, tooled to constrict at its base and thus flattening the shoulder, is pulled up into a long tapering form with the rim rounded by heating. The base is flattened and kicked retaining a pontil mark; four small prunts of amethyst glass are applied on the sides as vestigial, but useless feet. There are losses in the neck and the body.","type":"Glassware","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira Late 5th to late 7th century / AD 12th–13th century","location":"Saint Louis","dimensions":"Height: 16.2cm, Width: 9.8cm, Depth: 4.1cm","method_for_datation":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","method_for_provenance":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","provenance":"Northern Africa, Egypt, Africa","obtention":"Museum Purchase, 1923","keywords":["Northern","Glassware","perfume","sprinkler","Egypt","Africa","glass","Egyptian"],"materials":["glass"]},"65e9a264-523d-5dc1-8dad-9a0e291d2535":{"name":"Kharoi","alternate_name":"খাড়ই","description":"Used by fishermen to store their fish, this indigenous pot is made using local materials such as bamboo and jute. Whilst its principal purpose is to allow water to drain through to keep the fish intact, it is also used by farmers to carry their tools or crops.","type":"Basket","holder":"Water Museum","owner":"Water Museum","initial_owner":"Community people","dates":"21st century","location":"Pakhimara, Kuakata District, Barishal Division, Barishal","place_of_production":"Kuakata","method_for_provenance":"Community","provenance":"Kuakata","obtention":"Bought from community.","bibliography":"Zohir, S., *et al.*, *Identifying Pro-Poor Economic Activities: Improvised Value Chain Analysis of Selected Goods & Services in Coastal Southwest Bangladesh, Economics Research Group* , 2010: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11049.90723","author":"ActionAid Bangladesh","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["kharoi","basket","water"],"materials":["Bamboo","jute"]},"65f2ddcd-e513-5598-8002-24f065be06a6":{"name":"Public fountain bowl","description":"\"Süleymaniye is a district within Istanbul’s Fatih area, part of the historic “Sur içi.” It was known for artisans producing copper and brass works, marked with Ottoman Turkish inscriptions. These marks and craftsmanship identify pieces as “Süleymaniye work.\"  \n  \nThis particular piece is one such work, and is inscribed in Ottoman Turkish with the text:  \n  \n\"Fâtih Câmi-i Şerîfine vakf. Sene 1319.\"  \n  \n\"Dedicated as a waqf to the Fatih Mosque. Year \\[Hijri\\] 1319.\"","type":"Bowl","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"AH early 14th century / AD early 20th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Depth: 5.5cm, diameter: 11cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","provenance":"Süleymaniye","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["brass"]},"66e2c06b-b34a-553e-b816-006fc1ef7ffe":{"name":"Engraving","description":"Engraving from the late AH 13th / AD 19th century showing a fountain alongside an area for prayer.","type":"Engraving","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th–14th century / AD 19th–20th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 10cm, width: 20cm","place_of_production":"Europe","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["prayer","fountain","water","engraving"],"materials":["Print on paper"]},"678d0b51-8dc7-59f3-818b-402d1bec24d6":{"name":"*The Barrage or Nile dam*","description":"This picture, from the book *A Pilgrimage to Egypt: An Account of a Visit to Lower Egypt*, shows the Delta Barrage dam built by the French engineer Mougelle during the reign of Muhammad 'Ali Pasha to maintain the Nile water at a balanced level all the year. The barrage also served as a fortification against attack on Cairo or Upper Egypt. It consisted of a double bridge, the eastern part spanning the Damietta branch of the Nile, the western the Rosetta, with the head of the Delta between the two. The barrage had to be improved from 1883 by Sir Colin Scott Moncrief to solve structural problems with the foundations and the gates of the dam. The barrage and other dams testify to the importance of these structures to provide the water needed for irrigation in Egypt since antiquity.","type":"Drawing","holder":"The British Library","dates":"1897","location":"London","author":"Maria Francesca Carvelli (MWNF)"},"68860d9a-5a4b-577c-8584-cef6ff62671a":{"name":"Pair of clogs","alternate_name":"ar. *qabqâb* or tr. *nalın*","description":"The high heeled clogs (ar. *qabqab*, tr. *nalın* are an emblematic item of the hamam reflecting the atmosphere of such public baths. They were worn when entering the bath complex to protect the wearer from the dirty water as well as from the hot marble floor. Wearing these shoes meant that the wearer was obliged to walk slowly to avoid falling. This slower pace was in tune with the temporality dictated by the rhythms of the hamam and its cleansing rituals.  \n  \nThis pair of clogs is attributed to Syria. They are made of wood inlaid with silver and multi-coloured triangular pieces of mother-of-pearl. The front and rear parts of the sole are incrusted with repoussé silver bands decorated with floral motifs encircled with two dotted lines. They are embellished with long silver chains ending in trinkets which must have created a gentle tinkling with each step highlighting the sound dimension of the hamam.  \n  \nThe strap holding the foot is made of various layers of leather for comfort. It is topped with a large silver band intricately designed and solidly nailed to the sole.  \n  \nThis pair of clogs is particularly high, suggesting that it might have been the property of the hamam owner who traditionally wore sophisticated clogs with heels higher than those of the clients. Often offered as part of the dowry of the bride in a toiletry trousseau providing her with all the hamam essentials, the clogs were a statement on the social status of their owner and could also bear many symbolic meanings through their decoration.  \n  \nAlthough strongly associated with femininity, hamam clogs, with lower heels and different ornamentation, were also worn by men in their own establishments.","type":"Shoes","holder":"Institute of the Arab World","dates":"AH c. 1267 / AD c. 1850","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Height: 35cm, length: 23cm","provenance":"Syria","obtention":"Purchased in a specialised gallery, Paris.","bibliography":"Bașkan, A., ‘A Research on the Temporal Transformation of Objects in Turkish Bath Culture’, in","author":"Dounia Handis","keywords":["Ottomans","qabqab","clogs","Ablutions","water","nalın","Hammam"],"materials":["Wood with silver and mother-of-pearl overlay"]},"68ed676f-98b5-5326-a555-7245e77fb206":{"name":"Aqueduct across the Wady en-Nawaimeh","description":"A bridge with three arches supporting an aqueduct. The pointed style of the arches indicates their construction in the Medieval, probably Mamluk era, in support of sugar cane cultivation, a major activity in this period requiring an irrigation system.","type":"Original albumen photographic print","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","dates":"AH 1284 / AD 1867","location":"London","place_of_production":"Palestine","method_for_datation":"Recorded dates of the survey.","method_for_provenance":"Palestine Exploration Fund project.","provenance":"Palestine, Reconnaissance Survey by Lieut. Charles Warren R.E. for the Palestine Exploration Fund","obtention":"Created for the PEF during Charles Warren’s Reconnaissance Survey of Palestine and Jerusalem, AH 1284 - 1288 / AD 1867–1871.","bibliography":"Warren, C., *et al.* The Survey of Western Palestine-Jerusalem, London: Legare Street Press, 2022.","workshop":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Jericho","Mamluk","photography","aqueduct"],"materials":["Albumen","photographic paper"]},"695016ec-c554-5ddd-ae3f-8d50aadf22b4":{"name":"*Guffa* coracle","description":"The *guffa* is the central Mesopotamian coracle, a round boat whose shell is a coil basket made of a single spiral bundle of grass wrapped with palm leaf. It is braced inside with pomegranate wands, then saturated inside and out with pitch. After drying completely under the sun, it is painted all over with a layer of tar, then coated with clay on the exterior to protect the tar from melting. The diameter of an Iraqi *guffa* ranges from around 1.6m (a standard-sized fishing *guffa*) up to 6m, with the larger versions used to transport cargo such as watermelons, bricks, and even livestock, and as ferries or passenger craft.  \n  \nCoracles are among the earliest recorded boat types in the world: the earliest known representation of one is a pottery model boat found in Lower Saxony, dating from 5500 BCE. The Babylonians described the Ark of the Flood as a *guffa* – suggesting these boats were already perceived as ancient. The *guffa* becomes visible in Mesopotamian art from Assyrian times, when reliefs of the 9th century BCE depicted them carrying chariots and other cargo. They were famously described in Herodotus’ “Histories” (450 BCE); other travellers to Mesopotamia have often mentioned them, as did Arab literature. *guffas* appeared in popular songs as a venue for secret lovers’ trysts. They also figure in the work of early Iraqi landscape painters (AH 13th-14th / AD 19th-20th century) such as Abdulqadir al Rassam.  \n  \nThese examples were made in Sadat al-Hindiya, Hilla Governorate, Iraq, in AH 1441/ AD 2019, as part of a series of workshops organised by Safina Projects to reconstruct traditional fishing *guffas* in collaboration with local makers, supporting intergenerational transfer of this ancient and endangered craft skill. Before that date, production of traditional *Guffas* had diminished since at least the AH 1400s/ AD 1980s (although similarly shaped coracles were made using metal). The elderly woman who advised on the workshop was the last known maker in Sadat al-Hindiya and had ceased her craft after the AH 1424/ AD 2003 invasion.","type":"Watercraft","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Culture","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1441/ AD 2019","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Diameter: 1.6m, height: 0.5m","method_for_datation":"Production was supervised by current owner.","method_for_provenance":"Production was supervised by current owner.","obtention":"Made in workshop organised by Safina Projects.","bibliography":"Agius, D. A.,*Classic Ships of Islam: from Mesopotamia to the Indian Ocean.*, Leiden: Brill, 2014.  \n  \nAl-Behadli, J., 'The Ark for Iraq Programme: the Experience of Safina Projects in the Study of Traditional Boats and their Revitalisation', *Al-Turath al-Sha’bi*, (2024), 325 \\[Published in Arabic\\].  \n  \nMcGrail, S., *Boats of the World: from the Stone Age to Medieval Times*, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.  \n  \nRitter, H., 'Mesopotamische Studien', *Der Islam: Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Kultur des Islamischen Orients*, (1919)","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["boat","basketry","Watercraft","transport."],"materials":["bracing","coil basketry","palm leaves","Grass bundles","pitch","pomegranate wands","tar","waterproofing."]},"69bdb01a-4161-5c8b-8079-4bbee1cbfb1d":{"name":"*Noah’s Ark*","short_description":"Timur’s son Shah Rukh (r. AH 808-851 / AD 1405-1447) ordered the historian Hafiz-i Abru to write a continuation of Rashid al-Din’s famous history of the world, Jami al-tawarikh. Like the Il-Khanids, the Timurids were concerned with legitimizing their right to rule, and Hafiz-i Abru’s “A Collection of Histories” covers a period that included the time of Shah Rukh himself.  \n  \nThe style of the manuscript’s miniatures is slightly old-fashioned compared with the otherwise refined Timurid painting, but the scene on the stormy sea is quite dramatic, with the fluttering sail, the ark breaking out of the picture frame and the swollen bodies. The animals that are to populate the earth are rendered both humorously and fairly realistically.","type":"Miniature from Hafiz-i Abru’s *Majma' al-tawarikh*, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH c. 828 / AD c. 1425","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 42.3cm × 32.6cm","place_of_production":"Herat","bibliography":"American Art Association, Anderson Galleries, New York, 4/10-1936, 2. Session, lot 191.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners*, Copenhagen: The David Collection, 2017: cat. no. 23.  \n  \nFolsach, K., *For the Privileged Few: Islamic Miniature Painting from The David Collection*, Louisiana: Museum of Modern Art, 2007: cat. no. 18.  \n  \nGhiasian, Mohamad Reza, *Lives of the Prophets: the illustrations to Hafiz-i Abru's \"Assembly of Chronicles\"*, Leiden: Brill 2018: cat.no. 2.2, 141.  \n  \nRohr, C., ”Sintflutdarstellungen: ein transkultureller Mythos durch Zeiten und Räume” in G. J. Schenk et al. (ed.), *Mensch - Natur – Katastrophe von Atlantis bis Heute*, Mannheim: Schnell & Steiner, 2014: fig. 4.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Noah's Ark","Jami al-tawarikh","painting"],"materials":["pigments"]},"6a7f88ad-e38f-5e65-b83b-d07699dcfcd7":{"name":"*Zubdat al-Tawarikh* (‘Cream of Histories’)","short_description":"Muslims consider the Qur’an the third and final portion of God’s revelation to mankind: it completes, but does not supplant, God’s earlier revelations to the Jews and Christians. The prophets of the Old and New Testaments are therefore also prophets in Islam. This manuscript is a history of the world beginning with Adam and ending with the Ottoman sultans of the sixteenth century. It includes depictions of various prophets common to all three religions (such as Abraham and Ishmael), as well as specifically Islamic prophets (such as Alexander and Khizr). The manuscript ends with a depiction of Sultan Murad III (r. AH 982–1003 / AD 1574–95), during whose reign the manuscript was produced. Each prophet or sultan is identified by an inscription.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Chester Beatty Library","dates":"Hegira after 991 / AD 1583","location":"Dublin","dimensions":"39.5 x 25 cm","provenance":"Turkey, Istanbul","catalogue_holding_link":"https://viewer.cbl.ie/viewer/image/T_414/1/LOG_0000/","keywords":["Edirnekari technique","zodiac","gilding","lacquer","painting","watercolour","illumination","ink","miniature painting","Paper","script","calligraphy","Illustration"],"materials":["coloured pigments and gold on paper"]},"6a900d8a-d3e6-5851-b145-8c3ebfc27556":{"name":"*Sabil* (Water Dispensary) and *Kuttab* (Qur’anic School) of ‘Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda.","description":"This monument has a special artistic importance, for it is a free-standing complex that consists of a *sabil* (water dispensary) and a *kuttab* (Qur'an school) both of which display many of the glories of Islamic art specific to the Ottoman period. The building represents the style of *sabil* that has three windows and which is a blend of the Mamluk and Ottoman styles.  \nThe *sabil* has three facades (south, north and west) that are identical and equal in length. Each façade contains a semi-circular arch, which is supported by two spiral marble pillars. In the middle of the arch is a large opening from which cups of water may be obtained for passers-by (windows for the procurement of water or *tasbil*).  \nThe opening seen here sits within a semi-circular arch supported by two marble spiral pillars. The *tasbil* are covered with copper grills in the form of intersecting tri-lobed arches; these allow drinking-cups to be passed through them. The spandrels of the arches are decorated with splendid geometric designs executed in fine polychrome marble. The walls of the outer façade contain interlocked stone courses in the form of whirling vegetal leaves. The façade of the *sabil* is crowned with nine tiers of *muqarnas*, which bear the floor of the first storey containing the *kuttab*. The entrance to the *sabil* is located on Tambakshiyya Street, to the left of the southern façade, and resembles the Mamluk portal. The entrance is composed of a recessed wall crowned with a tri-lobed arch and a semi-dome decorated with tiers of *muqarnas*. In the middle of the recessed wall is the door to the *sabil* the straight, top lintel of which is adorned with carved verses of poetry. Above the lintel there is a marble decorative unit comprising a central circle. It contains the foundation text surrounded by four tiny circles.  \nThe entrance to the *sabil* leads to a small vestibule, which contains three doors: the first is located to the right of the entrance and leads to the cistern chamber; the second is to the left of the entrance and leads to the room from which the water is distributed *hograt al-tasbil* (water dispensing room), and the third is at the rear of the vestibule leading to the stairs and up to the *kuttab*. The floor-plan of the water-dispensing room is rectangular (3.50 m x 4.50 m). Three windows are located within the recessed areas of the room's three walls, which overlook the street. The walls of the room are panelled with blue-glazed ceramic tiles and decorated with a multiplicity of vegetal decoration. The southern wall contains a panel of glazed tiles depicting a view of the Holy Ka'aba and the buildings surrounding it.  \nThe *kuttab*, or school room, has a rectangular floor-plan of the same dimensions as the *hograt al-tasbil*. The *kuttab* overlooks the street from three directions by means of three *mashrabiyya*, and it has seven marble pillars, which resemble the pillars on the façade. The pillars are topped by six stone pointed arches, crowned with an inclined wooden awning. A balcony projects from the *kuttab,* characterised by 14 exquisite slim wooden pillars which bear 15 arches supported by balustrades, made from beautiful turned wood. The balcony is roofed with a wooden awning that is lower than the first.","short_description":"This building has special artistic importance as a freestanding establishment in the heart of al-Muizz Street. It consists of a *sabil* (water dispensary) with three façades and three windows covered with iron grills for distributing free drinking water to the local population, passers-by and travellers. The second floor is occupied by a *kuttab* (Qur'anic school for children) with a balcony overlooking three sides through *mashrabiyya* screens. The Mamluk and Ottoman styles blend harmoniously in the construction of this monument.","dates":"Hegira 1157 / AD 1744.","location":"Cairo","method_for_datation":"The building was dated based on an inscription above the entrance that includes the name of the sponsor and the date of construction. Furthermore, a *waqf* deed is preserved in the archives of the Ministry of Awqaf or Endowments (file no. 941, dated 1158 \\[1745\\]), it also gives the name of the builder.","bibliography":"Briggs, M. S., *Muhammaden Architecture in Egypt and Palestine,* Oxford, 1924.  \nAl-Hussaini, Mahmoud H., *Al-Asbila al-Othmaniya bi madinat al-Qahira \\[The Ottoman Sabils in the City of Cairo\\],* Cairo, 1999.  \nKhalifa, R., *Al-Balatat al-Khazafiya ala al-'Ama'ir bil Qahira \\[Glazed Tiles on Architecture in Cairo\\],* MA thesis, University of Cairo, 1977.  \nRaymond, A., *Le Caire *des Janissaires: L'Apogée* de la Ville Ottomane sous Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda,* Paris, 1995.  \nSameh, Kamal al-Din, *Athar al-Amir Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda al-Mi'mariya bil Qahira \\[Architectural Monuments of the Amir Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda in Cairo\\],* PhD thesis, University of Cairo, 1947.","patrons":"The Commander 'Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda ibn Husayn Jawish al-Qardughli, who occupied the post of Overseer of *Awqaf* (Endowments) in AH 1161 / AD 1748. Many buildings in Cairo are associated with him.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Tarek Torky","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["geometric marble decoration","Glazed-ceramic tiles","Mashrabiyya","civil architecture","interlocking stone decoration"]},"6af5bf51-a5aa-558d-8578-3ac815792a90":{"name":"*Zaima* reed boat","description":"The *zaima* is a small reed canoe from the Marshlands of southern Iraq, made of reed bundles of narrow diameter sewn together to form a flat base and sides. Its internal bracing may be made from flexible stems such as cane, palm frond, date bunch stalk (forming the prow), or small branches of trees such as willow, acacia or *gherib*, and it is waterproofed with an outer coating of bitumen. Evidence of these boats' existence in recent decades is sparse, but reports from earlier centuries suggest they were once much more common. Travellers to Mesopotamia in the AH 12th / AD 18th and AH 13th / AD 19th centuries reported that the Marshes were full of canoes made from reeds and cane, tarred on the outside.  \n  \nDuring the AH 14th / AD 20th century, especially in the 1970s when the extent of the Marshes and the density of boat traffic reached a peak, the majority of canoes (*meshoufs*) were made of planked wood joined with nails. Images and accounts of reed or cane canoes in this period are exceptional. The only known photographs identified as a *zaima* were taken by the British explorer Wilfred Thesiger in the AH 1370s / AD 1950s. Rashad Salim, during his fieldwork in AH 1438-1441/ AD 2016-19, gathered a handful of oral accounts of reed and cane boats, some known as *zaimas* and some with other names. These were among the simplest and cheapest types of boat made locally by Marsh dwellers.  \n  \nThe boatbuilding community of Huwair, where Safina Projects’ Meshouf-building workshops were held, had no direct experience of constructing *zaimas*, but they agreed to attempt to reconstruct reed and cane canoes, drawing on their familiarity with these widely available local materials (also used in vernacular architecture). They also applied knowledge Rashad Salim had collected in the form of oral history interviews – recorded in both Huwair and Amara – and the photographs and writings of Thesiger. The *zaimas* in the collection of the Open Museum are the result of these experimental workshops.","type":"Boat","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Cultures","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1441/ AD 2019","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Length: 3m, height: 0,35m, width: 0,7m","method_for_datation":"Production was supervised by current owner.","method_for_provenance":"Production was supervised by current owner.","provenance":"Huwair, Basra Governorate, Iraq","obtention":"Made in workshop organised by Safina Projects.","bibliography":"Al-Behadli, J., 'The Ark for Iraq Programme: the Experience of Safina Projects in the Study of Traditional Boats and their Revitalisation', *Al-Turath al-Sha’bi*, (2024), 325 \\[Published in Arabic\\]  \n  \nMcGrail, S., *Boats of the World: from the Stone Age to Medieval Times*, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.  \n  \nThesiger, W., *The Marsh Arabs*, London: Penguin, 1964.","workshop":"Huwair Traditional Boat Workshop","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["boat","basketry","Watercraft","Transport"],"materials":["bracing","basketry","Wood","Reeds","tarring"]},"6c54efb2-f695-580b-805f-f38df23ae55f":{"name":"Hand basin","description":"It was a widespread custom in the Islamic world to wash one’s hands before entering a house, and basins like this one were used before meals as well. The lid is perforated so that the sight of dirty water did not bother the guests. An equally richly decorated ewer once made up a set with the basin.  \n  \nThe embossed silver basin has elegantly conceived and deeply engraved decorations featuring gazelles, flowers and other ornamentation filled out with transparent enamel. There are less costly basins with simpler decoration of the same type made of bronze and bidri metal.","type":"Washing basin","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH 12th / AD end of 18th century","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Height: 13cm; Diameter: 31.3cm","place_of_production":"Lucknow (India)","bibliography":"Folsach,K., *Art from the World of Islam in The David Collection* Copenhagen: The David Collection, 2001: cat.no. 544.  \n  \nFolsach, K.,*et al.*, *Sultan, Shah and Great Mughal: the history and culture of the Islamic world*, Copenhagen: The National Museum, 1996: cat.no. 351;  \n  \nTerlinden, C., *Magnificence de l'argenterie moghole (XVIème-XIXème s.) (Mughal silver magnificence (XVI-XIXth c.))*, Bruxelles: Musée d'art et d'histoire de Genève, 1987: 122.  \n  \nZebrowski, M., *Gold, Silver & Bronze from Mughal India*, London: Alexandira Press, 1997: fig. 72.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Basin","water","Enamel","silver"],"materials":["parcel-gilt","and crimson enamel","embossed silver inlaid with blue","green"]},"6ce9b353-6fa5-545f-8dcd-8780df1109a4":{"name":"Weed cutter (*mahassha*)","description":"This scythe-like agricultural hand tool is traditionally used for cutting weeds in cultivated fields. It also finds use as a reaping tool for crops and animal fodder. The hand-forged steel blade of the cutter is angled for maximum efficiency and attached to a handle made of fig, jujube or lime wood.","type":"Weed cutter (*mahassha*)","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height: 7cm, length: 36cm, width: 9cm","place_of_production":"Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition","obtention":"Local acquisition.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Wood and iron"]},"6d9c0707-66af-5659-ab05-2f82f82a6be2":{"name":"Image of a *saqqa* (water seller)","type":"Photography","holder":"Rice University","location":"Houston","catalogue_holding_link":"https://digitalcollections.rice.edu/Documents/Detail/new-egypt/397826?item=397881"},"6e359dfa-579a-5287-8092-6c01681ec60c":{"name":"Sprinkler","description":"Sprinkler of blue glass with copper allay mounts. Such objects were used to sprinkle rosewater or other scents to the hands of guests.","type":"Glass","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"18th century","location":"Athens","dimensions":"Height: 21cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Istanbul","obtention":"Donated by Konstantinos A. Benakis","author":"Mina Moraitou","keywords":["Benaki Museum","Ottoman","mounted","Istanbul","glass"],"materials":["coloured","copped alloy","mounted","glass"]},"6e61afc3-6ee3-5a79-a657-1df26ac4269b":{"name":"Flask","description":"A water flask carried by pilgrims on their journey to Hajj, filled with water from the Zamzam Well in Mecca. Similar in form to an ewer, it has a rounded base, an oval-shaped body, and a handle ending in a wide mouth for filling water, covered with a wooden stopper. It features a spout with a small opening used for pouring water.","type":"Flask","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"Late AH 13th century / AH 19th century CE","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Width: 14.5cm, Length: 40cm","provenance":"Türkiye","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","materials":["Leather and wood","cutting and sewing"]},"6f1eea68-18d9-59b6-a602-617d05d6a7ae":{"name":"Sprinkler","description":"A sprinkler with a low base, spherical body and a narrow tapering neck. The body is decorated with a fish-scale motif anf four stylised leaves. The neck bears a dotted motif and blue motifs. A product of a workshop in France specialising in Islamic shapes and decoration.","type":"Ceramic","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"19th century","location":"Athens","provenance":"France","author":"Mina Moraitou"},"6f53c50b-23a7-5c94-9dc1-8ba00ad40bc2":{"name":"Mulay Isma‘il Mausoleum.","description":"Built near to the tomb of the saint Sidi 'Abd Al-Rahman al-Majdub, a famous AH 10th / AD 16th century poet and mystic, the mausoleum houses the tomb of Mulay Isma'il. This royal funerary complex, located away from the palace, attracts visitors with its majesty and rich decoration, and is divided into three main sections.  \nThe first section, which includes the entrance to the mausoleum, consists of a vast entrance hall and annexes.  \nThe hall is square plan with sides measuring 9.88 m. The walls are covered with *zellij* (small tile) decoration to a height of 1.60 m, on top of which there is an anepigraphic sculpted plasterwork band. In the middle of the hall, a fountain overflows into an octagonal basin. A door gives access to latrines located around a pool.  \nThe second section is made up of three very large trapezoid courtyards. The very high walls (9 m) of the first courtyard are decorated with *zellij* up to a height of 0.56 m. The floor of the second, plain courtyard is tiled with monotone *zellij* that extend up the walls to what height of 0.56 m. The third courtyard is noteworthy for its two porticoes that face one another on the east and west sides. The centre of the courtyard is embellished with a deep round pool. A *mihrab* has been built into the wall of the east portico and a minaret stands in the south-west corner of the courtyard.  \nThe third section consists of the funerary halls and a courtyard. The large open-air trapezoid hall located on the south side contains two *qubba*. To the northeast of the complex there is a square courtyard surrounded on all four sides by porticoes 1.87 m deep and groups of three marble columns crowned with various types of capitals. The capitals that have a cylindrical part with a double row of leaves next to a heavy prismatic part extensively decorated with palms and palmettes, engraved rather than sculpted, can be classified as Hispano-Maghrebian.  \nA marble pool occupies the centre of the courtyard, which leads to three funerary rooms of different sizes: a sort of oblong antechamber, richly decorated with bronze lustre, and main square room containing the tomb of the Sultan Mulay Isma'il and finally an oblong room containing the book cabinets.  \nIts majesty makes the mausoleum a continuous reminder of the era of Sultan Mulay Isma'il.","short_description":"The mausoleum, a veritable royal funerary complex to the south of Mulay Isma'il's palace, was built near to the burial site of the saint Sidi 'Abd al-Rahman al-Majdub, a mystic of the AH 10th / AD 16th century.  \nRestored by Sultan Mulay Isma'il's successors, the building has a complex layout of Hispano-Maghrebi influence, complete with *zellij* (small tile) and stucco decoration, in which the structural elements are arranged in a row, similar to three rooms of the Rauda at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.  \nThe sultan's tomb is at the centre of the complex. A *mihrab* linked to the courtyard and burial rooms was constructed for prayers.","dates":"Hegira 11th–12th centuries / AD 17th–18th centuries.","location":"Meknès.","method_for_datation":"Ibn Zaydan gives the date of inauguration in *al-Ithaf*.","bibliography":"Barrucand, M., *Urbanisme princier en Islam: Meknès et les villes royales islamiques post-médiévales*, Paris, 1985.  \nChampion, P., *Les villes d'art célèbre: Tanger, Fès, Meknès*, Paris, 1924.  \n*Guide to Isma'il's Kasbah in Meknès* (in Arabic), Rabat, undated.  \nMennouni, M., *Four Ages of Urban Planning in the Town of Meknès (in Arabic), Rabat, undated.*  \nPérigny, M., *Casablanca**, Rabat, Meknès*, 1918.  \nPlantet, *Moulay Ismaïl, empereur du Maroc, et la princesse de Conti*, Paris, undated.  \nTerrasse, H., *Villes impériales du Maroc*, Grenoble, 1937.  \n*Andalusian Morocco: A Discovery in Living Art*, pp.76–8.","patrons":"Sultan Mulay Isma‘il (AH 1083–1140 / AD 1672–1727).","author":"Kamal Lakhdar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["Mausoleum","religious architecture","Funerary art"]},"7045f484-1e6a-55ad-9fd3-497bdc3dd415":{"name":"*Meshouf* (canoe collection)","description":"The Open Museum for Water Cultures (Basra) holds in its collection 11 *meshoufs* of various types and sizes. *Meshouf* is a generic term for a flat-based canoe made in the region of Iraq's southern marshlands. *meshoufs* range from 3-11m in length and have a narrow form, often with a distinctive crescent-shaped prow.  \n  \nVariants range from small flat-prowed canoes like the *matour* (a one-man canoe used for hunting waterfowl), to larger types with a prominent curved prow such as the *chilaika*, the prestigious *tarada* (hunting and war canoe of the Marsh Sheikhs), and working vessels like the *barkash*, used for harvesting and transport.  \n  \n*Meshoufs* became almost extinct from the Iran-Iraq war (1980s) onwards. In Huwair, once a well-known centre for their making, modernised boatbuilding methods and carpentry remained common forms of livelihood. *Meshouf* production was revived with the support of the Safina Projects initiative from AH 1440 / AD 2018 onwards. In addition to the Open Museum’s collection, by AH 1447/ AD 2025 over 70 *meshoufs* were in use across the Iraqi Heritage Boat Clubs Network established by Safina.  \n  \nBoats of a comparable form have been recorded since the Sumerian period (from around 2500 BC), although in the modern-day *meshouf* the prow is typically much taller than the stern, whereas in the Sumerian version prow and stern are of equal height.  \n  \nRashad Salim’s research with Safina Projects has concluded that the AH 14th/ AD 20th century *meshouf* was strongly influenced by the availability of industrially manufactured nails and tools and imported wood. In the pre-industrial period, wood was scarcer, and many marsh dwellers made *meshoufs* from reeds.  \n  \nThe extended family who built the *meshoufs* in this collection are among the most renowned boatbuilders of Huwair. They are part of the Beni Asad tribe, who came to the marshes 300-400 years ago from Arabia, learned boatbuilding methods from the Mandaean-Sabean population, and gradually took over as the main practitioners of the craft.","type":"Boat","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Cultures","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1441/ AD 2019","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Length range: 4.5-11m, beam length range: 0.75-1.5m, minimum height range: 0.25-0.55 m, prow height range: 0.3-2m","method_for_datation":"Production was supervised by current owner.","method_for_provenance":"Production was supervised by current owner.","provenance":"Huwair, Basra Governorate, Iraq","obtention":"Made in workshop organised by Safina Projects.","bibliography":"Agius, D. A.,*Classic Ships of Islam: from Mesopotamia to the Indian Ocean.*, Leiden: Brill, 2014.  \n  \nAl-Behadli, J., “The Ark for Iraq Programme: the Experience of Safina Projects in the Study of Traditional Boats and their Revitalisation”, *Al-Turath al-Sha’bi*, (2024), 325 \\[Published in Arabic\\].  \n  \nPotts, D. T., *Mesopotamian Civilisation: the Material Foundations*, Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1997.  \n  \nThesiger, W., *The Marsh Arabs*, London: Penguin, 1964.","workshop":"Huwair Traditional Boat Workshop","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["woodwork","boat","Watercraft","transport."],"materials":["teak wood (Javanese import)","carpentry","tar","waterproofing.","sidr wood","mulberry wood","Pine wood (Russian import)"]},"707e3119-1895-51ef-95aa-cf18a89fd850":{"name":"Ewer","description":"A narrow-necked body rises to a considerably wider main body, with a total of eleven projections of varying sizes extending outward from its upper surface. The handle is riveted at one end to the center of the body and at its two other ends to either side of the mouth; a clasp at the top of the handle secures the lid. The handle is decorated with cross motifs. The spout, designed for pouring, is beak-shaped, open at the top and adorned with floral motifs. The lid begins broadly and tapers into a minaret-shaped neck. Both the top surface of the lid and the base feature four rounded, outward-pointing reliefs. The ewer is in good condition and retains a brown colour.","type":"Ewer","holder":"Şanlıurfa Museum Directorate","location":"Şanlıurfa","dimensions":"Base width: 12cm, height: 48cm, mouth diameter: 8cm, lid height: 15cm","place_of_production":"Şanlıurfa","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","bronze","Copper","ewer","water"],"materials":["cast with relief decoration","Copper-bronze"]},"70d79ea7-784d-5874-97c5-40f0d18cd6d0":{"name":"Sickle","description":"Manual harvesting tool symbolising the completion of an agricultural cycle dependent on regulated water sharing in oasis systems.","type":"Agricultural tool","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum for the Civilisation of Water in Morocco","dates":"AH 14th / AD 20th century","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"37cm × 24cm","place_of_production":"Tiznit, Morocco","provenance":"Tiznit region, Morocco","obtention":"Institutional collection.","author":"Jihad Chitaouy","keywords":["sickle","agriculture","water"]},"70d82e89-b0df-5268-a49f-ceb3a92a2ba4":{"name":"Abu Yahya Zakariyya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini, *'Aga'ib al-makhluqat wa-ghara'ib al-maujudat* ('The Wonders of Creation and the Marvels of Creation')","short_description":"Abu Zakariyya' ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (600-682 AH / 1203-1283 AD) wrote the famous treatise ‘The Wonders of Creatures and the Marvels of Creation’ (*'Aja'ib al-Makhluqat wa Ghara'ib al-Mawjudat*). According to the colophon, this copy was written in 1174 AH / 1761 AD by al- Hajji 'Ali, one of the freedmen of 'Abdalhaiy Auda Pasha and likely created in Ottoman-dynasty Cairo, Egypt. As the owners’ stamp indicates, the manuscript later belonged to Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, and was acquired by the Austrian National Library in 1842. In the early 19th century, the manuscript and binding were probably supplemented and restored, yet their original look has been preserved. Its contemporaneous leather binding exhibits Ottoman-style decoration, while its 455 paintings of various sizes and shapes seen throughout the manuscript. They seem to have been created to mimic medieval models of painting, which were not fully understood, or perhaps just poorly preserved. Interestingly, the images are in stark contrast with the neat Egyptian writing style in *naskh* script. The flat painting style throughout includes raw outlines and bright colours, all of which give the paintings a dramatic and, at times, comic expression that may be comparable to later Coptic painting.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"1174 AH / 1761 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"309x212mm (215x125mm), ff. I, I*, 312 folios.","place_of_production":"Possibly Cairo","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 1174 AH / 1761 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 312b, an owner's stamp by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall dated to 1223 AH / 1808 AD is visible.","obtention":"Acquired  in 1842 from Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften II. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 5, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1992: 111-116.","scriber":"al-Hajji 'Ali","binding_desc":"The brown leather binding features gilt inlays of thin light-brown leather, which are stamped with floral motifs in the Ottoman style. The binding consists of a flap that has a recessed pointed medallion with pendants at its centre. Hand-painted cord or interlace motifs are visible on the overall frame, and immediately inside this frame are small, stamped floral details. The binding was likely produced in 18th-century Cairo, Egypt.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14424052","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["naskh","Creation","wonders","Qazwin"],"materials":["opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic naskh script of 23 lines per page.","Ink"]},"718874e8-d67c-57c0-aabc-505af50ed024":{"name":"Page from a Qur’an.","description":"Al-Takathur *sura* ('The Rivalry', 102: 8) and al-Asr *sura* ('The Time', 103: 1). This page is taken from a Qur'an written in black *kufic* script. The vowels are marked with red diacritic dots and the *hamza* and *shadda* are indicated by green and yellow marks in the style of Abi al-Aswad, the Arab grammarian (d. AH 61 / AD 681). The verses are divided by a gilded green-centred rosette outlined in brown dots. The magnificent title of the *sura* is contained within an ornamental line of *kufic,* terminating in a palm-leaf motif which projects into the margin of the page. This palm-leaf is composed of stylised, gilded leaves and floral arabesques and is illuminated in blue and green with delicate touches of brown. These motifs are part of the decorative repertoire of Muslim illuminators and calligraphers from the AH 5th / AD 11th century.","short_description":"Written in black *kufic* script, this page contains two Qur'anic quotations (102: 8 and 103: 1). The division of verses is marked by a gold rosette with a green centre. All of the motifs belong to the decorative repertoire of Muslim illuminators and calligraphers after the AH 5th / AD 11th century.","type":"Manuscript, Qur'an, parchment","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art.","initial_owner":"The Zirid prince, al-Mu‘izz","dates":"Hegira, beginning of the second quarter of the 5th century / AD 9th century.","location":"Raqqada., Kairouan.","dimensions":"Length 32 cm, width 22.5 cm; 5 lines.","method_for_datation":"The Qur'an was given as a legacy (*habus*) by the Zirid prince, al-Mu'izz ibn Badis to the Great Mosque of Kairouan. The deed of gift dates from later than the break with Cairo, since it mentions the hatred of the prince for the Fatimids. According to historians this split began in 424 / 1033 and came to an end by 441 / 1050.","method_for_provenance":"This Qur'an was left to the Great Mosque by the reigning Zirid prince. Given that Kairouan was at that time a great centre of book production, it is highly likely that this example was copied and bound at Kairouan on locally tanned parchment.","provenance":"Great Mosque of Kairouan.","obtention":"This Qur'an was obtained by the National Library in 1967 after the abolition of the *habus* foundation in Tunisia, and was transferred in 1983 to the Centre of Islamic Art and Civilisation at Raqqada. It has been displayed in the Museum of Islamic Art at Raqqada since 1986.","bibliography":"*30 ans au service du patrimoine* (exhibition catalogue), 1986, p.210.  \n*De Carthage a Kairouan* (exhibition catalogue), 1982, p.247, cat. no. 330.  \n*The Arts of Islam* (exhibition catalogue), 1976, p.20, cat. no. 2.  \n*Tunez, Tierra de Culturas* (exhibition catalogue), Valencia, 2004, p.221.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.159–62, 182–3.","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["floral decoration","religious manuscript","religious objects","habus","calligraphy"],"materials":["Decorated parchment."]},"71b58e2a-590f-5062-b329-444a2fef694c":{"name":"\"How Rustam Found a Spring\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi","description":"The two miniatures 69.74.8 and 69.74.9 illustrate the first and second of Rustam's seven ordeals. The first depicts the frequently illustrated scene of Rustam's gallant horse Rakhsh killing a lion while the hero sleeps. The subject of the second miniature is, on the other hand, rarely depicted. Rustam and Rakhsh nearly die of heat and thirst in the desert before, with the help of divine providence, they find a spring. Rustam bathes and grooms his faithful steed by the water's edge, as seen here. The painter is very sympathetic to the closeness between the hero and his trustworthy Rakhsh.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Textile Museum, Washington (until 1969)","dates":"AH ca.700-730 / AD ca. 1300 - 1330","location":"New York","dimensions":"Text block: Height: 15.4cm, width: 12.2cm; Painting: Height: 4.5cm, width: 8,5cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Northwestern Iran or Baghdad","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Swietochowski, M., and M. Jenkins-Madina., *Notable Acquisitions* , 1965–1975 (1975).  \n  \nSimpson, M., \"The Illustration of an Epic: The Earliest Shahnama Manuscripts.\" PhD diss., Garland Publishing, Inc., 1979.  \n  \nDiggard, J.-P., *Chevaux et cavaliers arabes dans les arts d'Orient et d'Occident* , Paris: Gallimard Institut du monde arabe, 2002.  \n  \nKelly, E., \"A Study of Islamic Metalwork.\" In *Zoomorphic Incense Burners of Medieval Khurasan.*, Oxford: BAR Publishing, 2024.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/452048","materials":["Silver","and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"72d97a33-faa9-5945-a6f9-e8d7c8992dc4":{"name":"Plate and ablution ewer","description":"The porcelain plate depicts a ritual washing ceremony, in which a servant pours water from an ewer for ablution. This scene illustrates the importance of cleanliness and ritual purity in Ottoman daily and religious life. The accompanying basin and ewer set, produced in the Süleymaniye workshop tradition, reflects the same function represented in the image. Such basin–ewer sets were commonly used indoors for ablution (*wudu*), particularly before prayer, as well as for washing hands after meals.  \n  \nBeyond their practical purpose, these objects held symbolic meaning, emphasising purity, hospitality and respect for religious practice. Through both the visual narrative on the porcelain plate and the physical form of the basin and ewer, the work highlights the central role of water in Ottoman ceremonial, domestic and spiritual culture.","type":"Ablution set","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["wudu","ewer","water","Ablution","Plate"],"materials":["Porcelain","brass"]},"7394659c-7bbb-55dd-b364-8018961596d1":{"name":"Hand-towel (*Peşkir*)","description":"Embroidered textile on beige ground. The short edges are decorated with floral motifs in blue, pink, red, yellow and green threads. At the centre, three blue pots each contain a bouquet of three flowers.","type":"Fabric","holder":"İznik Museum Directorate","dates":"AH 13th / AD 19th century","location":"Bursa","dimensions":"Height: 103cm, width: 38cm","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","hand-towel","textile","embroidery","cotton","water"],"materials":["cotton"]},"74a255de-faae-533b-ad80-5e73500284f7":{"name":"*The Perfect Pearls*","description":"Riki Salam’s *The Perfect Pearls* is a tribute to family, ancestry and cultural continuity. Dedicated by the artist to “those who came before us,” the work draws inspiration from his Uncle Seaman Dans’ song \"Perfect Pearl\". At its centre is Salam’s great-grandfather, Hardie Salaam Snr., depicted as a deep-sea diver. Born in Malaysia, Hardie migrated to Australia to work on a pearl lugger in the Torres Straits, embedding his story within the broader history of migration and maritime labour. Within the pearl shell are portraits of Salam’s grandparents, Hardie Salaam Jnr. and Maude Louise Savage, accompanied symbolically by their seven children, who are represented as pearls. The branching black coral evokes the artist’s immediate and extended family tree, which stretches from Mossman, on Kuku Yalanji Country, across Cape York, the Torres Straits and into the Northern Territory and Broome. The crayfish point to contemporary Torres Strait commerce, while the trochus shells and sea cucumber reference the historic trade networks linking Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with the Makassans.","type":"Canvas painting","holder":"Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA)","owner":"Islamic Museum of Australia","initial_owner":"Islamic Museum of Australia","dates":"AH 1442 / AD 2021","location":"Thornbury, VIC 3071","dimensions":"Length: 60.5cm, width: 91cm","place_of_production":"Brisbane, Queensland, Australia","method_for_datation":"Date confirmed in artist correspondence.","method_for_provenance":"Provenance established through IMA commission agreement with the artist.","provenance":"Commissioned by the IMA, Thornbury; collection of the IMA.","obtention":"Commissioned.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Australian Muslim History","AMH","Riki Salam","malay","pearl","aboriginal","Indigenous","pearl diver","pearl lugger","painting","family","coral","Australian Muslim","Acrylic on canvas","Australia"],"materials":["Acrylic and mixed media on canvas"]},"74c8d2f0-d499-5753-a385-cea7dbf6cb7a":{"name":"Muhammad Jandarajizada (?), *Muraqqa'* (Album)","short_description":"This *muraqqa‘* (album) was compiled for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (reigned 1574-1595) in Istanbul in 980 AH/1572-73 AD. The term *muraqqa’* (‘patched garment’) refers to the patchwork character of the collection of calligraphy, drawing, and painting in codex-format, which was significant for Safavid and Ottoman cultures as a means of collecting and displaying artworks. Likely created according to a systematic and aesthetic process of selecting materials, the specimens of this album were arranged in a particular order. It includes 18 ornamental pen-and-ink drawings, eight figural pen-and-ink drawings, 16 paintings, eight figural lacquer paintings, eleven pages with paper cutting, and 54 pages with calligraphy as the main motif. These specimens are mounted within perforated boards of variously decorated frames. The introduction to the album names a certain Muhammad Jandarajizada as its artistic compiler, while the scribe’s name is Haidar al-Husaini. The dedication to Sultan Murad III can be found on fol. 2b, and it appears that it was gifted to him at least two years after its completion. A red lacquer seal of Franz von Ottenfels-Gschind, the Austrian *internuntius* in Constantinople, on fol. 1a reveals the person who brought the album to Austria as a diplomatic gift for the Austrian emperor, after which it became part of the Austrian National Library in 1833-34.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"980 AH /1572-73 AD+G5","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"333 x 222 mm, 52 folios.","method_for_datation":"One colophon: 980 AH / 1572-83 AD","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 2b, dedication to the reigning Sultan Murad Khan ibn Sultan Selim Khan. On fol. 48b, a cut-out and affixed owner's stamp of a so-called Mustafa as-Selaniki with the date 978 AH / 1570-71 AD. On Fol. 1a,  red lacquer seal of Baron Franz von Ottenfels-Gschind incnluding the name Ottenfels and an Arabic motto in Arabic script.","provenance":"Istanbul","obtention":"Baron Franz von Ottenfels-Gschind, Austrian Internuntius at Constantinople, donated the album to the Austrian National Library in 1833/34.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 109-160.  \nFroom, Aimée, *A Muraqqa' for the Ottoman Sultan Murad III (r. 1574-1595). Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Codex Mixtus 313*, New York: New York University ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2001.","scriber":"Haidar al-Husaini","binding_desc":"The binding with which the album came to the Austrian National Library was one of red morocco with gold-pressed decoration, originating from 18th-century Turkey.","catalogue_holding_link":"http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/AC14387500","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["drawing","muraqqa'","painting","Yusuf","Album","angel","calligraphy"],"materials":["colour and gold on paper.","Ink"]},"75271db6-a634-5c80-87e5-b32e543ed713":{"name":"Two glasses","description":"The Museum of Applied Art in Belgrade houses highly significant utilitarian glass objects that reflect the courtly culture of the Obrenović dynasty. These objects are not only testaments to a bygone era, but they also reflect the aesthetic sensibilities of the ruling dynasty, as well as their cultural refinement and enlightenment. The royal family paid special attention to the culture of dining, salons, and dining rooms. In this context, a need arose for acquiring certain exclusive glassware sets, including those intended for private ceremonies, which were imported from abroad and ordered according to specific typologies.  \nThe Obrenović dynasty ruled Serbia from 1815 to 1842, and again from 1858 to 1903. Its progenitor was Miloš Obrenović (1783–1860), also known as Miloš the Great, leader of the Second Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire and Prince of Serbia twice, from 1815 to 1839, and from 1858 to 1860. During the rule of Prince Miloš Obrenović, in 1830, Sultan Mahmud II issued a hatt-i-sharif granting Serbia the status of an autonomous principality, while Serbia’s full independence was confirmed at the Congress of Berlin, in 1878, during the rule of Prince (later King) Milan Obrenović (1854–1901).  \nAmong the Obrenović dynasty-related objects from the collection of the Museum of Applied Art is a pair of water glasses, skilfully decorated with an engraved royal cypher of King Alexander Obrenović (1876–1903). Made using the glass casting technique, the glasses have exceptionally thin walls and a characteristically flat base. In their central section, the initial letter \"A\", topped with a royal crown, is lavishly engraved. The glasses were acquired by the Museum of Applied Art in 2008. They were originally owned by the Kozinc family from Slovenia, and later became part of the Višnjić family collection in Belgrade.  \nKing Alexander Obrenović was the last ruler of the Obrenović dynasty. Together with his consort, Queen Draga, he was assassinated in Belgrade, in the May Coup, on the night of 10–11 June \\[O.S. 28–29 May\\] 1903, which resulted in the dynasty’s extinction.","type":"Glass","holder":"Museum of Applied Art","owner":"Museum of Applied Art, Belgrade","dates":"AH late 13th / AD Late 19th century","location":"Belgrade","dimensions":"Diameter: 8.5cm, Height: 14.3cm","place_of_production":"Austria-Hungary","method_for_datation":"By stylistic and comparative analisys with related material.","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence.","provenance":"Austria-Hungary","obtention":"Purchased in 2008.","bibliography":"M. Križanac (2010), Glass (2), in: New in the Collections: Acquisitions 2001–2010, Belgrade: Museum of Applied Art, 96–97.","author":"Jelena Vukadinović","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Serbia","Tableware","the Obrenović dynasty.","glass"],"materials":["Engraving","Casting","glass"]},"76bd886e-d945-5f5e-b0b1-071c229a6721":{"name":"\"The Castle Water Clock\" from al-Jazari's \"Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices\"","description":"In the early AH 8th / AD 13th-century, a scholar and engineer named Isma‘il Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari wrote a famous treatise called *Kitab fi ma‛rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya*, or The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. The text offered detailed descriptions of a series of elaborate machines designed to delight and impress the elites at the court where he served, in eastern Anatolia. Al-Jazari’s text and its illustrations belong to a long tradition of studies about these kinds of devices, including Greek compendia on mechanics and mathematics. This page belongs to a copy of the text that was produced in Mamluk Egypt in AH 755 / AD 1354, and was copied by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri for a Mamluk ruler.  \n  \nThis folio illustrates elaborate hydraulic clock in the form of a palace gateway.","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"AH Safar 755 / AD February 1354","location":"Boston","dimensions":"39.8cm × 27.5cm","place_of_production":"Probably Cairo","obtention":"By 1912, Victor Goloubew (b. 1879 - d. 1945), Paris; 1914, sold by Goloubew through M. Meyer-Riefstahl to the MFA.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.mfa.org/objects/13823/aljazaris-book-of-knowledge-of-ingenious-mechanical-devic?ctx=8e1195fe-3ca5-462a-9ff4-c563984d6be1&idx=0","keywords":["Technical Manuscripts","folio.","water","Mamluks"],"materials":["Ink","Watercolour and gold on paper"]},"775f5429-b0f9-57f6-bc0c-7d8ec16e83ff":{"name":"Bath clogs (*Nalın*)","description":"Pair of wooden shoes. The sole and heel are decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay of floral and leaf motifs, divided by wire inlay. The heel and toe show signs of wear. The woollen band, in brown, cream and red, is set with a star-shaped metal fitting.","type":"Clothes","holder":"İznik Museum Directorate","dates":"AH 13th / AD 19th century","location":"Bursa","dimensions":"Height: 7cm, width: 5cm, length: 22.7cm","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","mother of pearl","water","nalin","bath clogs","Hammam"],"materials":["Wood","cotton","mother-of-pearl"]},"781670ca-b4db-57b9-b537-ff501442790e":{"name":"Dar Ibn ‘Abd Allah.","description":"The different sections of the Dar Ibn 'Abd Allah Palace stand on either side of a small square, which used to be a private passageway protected by doors.  \nThe grand entrance is a large studded door set in a surround of richly-sculpted pink stone. The first hallway contains benches set under walls which are covered with Quallaline ceramic panels. The vault is lined with sculpted plaster. The courtyard is protected by two further off-set hallways.  \nThe courtyard is surrounded on four sides by porticoes, both on the ground floor and on the first floor. The lightly fluted columns with neo-Corinthian capitals are of Carrara marble from Italy, as are the door and window frames, the paving and the fountain with its three basins.  \nUnder the galleries, the facades are identical. In a wall panelled with green and yellow ceramic tiles, there are two windows on either side of a central door with a salient surrounding frame. The upper portion consists of a wide strip of carved stucco representing vases of foliate scrolls on a smooth background. The apartments on both floors are in the classic 'T' formation. They consist of a sunken central floor, opposite the entrance, furnished as a salon with three benches. This area is flanked by two small bedrooms. There are two lateral alcoves containing beds with wooden canopies.  \nAmong the richest elements of this palace are the wooden shelf panelling, the canopies and the ceilings, which combine the geometric decoration typical of al-Andalus with Turkish floral ornamentation. The panelled doors are carved in the Italian style.  \nThe service areas are arranged around a small courtyard which has a door leading to the main courtyard and an entrance opening direct from the street. The storehouses, the stables and the gardens are on the other side of the small square.","short_description":"This palace was named after one of its former owners, the wealthy silk-weaver Mohamed Talar bin Abd Allah. Extensively refitted and extended during the 19th century, the palace reveals Italian influences in its columns, capitals, door and window frames, and the marble fountain in the centre of the courtyard. Dar Bin 'Abd Allah has been the home of the Museum of Popular Art and Tradition since 1978, holding some of Tunis’s extensive museum collections, including clothes, jewellery, bathroom and kitchen utensils, and weapons.","dates":"Hegira 1211 / AD 1796.","location":"Tunis","method_for_datation":"Deeds quoted by Revault, *Palais et demeures de Tunis*.","bibliography":"Binous, J., *Maisons de la Medina de Tunis*, 2001, pp.108–13.  \nRevault, *Palais et demeures de Tunis (XVIIe et XIXe siecles)*, CNRS, Paris, 1971, p. 99.  \n*Ifriqiya: Thirteen centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia*, pp.84–6.","history":"We have known the history of this palace since 1796, from the deeds which quote Hadj Muhammad al-Kossentini as owner of the premises. In 1801, Sliman al-Hanafi took possession of them. He was promoted from high military functionary to commander of the army on marrying the daughter of the *bey.* The palace benefited from extensive improvements and refurbishments. In 1875 Tahar ibn 'Abd Allah, a silk weaver and landowner, acquired the palace and gave it his name. In 1905, a French Orientalist painter by the name of Albert Aublet bought the palace and occupied it until 1941. At that date, the Directorate of Fine Arts and Public Instruction installed the Office of Tunisian Art there. After Tunisian independence, the Minister of Cultural Affairs converted the premises into the Centre of Popular Arts and Traditions on the first floor and into the Tunis Regional Museum (Tunisian life in the 19th century) on the ground floor.","patrons":"Hadj Muhammad al-Kossentini.","author":"Jamila Binous","copy_editor":"MWNF","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Turkish decoration","painted wood","ceramics","Italian marble","Andalusian decoration","Palace architecture","Italian decoration"]},"79528dd8-b305-5d0a-99c2-94a3c8d75553":{"name":"Clogs","alternate_name":"*Nanule* (Tr. *nalın*)","description":"*Nanule* (Tr. *nalın*) – clogs from the Museum of Applied Art in Belgrade (a.n. TC-283 (1942)), are made of wood. They have a slightly flared front wedge and a concave back wedge. The toe of the sole is square, and the heel is round. The sole is decorated with intarsia of leaf-shaped medallions with carved vegetal motifs, while along the edges runs a frame of inlaid mother-of-pearl rhombi. The wedges are adorned with carved geometrical motifs. The leather straps that hold the clog on the foot are plain. The clogs were used in the hamam, and belong to the shared dress and living culture of the urban population in the Ottoman Balkans, which had diverse confessional and ethnic backgrounds.","type":"Clothing","holder":"Museum of Applied Art","owner":"Museum of Applied Art, Belgrade","dates":"AH late 13th / AD Late 19th century","location":"Belgrade, Serbia","dimensions":"Length: 23cm, Height: 7cm","place_of_production":"Kosovo","method_for_datation":"By stylistic and comparative analisys with related material.","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence.","provenance":"Ottoman Empire","obtention":"Purchased in 1956.","bibliography":"Maskareli, D., (2013), 'Tradicija i moda: ženska obuća iz XIX i s početka XX veka u kolekciji Muzeja primenjene umetnosti u Beogradu', *Journal 9 (2013): 93--101.  \n  \nStojanović, D., *(1980), Gradska nošnja u Srbiji tokom XIX i početkom XX veka*, Belgrade: Museum of Applied Art, 1980: cat. nNo. 378.  \n  \nTadić, M., “Od kućnog dvorišta do hamama, sedefli nanule”, *Journal*, 4/5 (2008/2009): 19--31.*","author":"Draginja Maskareli","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["clogs","Balkans","dress","nanule","Turkish bath","hamam"],"materials":["carving","intarsia","inlay","leather","Wood","mother-of-pearl"]},"79968466-a94b-5053-a5e9-1155df32e285":{"name":"Wash basin and jug.","description":"The jug and basin were used at court on dining tables for the washing of hands. Medieval Arabic sources include descriptions of this sort of utensil. The daughters of amirs, viziers, high-ranking noblemen, officials and merchants all had this hand-washing equipment as part of their trousseau. Judging by the iconographic motifs of its decoration, the Berlin jug and basin look as if they were made for a lawyer. The inscriptions include blessings of a general nature (well-being, wealth, health, knowledge and leniency) for the unknown owner. Its original magnificence is clearly visible, as it has been excellently preserved.  \nJudging by its shape, with its flap lid and straight spout, the jug has been made as a sculpted three-dimensional form. Its body, shoulder and neck are decorated with three friezes featuring figurative motifs within medallions of different sizes. The medallions are filled with depictions of thrones and riders and images of planets. The base of the neck shows 11 arched fields with standing figures in the style of Christian representations. A unicorn is being hunted in the animal frieze on the jug’s shoulder. There are additional Arabic well-wishing inscriptions within the friezes or spread over the jug.  \nIn the bottom of the basin, six planets are drawn encircling the sun, and in a second frieze, the signs of the Zodiac are depicted in relationship to particular planets. As on the jug, the outer surface of the basin is decorated with six large medallions that depict a prince flanked by two bodyguards, scenes of hunting and revelry. They are linked together by an inscription wishing for strength and victory, knowledge and leniency, qualities belonging to Allah.  \nThe complexity of the design and the highest quality of craftsmanship substantiate the high status of the person who commissioned its making. The jug and the basin are even signed with the name of the craftsman, which demonstrates that the artist was also held in very high regard.","short_description":"The extremely fine design and workmanship of this basin and jug demonstrate the skill of the metal craftsmen working in Mosul around 1270. Commissioned by someone of high rank and depicting the planets and scenes of courtly life, the set may have been used for washing hands on special occasions.","type":"Wash basin, jug, metalwork","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum","dates":"Hegira second half of 7th century / AD second half of 13th century.","location":"Berlin","dimensions":"Jug: height 37 cm, diameter 20.6 cm; basin: height 17 cm, diameter 43 cm.","method_for_datation":"The artist, ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdallah al-‘Alawi, who signed both the jug and the basin, lived during the mid-7th / mid-13th century.","method_for_provenance":"The artist, who signed both the jug and the basin, includes in the inscription of his name an indication of his town of origin: al-Mawsili, ‘from Mosul’, signifying where he was born or where he worked. The signature and the motif of the figure with a crescent in front of its body suggest that it is very probable that this piece originates from Mosul.","provenance":"Mosul, northern Iraq.","obtention":"From a private art gallery in 1938.","bibliography":"Baer, E., *Ayyubid Metalwork with Christian Images*, Leiden, 1989, pp.15-17, plates 50–1.  \nHagedorn, A., *Die Blacas-Kanne: Zu Ikonographie und Bedeutung Islamischer Metallarbeiten des Vorderen Orients im 13. und 14. Jahrhundert*, Münster, 1992, no. 28.  \nKühnel, E., “Zwei Mosulbronzen und ihr Meister”, *Jahrbuch der Preußischen Kunstsammlungen* 60, 1939, pp.1–20.  \n*Museum für Islamische Kunst*, Mainz, 2001, pp.72–3.  \nRice, D. S. “Inlaid Brasses of the Workshop of Ahmad Al-Dhaki al-Mawsili”, *Ars Orientalis* 2, 1957, pp.225–53.","author":"Annette Hagedorn","translator":"Maria Vlotides","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["Zangid","inlay","Mosul","brass"],"materials":["gold and silver inlay.","brass"]},"7ac3ea27-a8cb-553d-b1c3-19067190a3c3":{"name":"Qarawiyyin Mosque.","description":"A simple oratory of about 100 m2, the original mosque was made up of four naves parallel to the *qibla* wall, a courtyard, a *mihrab* and a minaret.  \nIn the AH 5th / AD 11th century, the Almoravids enlarged and enriched it with elements borrowed from Andalusian ornamental style fashionable at that time: plasterwork sculpture, *muqarnas* (stalactite) domes, sculpted marble capitals, epigraphic and geometrical floral motifs, etc. The *mihrab* dates from this time, as do the earlier domes. The mosque is embellished with *kufic* inscriptions and floral compositions that are reminiscent of Islamic art in Spain.  \nDuring the Almohad era, AH 6th–7th / AD 12th–13th centuries, the Qarawiyyin was again endowed with new ornaments and practical additions such as the latrines in the north of the building and an underground warehouse on the northeast side used to store oil, mats and other material from the mosque. To bolster the monument's existing hydraulic infrastructure, a pool was constructed and water was channelled from one of the wells of the *medina* ('Ayn Farmal). Lighting was provided by a large chandelier in the ribbed dome of the axial nave and by bells along the central aisle that were imported from al-Andalus and transformed into chandeliers.  \nThe Mosque reached its heyday during the Marinid era (AH 7th–9th / AD 13th–15th centuries) with its 270 pillars forming 16 naves of 21 arches each, 15 large doors reserved for men and 2 small doors for women. With its 509 lamps, the large central chandelier weighed 1,763 pounds. The building could accommodate 22,700 people in its halls.  \nUnlike most mosques in the Muslim west, the naves of the Qarawiyyin are not perpendicular but parallel to the *qibla* wall, which suggests an oriental influence (probably the Great Mosque of Damascus).  \nThe minaret, which is as old as the original mosque, was built in freestone and subsequently covered with plaster and carefully polished whitewash.  \nThe Sa'dids (AH 10th–11th / AD 16th–17th centuries) took inspiration from the Alhambra in Granada for the two magnificent pavilions of the *sahn* (courtyard), which is evident in their layout as well as their decoration and architectural elements.  \nThe 'Alawids were responsible for restoring the chandeliers, the walls and pillars.  \nThe Qarawiyyin was also a real university, playing a major role in the diffusion of knowledge and the training of the intellectual elite. The Marinids provided two libraries and organised the institution and the teaching programmes, with 140 teaching posts throughout the establishment and the *madrasa*.","short_description":"It was in the AH 8th / AD 14th century that the simple oratory founded in the AH 3rd / AD 9th century by Fatima al-Fihriya in Fez old town, having become a Friday mosque, reached its apogee with its 270 pillars, 17 large gateways, a library and enough space for 22,700 worshipers. A university of great prestige and an important spiritual centre, Islam's most celebrated scholars came from Córdoba and Damascus to study or to teach at one of the Qarawiyyin's 140 chairs, located throughout the establishment or in the town's different *madrasas* and mosques.","dates":"Hegira 3rd–4th centuries / AD 9th–10th centuries.","location":"Fez (Old Town).","method_for_datation":"Written sources such as the *Rawd al Qirtass* (The Mausoleum of Writing) by Ibn Abi Zara al-Fassi and the *Jana Zahrat al-Aas* (Myrtle Flower) by al-Jaznaï enable us to date the foundation and extensions (see Bibliography).","bibliography":"Al-Jaznaï, A., *Jana Zahrat al-Aas* (Myrtle Flower), in Arabic, Benmansour, Rabat, 1967.  \nGolvin, L., *Essai sur l'architecture religieuse musulmane*, Vol. IV, *L'art hispano-musulman*, Paris, 1979.  \nIbn Abi Zara, A., *Rawd al Qirtass* (The Mausoleum of Writing), in Arabic, Rabat, 1972.  \nTazi, A., “Jamaa al-Qarawiyine, al masjid wa jamià bi madinati fas: mawsuà litarikhihà al mi'mari wa fikri' (Qarawiyyin, the mosque and the university in the town of Fez), *Encyclopédie de l'Histoire de l'Urbanisme et de la Pensée*, 3 vols., Beirut, 1973.  \nTerrasse, H., *La Mosquée al-Qarawiyine à Fès*, III, Paris, 1968.  \n*Andalusian Morocco: A Discovery in Living Art*, pp.103–4.","patrons":"Fatima al-Fihriya, a pious woman from Kairouan, daughter of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah.","author":"Mohamed Mezzine","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["geometric","vegetal decoration","epigraphic decoration.","university","religious building"]},"7b2742c6-535b-5d12-97d6-c40de8fa7448":{"name":"Water pitcher","description":"A fine example of Çanakkale pottery craftsmanship, characteristic of the region’s traditional ceramic art.","type":"Pitcher","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 43cm","place_of_production":"Aegean","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","provenance":"Çanakkale","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Ceramic"]},"7b607aac-e5db-517f-aaf5-04ce4eb5e62c":{"name":"*Project for a Garden or Park*","alternate_name":"*Proyecto para un jardín o parque*","description":"This project for a park with fountain, covered, possibly, with tiles decorated in Neo-Mudéjar style. The development of urban design was an important subject from the mid-19th century onwards. The Neo-Mudéjar style was selected by the architects for important buildings such as theatres or bull rings or urban spaces as the International exhibition of Barcelona 1888. One of the characteristics of this style is use of brick and tile decoration in the buildings’ interiors and façades.","type":"Drawing","holder":"National Museum of Decorative Arts","dates":"End of the 19th century","location":"Madrid","provenance":"Madrid (?), Segovia (?)","author":"Ana Cabrera","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"7bd0767f-b448-56ce-8a8e-6180b326ce87":{"name":"\"Alexander is Lowered into the Sea\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Amir Khusrau Dihlavi","description":"The Khamsa of the Indian poet Amir Khusrau includes a section on the philosopher-king Alexander the Great, who in Khusrau’s telling of his life led expeditions to China, Russia, and the Western Isles. In this copy of the Khamsa made for the Mughal emperor Akbar (r. 1556–1605), Alexander is shown being lowered into the sea in a glass diving bell. While underwater, he will receive a visit from an angel who foretells his death.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH 1006-7 / AD 1597–8","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 23.82cm, Width: 15.9 cm","place_of_production":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R.. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, old series, vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \n\"Mughal Painting under Akbar the Great.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446561","materials":["gold on paper Margins: Gold on dyed paper","Main support: ink","watercolour"]},"7bf56987-b874-51e5-91e1-bf19f3afba07":{"name":"*Tabica* (small board).","description":"The splendid collar-beam framework of Teruel Cathedral, which has been erroneously described as a coffered ceiling, is one of the examples of Mudéjar carpentry most studied by art critics for several reasons, including its extraordinary iconographic and iconological complexity and its significance in the social context, and the interest generated by its style and dating, which has been helped by analysis of the wood. Among other items, the National Archaeological Museum holds two *tabicas* (small wooden boards) from the gables or planking, one of which shows a male figure and the other, the one examined here, a female figure.  \nThe woman is from the working class, a water bearer dressed in a long-sleeved, corded tunic or dress tied at the waist. The decorative horizontal lines give her a characteristic air. Her hair is short and her head appears to be uncovered, uncommon in figures on ceilings. She is carrying a two-handled jar. The flat colours are dominated by reds, whites and black outlines.  \nIt is possible to determine the *tabica*'s original position in the eighth section on the left, in the very place where a bomb fell during the war in 1936","short_description":"This *tabica* (small wooden board) decorated the planks in the roof of Teruel Cathedral, showing the different classes of Mediaeval society. The figure is a water bearer dressed in contemporary costume: a long-sleeved dress tied around the waist.","type":"Woodwork, board, tabica, wood","holder":"National Archaeological Museum.","dates":"Late 13th century.","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height 36 cm, width 23.8 cm, depth 1.7 cm.","method_for_datation":"From its style and from dendrochronological analysis of the wood.","method_for_provenance":"When giving this and three other pieces to the National Archaeological Museum, the donor, Pablo Gil y Gil, a professor at the University of Saragossa in 1869, reported that they came from the roof.","provenance":"Cathedral of Santa Maria de Mediavilla, Teruel, Spain.","obtention":"The piece was donated to the National Archaeological Museum on 19 August 1869.","bibliography":"Alquézar Yáñez, E., Arias Sánchez, I. and Franco Mata, A., “Carpintería y Elementos Arquitectónicos Mudéjares en el Museo Arqueológico Nacional Procedentes de Aragón”, in *Actas del VI Simposio Internacional de Mudejarismo, Teruel, 16–18 September 1993*, Teruel, 1996, p.874.  \nRabanaque, E., Novella, A., Sebastián, S. and Yarza, J*., El Artesonado de la Catedral de Teruel*, Saragossa, 1981.  \n*Mudéjar Art: Islamic Aesthetics in Christian Art*, pp.82 and 107–10.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_ES_EN_001","author":"Ángela Franco","copy_editor":"Rosalía Aller","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["polichromy","collar-beam roof","Mudéjar","wood","Teruel","Tabica"],"materials":["polychromy.","Wood"]},"7c3b1c92-51fd-5856-8367-ca91f32596a9":{"name":"'Mihr in a Bath House in Khwarazm'","description":"Assar Tabrizi, who was active under the Jalayirid sultan Uways and died in c. AH 792 / AD 1390, was inspired by Nizami’s famous romances *Layla wa Majnun* and *Khusraw wa Shirin* when he wrote ‘Mihr and Mushtari.’ It tells the story of the love of Mihr, son of King Shapur, for Mushtari, the vizier’s son.  \n  \nIn Persian mystical poetry, physical love is often a reflection of divine love, and the beauty of the beloved a reflection of God’s beauty. The beloved was just as often a man as a woman, and although love did not have to manifest itself physically, the sexual ambiguity of works like this was enough to awaken displeasure in more morally oriented circles.  \n  \nIn contrast to the story of Khusraw and Shirin, who clearly have a sexual relationship, this does not seem to have been the case between Mihr and Mushtari. In any event, Mihr marries Nahid, the daughter of the Khwarazm shah.  \n  \nThe bathing scene is unusual. The text explains that Mihr, the central seated figure, is having a knot in his long hair combed out","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 947-957 / AD 1540-1550","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 25cm × 20cm","place_of_production":"Shiraz (Iran)","bibliography":"Boghanim, H. and Carayon, A. (eds.), *Parfums d'Orient, Institut du monde arabe*, Paris: Beaux Arts, 2023: cat. 56, 115 and 215.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners*, Copenhagen: The David Collection, 2017: cat.no. 66","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Shirin","Khusraw","Layla","water","Majnun","miniature","folio"],"materials":["pigments"]},"7c5b0aa9-383a-5b52-bc5a-91c986d3c9eb":{"name":"Toiletries","description":"In the 19th century the wealthy families of Tunis invented the notion of the knastrou l'aroussa (marriage basket) as a mark of their wealth. Made of engraved or watermarked silver, this basket would contain various toiletries for the bride: a perfume sprinkler (mrach), a khol phial with applicator for the eyes (mokhala), a round or rectangular-framed mirror with engraved floral motifs, and a knife and plate for henna. A pair of clogs (qobqabs) made of wood and covered in silver worn by the bride. As a traditional bath (hammam) was the bride's first event on her wedding day, all her toiletries were set out ready for her, with a series of tools for exfoliation, depilation, application of a clay face mask, and more.","type":"Silver","holder":"Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires","dates":"19th–20th century","location":"Tunis","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"7c7c2cda-78e1-597a-b911-718576ff198a":{"name":"*Hammam* (Arab Baths).","description":"The *hammam* (Arab Baths) is a few kilometres outside Palermo in the municipality of Cefalà Diana. The building consists of an internal room measuring 11 m. by 7.5 m. covered by a slightly pointed barrel vault 7.5 m. high. The room is divided into two distinct areas separated by a partition with three pointed arches. The columns of the partition are a Corinthian variation with chalice-shaped terracotta capitals. The smaller room, next to the hot water spring, has one bath and the larger room has three, each lower than the last, ensuring a variety of water temperatures. The walls contained niches to store personal effects and the vault had vents to allow the stream to escape. The underground system of channels used to fill and empty the baths is still partially visible immediately around the baths.  \nOutside, a *kufic* inscription, now very deteriorated, runs along the frieze on at least three of the four sides.","short_description":"The Arab Baths are found just a few kilometres from Palermo and are fed by naturally hot spring water. The building consists of an inner room measuring 11 m by 7.5 m divided into two distinct areas by a partition wall and housing a series of baths of different temperatures. On the outside of the building there is a much-deteriorated inscription in *kufic* characters. Recent research leads us to believe that the building dates back to Norman times.","location":"Cefalà Diana","method_for_datation":"Through architectural analysis of different parts of the building.","bibliography":"Bellafiore, G., *Architettura in Sicilia nell’età Islamica e Normanna (827–1190)*, Palermo, 1990.  \nLa Bua, G. and Truzzolino, T., *Cefalà Diana nella Storia e nell’Arte*, Palermo, 1999, pp.9–24.  \nRyolo, D., “I Bagni di Cefalà Diana”, *Sicilia Archeologica*, IV, 15, 1971, pp.19–32.  \n*Siculo-Norman Art: Islamic Culture in Medieval Sicily*, pp.119–20.","history":"There is no definite data on the date of construction. It has been suggested that construction first started during the Hellenistic-Roman period (outer wall) and then continued during the period of Arab domination (the columns of the dividing partition) and the Norman period (stringcourse). It has also been suggested that it is an entirely Norman building on the basis of structural similarities with other buildings from the reign of Guglielmo (William) II.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_IT_EN_001","author":"Pier Paolo Racioppi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["water"]},"7ca0b66c-4942-5ae1-ba7a-8fd1e3d1a12d":{"name":"Water flask","description":"The shape of this characteristic type of water flask is based on flasks made of leather without a base. The handle for filling water and spout for pouring it were made of wood or metal and attached to the leather with the aid of a collar.  \n  \nAlthough fairly few Indian bronze flasks of this type have been preserved, they are familiar features on Indian miniatures, where they appear from around AH 932 / AD 1525. Chinese porcelain flasks with this shape are slightly older, however, and it is probable that both Indian and Chinese flasks hark back to a leather prototype used by Central Asian nomad peoples. The engraved decoration that embellishes the flask is unusual.","type":"Water flask; Ewer","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH 10th-11th / AD 16th-17th century","location":"Copenhagen","place_of_production":"Northern India","keywords":["bronze","ewer","water","Mughals","flask"],"materials":["with engraved decoration","Cast bronze"]},"7dbe5f26-102f-5a9b-a9c9-3dbff17febde":{"name":"\"The Clever Hare with the King of the Elephants at the Spring of the Moon\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. *Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript.* Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In *The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna.*, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453119","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"7e6f736c-c904-5e34-bfba-fe5f200e6092":{"name":"Postcard","description":"This photograph shows a view of Riyadh water tower in Saudi Arabia.","type":"Postcard","holder":"The British Museum","dates":"AH c. 1409 / AD c. 1989","location":"London","dimensions":"Height: 10.20cm, width: 15.30cm","place_of_production":"Published in Al-khobar, Saudi Arabia","obtention":"Acquired in Covent Garden in 2014.","copyright":"This is an 'orphan work' in The British Museum’s collections. If you are the copyright holder and were not contacted, please reach out to Museum With No Frontiers at editing@museumwnf.net so that proper credit may be given on this website.","keywords":["Saudi Arabia.","postcard","water"],"materials":["Paper"]},"7e932bea-47e5-5386-9498-0e48388f3e95":{"name":"Fountain","description":"Water fountains such as these were common in Ottoman government buildings in Lebanon, and were turned on whenever there was a meeting to prevent outsiders overhearing or eavesdropping. This marble fountain is octagonal in shape and is decorated with embossed semi-cylinders on each side. The exterior of the structure is decorated with a mosaic of black, white, beige and brown marble organised in geometric designs. A second, circular level of the fountain rests on this first octagonal structure.","type":"Stonework","holder":"Lebanese Heritage Museum","dates":"19th century","location":"`Ayn Najm","provenance":"Turkey","author":"Marie Therese Moujabber","copy_editor":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"7e967a87-06f8-504f-b353-0258d46e2618":{"name":"*Haft Aurang* of Jami","alternate_name":"'Seven Thrones' of Jami","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"AH c. 977 / AD c. 1570","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 29.8cm, width: 18.4cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/fr/art/collection/search/446552","keywords":["Manuscript.","water","Iran","Jami"],"materials":["opaque watercolor","and gold on paper","Ink"]},"7edf0ccd-d66d-5870-9c4a-05240e9d59ce":{"name":"The Aflāj of Al Ain — Ancestral Water Systems Sustaining Oasis Life","description":"This photograph from Al Ain Oasis captures one of the traditional *Aflāj* channels — ingenious irrigation systems that have supported agriculture and human settlement in the region for over 3,000 years. The word *Aflāj* (singular: *Falaj*) comes from the Arabic root ف-ل-ج (F-L-J), meaning to divide, split, or distribute. This reflects the system’s core purpose: the controlled and equitable distribution of water among community members.  \n  \nThe *Aflāj* carry groundwater from underground channels or wells through a network of open canals, delivering life-sustaining water to palm groves, fields, and communal gardens. Their design ensures continuous flow, fairness, and sustainability — principles that shaped the social and agricultural identity of oasis communities.  \n  \nToday, Al Ain Oasis is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, while the *Aflāj* irrigation system is recognised as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Together they are evidence of the deep environmental knowledge, engineering skill, and cooperative traditions that enabled life to flourish in the desert landscape.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private collection","author":"Dina Turkieh","copy_editor":"Judy Harter"},"7ef4da57-b989-5c8a-b7bd-e74673870ad0":{"name":"Aqueducts around Jericho No.7","description":"An original plan from the survey of Western Palestine showing the aqueducts bringing water from the wadies Fara, Kelt and Nuwayimeh into the Jericho oasis. These aqueducts date from the Hellenistic era onwards, and were used and added to for centuries well into the Islamic era. Note in particular how they feed into the Umayyad period Khirbet al Mafjar, a huge agricultural estate and palace, and the Mamluk period sugar mill, Tawaheen es Sukkar.","type":"Manuscript map, elevation drawings","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","dates":"AH 1290 / AD 1873","location":"London","place_of_production":"Palestine","method_for_datation":"Recorded dates of the survey","method_for_provenance":"Palestine Exploration Fund project","provenance":"Palestine, Survey of Western Palestine field drawing","obtention":"Created for the PEF during the survey of Western Palestine, 1872–1878","bibliography":"Warren, C., *The Survey of Western Palestine-Jerusalem*, London: Legare Street Press, 2022.","workshop":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Jericho","Mamluk","photography","aqueduct","sugar mill"],"materials":["pen and ink","Paper","pencil"]},"7f95a1e1-30bf-5b30-abfb-8955cb750a4b":{"name":"*Isbiya* or *Kaiya* barge (model)","description":"The *isbiya* (also known locally as the *kaiya*) is a cargo barge traditionally built in the town of Hit on the Western bank of the River Euphrates in Anbar province. It is documented in archival photographs and texts from the AH 13th / AD 19th and AH 14th / AD 20th centuries, and is believed to have existed in a similar form for several millennia, although its organic construction left no known physical remains.  \n  \nIt is built using a technique comparable to wattle-and-daub architecture, with no use of metal (tools or fixings) or planked wood. Like many traditional boats, the *isbiya* is a technology specific to its place of origin, made with locally sourced materials. It is a vertical-sided box, constructed using a framework of branches and sticks, including palm fronds (*isb*) from which it derives its name, mulberry wood and gharb wood. These are bound together with palm leaf cordage, and ringed with thick coils of halfa grass before being waterproofed with several layers of tar. The community are involved in a collective construction process known as *fezaa*.  \n  \nArchaeological evidence suggests that cargoes of stone, lime and bitumen used to build Ur (3800 – 500 BC) and other ancient cities in southern Mesopotamia were transported using *isbiyas* or similar boats. This trade continued into the AH 14th / AD 20th century to supply tar used to waterproof roofs, boats and as an adhesive. Each *isbiya* made a one-way journey, propelled by the river, and was broken up on arrival, with the materials sold mainly for use as fuel.  \n  \nProduction of the *isbiya* ceased in the late 1950s, when its function was replaced by metal barges, then by road cargo transport. In 2019 a full-sized *isbiya* and its smaller guide-boat, the *delil*, were reconstructed in a workshop organised by Safina Projects with community members in Hit, including elder Haji Noaman, who had assisted in building the last *isbiya* as an apprentice in the late AH 1370s / AD 1950s. In 2024 a scale model *isbiya* was produced for the collection of the Open Museum for Water Culture (Basra).","type":"Boat","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Cultures","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1446/ AD 2024","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Length: 140cm, height  60cm, width: 60cm","method_for_datation":"Production was supervised by current owner.","method_for_provenance":"Production was supervised by current owner.","provenance":"Hit, Anbar Governorate, Iraq","obtention":"Made in workshop organised by Safina Projects.","bibliography":"Al-Behadli, J., “The Ark for Iraq Programme: the Experience of Safina Projects in the Study of Traditional Boats and their Revitalisation”, *Al-Turath al-Sha’bi*, (2024), 325 \\[Published in Arabic\\].  \n  \nRitter, H., “Mesopotamische Studien”, *Der Islam: Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Kultur des Islamischen Orients*, (1919).","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["model","boat","basketry","Watercraft","Transport"],"materials":["palm fronds","halfa grass","basketry","tar","waterproofing.","mulberry wood","gharb wood"]},"800c391d-1714-509b-9718-f253f7cec93e":{"name":"*Jendoul* (reconstruction from illustration by al-Wasiti from the Maqamat al-Hariri)","description":"The Arabic term *jendoul* here refers to a boat class that exists across many cultures, the Venetian Gondola being the best-known example. Designed as passenger transport for canals, a *jendoul* features a seating area (usually cushioned and sometimes canopied or featuring a cabin) and is typically no longer than 11 metres in length, enabling it to manoeuvre around canal junctions (although similar craft for open waters may be larger). Whether rowing or poling, the boatman or crew usually stands at the back, overlooking the passenger area and steering the boat (sometimes with another crew member at the front).  \n  \nA *jendoul* typically includes ostentatious ornamentation, representing the status and affluence of its passengers. The materials used are of high quality, and an array of artisan crafts may be exhibited, such as decorative metalwork, wood carving, inlay, lacquerwork, textiles and upholstery, cordage, tassels, and glass lanterns.  \n  \nExamples of the *jendoul* boat class can be found in historical cultures including Ottoman Turkey, Fatimid Egypt, Kish, Phoenicia, and in South and South-East Asia. A Sumerian boat with the characteristics of a *jendoul* is depicted on a cylinder seal impression (4th millennium BC, Uruk 3 period) found in the wetlands of Uqair in Diyala, Iraq.  \n  \nA specific type of *jendoul* is depicted by Yahya al-Wasiti in one of his AH 7th / AD 13th century miniatures illustrating the “Maqamat” of al-Hariri: a richly ornamented boat, rowed by three men standing aft. Safina Projects’ work to reconstruct it from this single image was an unusual challenge. The study process included using artist’s impressions and technical drawings, scale modelling, and experimentation with rowing methods to understand how this *jendoul* worked and to calculate its proportions before the first full-sized prototype Abbasid *jendoul* reconstruction was built in AH 1446-7/ AD 2024-25.","type":"Boat (scale model)","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Cultures","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1446/ AD 2024","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Length: 11m, height: 0.55m, width: 1.5m","method_for_datation":"Production was supervised by current owner.","method_for_provenance":"Production was supervised by current owner.","provenance":"Basra, Iraq","obtention":"Made in workshop organised by Safina Projects.","bibliography":"Agius, D. A.,*Classic Ships of Islam: from Mesopotamia to the Indian Ocean.*, Leiden: Brill, 2014.  \n  \nal-Hariri, Les *Makamat* (AH 634 / AD 1236-1237), in BNF: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8422965p/f131.item.zoom# \\[last accessed 16/11/2025\\]","catalogue_holding_link":"https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8422965p/f131.item.zoom#","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["model","boat","basketry","Watercraft","Abbasid","Transport"],"materials":["carpentry","waterproofing.","sidr wood","fibreglass","Pine wood (Russian import)"]},"8153536b-21de-5451-826b-5c0aed191888":{"name":"Bowl","short_description":"Some *mina’i* ceramics enjoy a particularly close relationship to poetry. Many examples are inscribed with verses, and others are decorated with figures referring to well-known poetic themes and tales. Several of these colorful wares, including this bowl, appear to depict the act of poetic recitation itself: taking place at a *majlis* (an assembly of courtiers and literati for the purpose of poetic recital), it can be imagined that the performer here, seated at the left before a courtly audience, is delivering the verses inscribed along the exterior rim of the bowl, which begin: \"If the beloved leaves me, what am I to do? If s/he does not see the wisdom of our union, what am I to do?\"","type":"Furnishings","holder":"Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)","dates":"Hegira Muharram 583 / AD March 1187","location":"Los Angeles","dimensions":"9.2 x 21.27cm","method_for_datation":"The bowl is dated Hegira Muharram 583 / AD March 1187. It is one of five *mina’i* bowls dated to the month of Muharram in its inscriptions. Among these, three have very similar scenes of a literary *majlis*. Two of them, the LACMA bowl and another in the British Museum (1945,1017.261) are dated Muharram 583, the third, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (64.178.1), dated 4th Muharram 582 / AD 27th March 1186, is signed by Abu Zayd. Both the Metropolitan Museum and LACMA bowls share the same curious figure at far left, a young man standing with his right leg bent and foot pointing downward; in the former, the figure is clearly holding his leg as though tired from standing. The LACMA bowl can be attributed to Abu Zayd, who not only created works in both *mina’i* and luster but was a talented poet. He is known to have included some of his own verses among the poetic inscriptions on his luxury ceramic wares.","method_for_provenance":"The bowl is decorated in the *mina’i* technique. A modern designation from the Persian word for \"enamel\", *mina’i* is almost entirely restricted to Seljuq Iran. While *mina’i* wares once were variously attributed to several sites on the basis of archaeological finds, the evidence demonstrates at present that the central Iranian city of Kashan was the nucleus for the production of these objects as well as contemporary luster wares; in fact, both types of wares were made by some of the same potters, in the same workshops. The *mina’i* technique involves the application of as many as seven colors, resulting in a well-controlled, polychromatic decorative surface not possible in other contemporary pottery types. The method for producing the polychrome enamel pigments is described in a treatise on pottery making by Abu’l-Qasim of Kashan, completed in Hegira 700/1301 AD, by which time *mina’i* or haft rang (“seven colors”) wares, as they are known in the textual tradition, were no longer being produced.","provenance":"Iran, Kashan","obtention":"Possibly acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Balch (1864-1943, and 1863-1943, respectively) from MacDermid Parish-Watson, New York (d. 1948). Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Balch, until 1945 (gifted to); LACMA, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Allan C. Balch.","bibliography":"Komaroff, Linda, *Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles*, Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015: 79.  \nKomaroff, Linda, *Beauty and Identity: Islamic Art from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2016: 152-153, cat. no. 73.  \nPancaroglu, Oya, \"Potter's trail: an Abu Zayd ewer in the Saint Louis Art Museum,\" in Venetia Porter and Mariam Rosser-Owen (eds), *Metalwork and Material Culture in the Islamic World: Art, Craft, Text*, London: I.B. Tauris, 2012: 397-409.  \nPope, Arthur Upham, and Ackerman, Phyllis (eds), *A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric Times to the Present*, Vol. 5, London: Oxford University Press, 1938: plate 687; Plates 511-980: Architectural Ornament; Pottery and Faience; The Art of the Book.  \nWatson, Oliver, “Documentary Mina’i and Abu Zaid’s Bowls,” in Robert Hillenbrand (ed), *The Art of the Saljuks in Iran and Anatolia: Proceedings of a Symposium Held in Edinburgh in 1982*, Costa Mesa, CA: Mazda Publishers, 1994: 171.","author":"LACMA Staff","keywords":["ceramic","overglaze-painted","Seljuq","bowl","poetry","Fritware","Minai","Kashan","figural motifs","inscription","Iran"],"materials":["inglaze- and overglaze-painted (mina'i)","Fritware"]},"8181fe27-473a-532e-986e-e0786c511a39":{"name":"Aquamanile in the form of a ram.","description":"This standing animal sculpture has lost its front paws, ears and horns. With its long neck and head too small for its body, it exudes a feeling of great strength. On its breast is a crescent which seems to have a medicinal significance. Around its neck it wears a collar, decorated with an incised saw-tooth pattern, from which the crescent hangs. The eyes are circles sculpted around globular protrusions for the iris. This aquamanile was probably a fountain-head embellishing one of the local palaces or large houses. The water ran up a tube from under the ram's belly and emerged from the open spout of its mouth.  \nThis example can be included within a whole series of animal-shaped aquamaniles discovered in various Muslim countries, especially Egypt and Spain. They were generally deer, dogs or birds.","short_description":"Aquamaniles were probably used as fountain heads to decorate palaces and grand residences. This example belongs to a series of aquamaniles in the shape of animals, usually stags, dogs or birds, found in some Muslim countries including Egypt and Spain.","type":"Aquanmanile, metalwork","holder":"Bardo Museum.","dates":"Hegira 4th–early 5th centuries / AD 10th–11th centuries.","location":"Bardo.","dimensions":"Height 32.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"This aquamanile has definite affinities to other pieces found at Madinat al-Zahra, dating from the mid-4th / 10th century, and in Egypt, dating from the 5th century (11th). From the Ifriqiyan historical context and the simple decoration the piece can be dated to somewhere between the 4th–early 5th / 10th–11th centuries.","method_for_provenance":"This piece was a fortuitous discovery made at Beni Khalad probably during the 1930s. In spite of its resemblance to the aquamaniles of al-Andalus, its Ifriqiyan origin appears beyond doubt.","provenance":"Ifriqiya(?).","obtention":"This piece was presented to the Museum by the Friends of the Bardo in May 1941, where it has been on display since.","bibliography":"*Tunisie, terre de rencontres et de civilisation* (Seville exhibition catalogue), Tunis, 1992, p.271.  \nZbiss, S. M., *Actes du congres national des societes savantes*, Alger, 1954, p.303.","author":"Mourad Rammah","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"David Ash","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["figurative decoration"],"materials":["Cast-bronze."]},"81cca8bd-a23c-5550-8e7e-c79af7a76159":{"name":"Flask","short_description":"This pouch-shaped flask is made of stiff auburn leather; its exterior is embroidered with gold and silver tendrils and rosettes. The screwed-on stopper is made of wood. Conical leather flasks were popular in the Ottoman Empire and were mainly used as water flasks.","type":"Vessel","holder":"Kunsthistorisches Museum","dates":"Undated","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 32cm","method_for_datation":"Comparison with similar objects","method_for_provenance":"ILG / BOEHEIM, 1883  \nInventory of Furniture and Small Artefacts held at Ambras Castle, page 5","provenance":"Turkey?","obtention":"Collection of Ambras castle; documented since AD 1882","bibliography":"Scheicher, Elisabeth et al. (eds), *Kunsthistorisches Museum Sammlungen Schloss Ambras. Die Kunstkammer*, Innsbruck: Kunsthistorisches Museum, 1977.","author":"Veronika Sandbichler","copy_editor":"Liz Cooper","keywords":["leather","military object","ottoman empire","bottle","receptacles","embroidery","Drinking flask","flask","vessels"],"materials":["leather"]},"81fcd4e9-7384-5569-aa53-bc862c54ad3f":{"name":"Jug.","description":"A fine, pear-shaped pottery jug with two handles, in a characteristic cream colour, decorated using various techniques such as incising, perforations and knife scraping. The decorative scheme is composed of a combination of geometric and floral patterns which were common in Islamic art.","short_description":"Pear-shaped, two-handled pottery jug from Tall Hisban, decorated using various techniques such as incising, perforations and knife scraping. The decorative scheme is composed of a combination of geometric and floral patterns.","type":"Jug, ceramic","holder":"Jordan Archaeological Museum.","dates":"Hegira, late 2nd–early 3rd century / AD second half of the 8th century.","location":"Amman","dimensions":"Height 28 cm, diameter (of mouth) 8 cm.","method_for_datation":"The jug was dated by stratigraphic context and comparison with similar jugs; Abbasid pottery is characteristically cream in colour.","method_for_provenance":"The jug was found at Tall Hisban during an archaeological excavation in 1973.","provenance":"Tall Hisban, Jordan.","obtention":"The jug was found during the course of an archaeological excavation at Tall Hisban in 1973.","bibliography":"Horn, S. H., 'The 1973 Season of Excavations at Tell Hesban', *Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan*, XIX, 1974, pp.151–6, plate LXXV, 2.  \n  \nHorn, R. S., and Horn, S. H., *Heshbon 1973*, Andrews University Seminary Studies, Miami, 1975.","author":"Aida Naghawy","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["floral decoration","geometric decoration"],"materials":["Wheel-thrown ceramic."]},"820a47e5-8aaa-59ae-93fc-e4b386f5f8b4":{"name":"Wellhead","description":"It is made of terracotta. The rim protrudes very slightly. The body is encircled by five parallel chain-like incised lines. Between the two central lines are trapezoidal incisions arranged in a chain-like geometric pattern.","type":"Wellhead","holder":"Edirne Museum Directorate","dates":"AH 13th / AD 19th century","location":"Edirne","dimensions":"Height: 57cm, mouth diameter: 51cm, base diameter: 63cm","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["ceramic","Ottomans","water","wellhead"],"materials":["Terracotta"]},"821515fd-cabe-5567-8bf4-25c6db38bf00":{"name":"Three-handled jar","description":"Discovered in an unbuilt area adjacent to a complex of five houses, this three-handled transport jar was found during the 2007 excavation by the Qatari-French Mission. The unbuilt space between the houses served as an area with temporary installations, potentially functioning as open-air kitchens featuring fireplaces.  \n  \nFashioned from red clay and enveloped in a cream slip, this jar exhibits a high neck atop a globular body. The body is adorned with horizontal and wavy incised lines, while three vertical leaf-like patterns are incised on the upper part, positioned between the handles. These leaf patterns feature short double lines incised within them. This jar would have been utilized for the storage, transportation, and serving of liquids.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"Hegira late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 30cm, rim diameter: 7cm, base diameter: 8cm","place_of_production":"Arabian Peninsula or southern Iran","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), *Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique*, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), *Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974*, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","Transportation","Jar","storage"],"materials":["Earthenware"]},"823fdade-8900-58b3-bcda-59a5e61574cf":{"name":"Ewer and basin set.","description":"A set comprising two pieces: a ewer and a basin that was used for ritual ablution. The basin is large with a flaring rim. The ewer has a pear-shaped body, a curved handle and a lid. The flaring rim of the basin and the body, lid and lower part of the spout of the ewer are decorated with lozenges formed by small grooves. Vertical and horizontal grooves in the lozenges also form square motifs. On top of the lid are a flower-bud and leaf in keeping with the fashion of the time.  \n  \nThe set is decorated in a gilding technique known as *Tombak* and engraved. In Turkish metalwork gilding, especially of pure copper artefacts, appears in the AH 12th / AD 18th century. Technically, this method of gilding involves spreading an amalgam of powdered gold and mercury on the surface of the object, which is then fired in a kiln. The mercury evaporates during the firing, while the gold powder adheres to the surface. Sometimes gold leaf is placed on a mercury-coated metal surface, and when the mercury evaporates during firing, the gold leaf is fixed to the object.  \n  \nThe inscriptions on the ewer and the basin inform us that the objects were dedicated to the Tomb of Pertevniyal Valide Sultan, and they give the date of AH 1286 (AD 1870). Pertevniyal was the second *iqbal* (lit. 'fortunate one') of Sultan Mahmud II (r. AH 1223–55 / AD 1808–39). When she gave birth to Abdülaziz, she ascended to the highest female rank at court and when Abdülaziz ascended the throne in AH 1278 / AD 1861 she became the Valide Sultan (Mother of the Sultan, i.e. the Queen Mother). She had a complex built in her own name in the Aksaray Quarter of Istanbul. It comprised a mosque, a *maktab* (school), a *sabil* and a public fountain, and a tomb which was built for her in the courtyard of the mosque and in which she was buried when she died in AH 1300 / AD 1883. The Museum owns several objects taken from this tomb, some of which are in this exhibition.","short_description":"Gold has been the expression of economic power in all periods of history. *Tombak* is a technique that gives the look of gold to items and is used to decorate this ewer and basin set used by Pertevniyal Valide Sultan, mother of Sultan Abdülaziz, during religious ceremonies.","type":"Gilded copper, tombak technique","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","initial_owner":"Possibly Pertevniyal Valide Sultan (d. 1300 / 1883; queen mother from 1277–92 / AD 1861–76).","dates":"Hegira 1286 / AD 1870.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Basin: height 12 cm, diameter 60 cm; ewer: height 30.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"Both the ewer and basin bear an inscription stating that they were dedicated to the Tomb of Pertevniyal Valide Sultan and giving the date of 1286 (1870).","method_for_provenance":"Both the ewer and basin were dedicated to the tomb of Sultan Abdülaziz's mother, Pertevniyal Valide Sultan, in Istanbul and, due to the fact that the *tombak* technique was used especially in Istanbul, it is highly likely that this set was produced there.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"The ewer and basin were transferred to the museum in 1926 from the Tomb of Pertevniyal Valide Sultan in Istanbul, to which they were dedicated.","bibliography":"*Anadolu Medeniyetleri III, Selçuklu-Osmanlı (Anatolian Civilizations III, Seljuqs-Ottomans)*, Istanbul, 1983, p.305.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Alev Özay","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Basin","Mahmud II","ewer","Abdülaziz.","tombak","Pertevniyal Valide Sultan"],"materials":["Gilded copper","known as the tombak technique."]},"825ea881-372b-5499-bcbe-096246ecd917":{"name":"Import/export activities between Egypt and Venice in 1868 and the first six months of 1869","description":"The items imported from Egypt were cotton, natron (a hydrous native sodium carbonate, used in chemical industry; Egypt had a rich deposit of it in Wadi el-Natrun), coffee, hides, fruit, copper and tamarind roots. The items exported to Egypt included wood and pieces of furniture, fruits and vegetables, butter, bricks and tiles, glass beads, lime, wine, cloth, medicaments, books, and various other products.","type":"Publication","holder":"State Archives of Venice","dates":"1869","location":"Venice","author":"Andrea Pelizza","copy_editor":"Anne Dowell"},"8267bfa4-2166-51d7-8e12-263939dcfc97":{"name":"Calligraphic Galleon","description":"The hull of this sailing ship comprises the names of the Seven Sleepers and their dog. The tale of the Seven Sleepers, found in pre-Islamic Christian sources, concerns a group of men who sleep for centuries within a cave, protected by God from religious persecution. Both hadith (sayings of the Prophet), and tafsir (commentaries on the Qur'an) suggest that these verses from the Qur'an have protective qualities.","type":"Calligram","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Ciancimino & Co, London, until ca. 1965];[Francesca Galloway, London, until 2003]","dates":"AH 1180 / AD 1766–67","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 48.3 cm, width: 43.2 cm","place_of_production":"Turkey","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 2003","bibliography":"Blair, S.S., *Islamic Calligraphy.*, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nLeoni, F., \"Islamic Art and the Supernatural.\" In *Power and Protection.*, Oxford: Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Oxford University, 2016.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.  \n  \n\"The Decorated Word: Writing and Picturing in Islamic Calligraphy.\" in *The Burlington Magazine*, vol. 161 (October 2019).  \n  \nDalal, R., S. Roberts, and J. Sokoly, ed., *The Seas and the Mobility of Islamic Art.*,New Haven: Yale University Press, 2021.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/454611","materials":["ink and gold on paper"]},"82e1f2cc-62b0-5f28-a689-917b06cc4ddc":{"name":"Basin and ewer set","description":"Basin and ewer set bearing the *tughra* (imperial monogram) of Sultan Abdülhamid II.","type":"Ewer set","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Ewer height: 33cm, basin diameter: 35cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Silver"]},"82e33e2c-cc80-5d60-961b-f1c561116311":{"name":"*Habb* water cooler","description":"The *habb* is a large ceramic water storage jar and filtration device, used in domestic and communal contexts throughout Iraq. It is known for being used in public spaces to provide water for travellers, an offering known as *ma’ al-sabil*, “the water of the way”.  \n  \nThe ceramic structure is slightly porous, which has a cooling effect on the water inside due to evaporation from external surfaces. When it is placed on a metal or wooden support structure, Water drips slowly through the base and is collected in a container below, having been filtered by the clay. Placing charcoal inside the *habb* can also help to purify the water. Water ladles (traditionally made from basketry) and ceramic cups used with the *habb* are coated with pitch, which has antiseptic qualities.  \n  \nThe form of the *habb* is evidenced since ancient times, for example in cylinder seal impressions; similar vessels were also used as fermentation vats for beer.  \n  \nThe *habb* is still made in various parts of Iraq including Diwaniya, Najaf, Babylon and Baghdad, where traditional ceramic craft remains; the example in the collection of the Open Museum for Water Culture (Basra) was bought from a Basra street market but had been imported from nearby Iran.","type":"Ceramic","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Cultures","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1443/ AD 2021","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Diameter: 40 cm, height: 70 cm","method_for_datation":"Estimated based on purchase date.","method_for_provenance":"Informed by seller.","provenance":"Iran (purchased in Basra, Iraq)","obtention":"Bought from Basra street market.","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["ceramic","container","water"],"materials":["Iron","Pottery","Earthenware","smithing"]},"82e816ee-f687-53d4-8c4b-2f9b2c03144a":{"name":"Electric Kettle","description":"Electric kettles, widely found in households across the Islamic world, reflect how contemporary societies are embracing modern technologies in everyday life. Once heated over open flames, water is now boiled instantly using electricity, an efficient technological advancement.  \n  \nIn our globalised and consumer-oriented world, many of these kettles are imported from manufacturing hubs such as China, a result of economic interdependence and global trade networks. The kettle reflects how Islamic communities adapt to modern living while preserving their shared cultural traditions.","type":"Household item","holder":"Private collection","dates":"AH 1430 / AD 2025","author":"Dina Turkieh","materials":["metal"]},"840c6c73-9390-5b9c-ad84-481ed38f888d":{"name":"Waterway in Nizwa, Oman","description":"The *aflaj* (singular *falaj*) are one of the oldest irrigation systems still in use today. Its origins date back to 5,000 years ago, though the example here is from AD 500. Its channels convey water from underground sources, springs and stream flow to villages and towns all around Oman. This system is employed as a primary water source for agricultural and domestic purposes, accounting for more than 30% of water usage across Oman. Using gravity forces to maintain the flux of water and its distribution, it has emerged as a distinguished social, cultural and economic emblem of the Omani landscape. The responsibility for the maintenance of working falaj and the distribution of water to different settlements lies with these communities. Despite the existence of numerous wells that provide potable water, the presence of aflaj waterways is of pivotal significance to the agricultural prosperity of Oman. The Falaj Daris, seen here, are the largest of the aflaj in Oman, and played a big part in Nizwa’s former prosperity as the capital of Oman in the 6th and 7th centuries AD. In 2006, the Aflaj Irrigation System was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and consequently granted governmental protection.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private collection","owner":"Private collection","dates":"AH 4 Ramadan 1399 / AD 3 August 1979","place_of_production":"Nizwa-Oman","author":"Yelyzaveta Basysta","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["irrigation systems.","water","aflaj"],"materials":["photography"]},"8417a7db-dd62-56ca-887b-404da568f48b":{"name":"\"Design for the Water Clock of the Peacocks\"","alternate_name":"from the Kitab fi ma'rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya (Book of the Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices) by Badi' al-Zaman b. al Razzaz al-Jazari","description":"Al-Jazari, the author of this treatise on a variety of practical and fanciful mechanical devices, served at the Artuqid court in Diyar Bakr in the late eleventh to the early twelfth century. Some of the elements of the peacock clock, run by water, are shown in this illustration. In the completed device, the arch containing two peacocks would be surmounted by another containing a peahen that would turn from right to left in the course of a half hour, causing the peacocks to whistle.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Jack S. Rofe, Scotland (until 1929); [Hagop Kevorkian, New York (at least until 1953)]; [ Kevorkian Foundation, New York, until 1955]","dates":"AH 715 / AD 1315","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.4 cm, width: 22.1 cm","place_of_production":"Syria or Iraq","obtention":"Purchased in 1955","bibliography":"Robinson, B. W., *The Kevorkian Collection: Islamic and Indian Illustrated Manuscripts, Miniature Paintings and Drawings.*, New York, 1953.  \n  \nDimand, M. S. \"An Exhibit of Islamic and Indian Paintings.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin.*, new series, vol. 14 (December 1955).  \n  \nAtil, E., *Renaissance of Islam : Art of the Mamluks.*, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981.  \n  \nBrinkmann, V., ed. *Machine Room of the Gods : How Our Future was Invented.*, Frankfurt, 2023.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., Deniz Beyazit, and Martina Rugiadi. \"The Great Age of the Seljuqs.\" In Court and Cosmos. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451302","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"84a2af32-23c5-5782-9961-db81e133a30a":{"name":"\"The Hare, the Lion, and the Well\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna., Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453088","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"84aca75b-106a-53be-b6ce-f390d4bbcb97":{"name":"Pilgrim flask","description":"A round bodied pilgrim flask covered with intricate polychrome decoration and painted with floral motifs and circular medallions with checkered designs and red dots. In the centre, there is a stylised flower in yellow and dark blue.","type":"Flask","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"AH 1112-1214/18th century","location":"Athens","dimensions":"Height: 17cm, body diameter: 14.5cm","place_of_production":"Kütahya","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Aquired in Alexandria","author":"Mina Moraitou","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","materials":["Glazed ceramic"]},"84f6b107-47b2-5cd1-a520-3a4f89856221":{"name":"Umayyad Mosque.","description":"The Umayyad Mosque was built on the site of the Roman Temple of Jupiter, converted into the Church of St John the Baptist in AD 379. After the Islamic conquest of Damascus, the holy site was shared between the Christians and the Muslims of the city. By the succession of the Umayyad Caliph al-Walid bin Abd al-Malik, the church was demolished and a vast congregational mosque constructed instead. The outer wall of the mosque is formed by the Roman *temenos*, an oblong enclosure with pilastered walls, measuring 158 m x 100 m. Of the mosque's three minarets, the one on the southeastern corner is known as the Jesus Minaret, and the one in the centre of the northern wall is known as Minaret of the Bride; both are dated to the early AH 5th / AD 11th century. The southwest minaret was rebuilt by Sultan Qaytbay after the fire of AH 884 / AD 1479.  \nThe 122.5 m-long and 50 m-wide rectangular courtyard of the mosque is surrounded by a colonnaded portico (*riwaq*) on three sides. Along the southern wall is a triple-aisled 136 m-long and 37 m-wide prayer hall, a layout reminiscent of Byzantine churches. It is divided by two rows of arcades supported by re-used antique columns with Corinthian capitals. A lavish domed transept cuts the arcades into two equal halves; its court façade distinguished by a monumental gabled entrance in the centre, again evoking Byzantine palaces. At one time glass and gold-leaf mosaics covered all the facades in the courtyard. Only the “Barada mosaic” is preserved, so named after the Barada River in Damascus, depicting a landscape with rivers, trees and architectural structures.  \nThe portico walls were covered with a 3.5 m-high, coloured marble decoration. Today only a few marble slabs in the corner of the southeastern portico are preserved. It was once topped by the *karma* frieze; a long, undulating vine stem of acanthus scrolls carrying grapes, echoing that of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The fine mosaic, stone carving and marble decorations are all antique elements, revealing continuity with Greco-Roman artistic traditions as well as Byzantine architectural features. These features were combined with an Islamic consciousness predicating the lack of human representation in religious spaces. Such 'conscious eclecticism' is the hallmark of the new Umayyad architectural language.  \nThe speed of construction of this monumental Umayyad Mosque, along with its brilliant decorations and its rich materials, stood as a challenge to the finest Christian churches and an awe-inspiring status-symbol for the Muslim believers. Like the Mosque at Córdoba, a similarly early masterpiece of sacral Muslim architecture, it became a prototype for the “hypostyle mosque” consisting of a simple, spacious courtyard (*sahn*) articulated by a colonnaded portico (*riwaq*) on three sides, and a covered area for praying (*haram*). The division into three aisles and the transept also became influential for mosque architecture throughout Syria, as well as Egypt, Tunisia and Spain.","short_description":"When the Caliph al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik decided to build the first monumental mosque in Islamic history he used the most lavish material at his disposal and set the standard for subsequent religious monuments. Situated on top of an ancient sanctuary in old Damascus, the mosque has a courtyard, 122.5 x 50 m, surrounded by a colonnaded portico and a domed transept along the southern wall reminiscent of Byzantine churches. It was completed in AH 96 / AD 714–15 and some of its original marble panels and magnificent mosaics in blue, green and gold still survive along the western portico of the courtyard, particularly the 'Barada Panel'.","dates":"Hegira 87–96 / AD 706–715.","location":"Damascus","method_for_datation":"The foundation inscription no longer exists but the text was preserved by the medieval Arab historian, traveller and geophrapher Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Mas'udi in his *Muruj al-dhahab wa-macadin al-djawhar \\[Meadows of Gold and Treasury of Jewels\\],* written in 332–45 / 943–56.","bibliography":"Creswell, K. A. C., *A Short Account of Early Muslim Architecture*, Cairo, 1989, pp.46–73.  \nFinster, B., “Die Mosaiken in der Umayyadenmoschee von Damaskus”, *Kunst des Orients*, 7/2, 1970–1, pp.83–141.  \nFlood, F. B., *The Great Mosque of Damascus: Studies on the Makings of an Umayyad Visual Culture*, Leiden-Boston-Köln, 2001.  \nGrabar, O., *The Formation of Islamic Art*, New Haven and London, 1973, pp.104–38.  \nHillenbrand, R., *Islamic Architecture*, Edinburgh, 1994, pp.68–72.  \nIbn Asakir (499–571 / 1105–76), *Tarikh madinat Dimashq \\[History of Damascus\\]*, (S. Munajjid, ed), Damascus, 1954.  \nIbn Jubayr (540–614 / 1145–1217), *The Travels of Ibn Jubair* (De Goeje, ed), 2nd revised edition, Leiden, 1907.  \nMasudi, Ali ibn al-Husayn (written 332–45 / 943–56), *Muruj al-dhahab wa-macadin al-djawhar \\[Meadows of Gold and Treasury of Jewels\\],* n.d.","patrons":"Al-Walid ibn 'Abd al-Malik (r. AH 86–9 / AD 705–15).","linkcatalogs":"IAM_JO_EN_001","author":"Verena Daiber","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["religious architecture"]},"85859ee1-f41f-5403-935b-5caa9c428488":{"name":"Young men carried off by a Simurgh  \nPossibly from a dispersed *Khamseh* (quintet) of Amir Khusrow (d. 1325)","short_description":"A young man grips the feet of an enormous technicolour simurgh flying above choppy waters filled with giant turtles, fish and a crocodile which looks like a makara, the mythical sea creature with magic powers. This painting may depict the story by Bahram Gur’s Indian princess wife in the *Haft Paykar* of the Persian poet, Nizami. King Bahram Gur had seven wives who told him tales from their separate, coloured pavilions each day of the week. In the Indian princess’s story, the hero is dramatically rescued by holding onto the feet of a simurgh who brings him to a paradise-like land. Anthony Welch notes that the two figures in the beak of the simurgh may be the artist’s personal addition to the story (Welch and Welch 1982, p. 170). In any case the theme fits the Indian interest in adventure-romances featuring heroes who travel through (or above) strange lands and seas, as in Akbar’s Hamzanama. The painting has been attributed to Basawan, Akbar’s outstanding painter known for his sensitive observations, lush landscapes and use of perspective (Welch and Welch 1982, p. 170). In about 1635 CE the painting was mounted onto an album page decorated with magnificent gold-outlined flower paintings by the anonymous ‘Master of the Borders’ and bound in an album for Shah Jahan, Akbar’s grandson. The reverse of this page contains an Arabic prayer with Qur'anic expressions in black *nasta‘liq* script signed by Muhammad Husayn (d. 1020 H/1611-12 CE), the master calligrapher who was honoured by Akbar (r. 1556-1605 CE) with the title, ‘Zarin Qalam’ (Golden Pen). There is a portrait of Muhammad Husayn as a teacher painted by Basawan’s son, the luminary Mughal painter Manohar. It must be one of Manohar’s earliest portraits since the artist included himself as a pupil in the composition and he looks to be no more than fifteen years old (Royal Asiatic Society; see Welch 1979, p. 179).","type":"Folio","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"ca. 1590","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"38.6 x 25.1cm","provenance":"India","obtention":"Former Prince Saddrudin Aga Khan Collection","bibliography":"Welch, Anthony and Welch, Stuart Cary, *Arts of the Islamic Book: The Collection of Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan*, Ithaca: Published for the Asia Society by Cornell University Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780801498824.  \nWelch, Anthony, *Calligraphy in the Arts of the Muslim World*, New York: The Asia Society and the University of Texas Press, 1979. ISBN: 9780292738188.","keywords":["works-on-paper","figure","work-on-paper","Simurgh","Album","human-figure","animal","folio"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper"]},"85c59150-e031-57be-b9c0-d8ea356538dc":{"name":"*The Renaissance*","description":"This painting is inspired by the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said's effort to build a mosque in even the most remote villages in Oman as part of an architectural revitalisation program that sought to preserve old buildings while adding new civic structures. In this artwork, the mosque stands amid traditional architecture while the tree trunks and water symbolise the revival of a once-barren land.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 1415–16 / AD 1995","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 109cm, width: 69cm","provenance":"Local acquisition program (purchased 2019)","obtention":"Local acquisition program (purchased 2019).","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"85f6d251-61ee-5b5c-8da6-7a5d3c60074f":{"name":"Asian conical hat","alternate_name":"Mathal (মাথাল)","description":"This hat, with its wide brim, is used by farmers to protect themselves against the rain or extreme heat, providing essential protection for farmers and labourers in the fields. It too is made from locally sourced materials such as palm leaves and bamboo.","type":"Hat","holder":"Water Museum","dates":"21st century","location":"Pakhimara, Kuakata District, Barishal Division, Barishal","author":"ActionAid Bangladesh","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["water","mathal","hat"],"materials":["Bamboo","Jute fiber","Palm/Date leaves"]},"85fb094d-1ff0-508b-bb75-cfcae0c77625":{"name":"Painting.","description":"The painting shows a topographical view of Mecca with the Great Mosque in the centre surrounded by the houses of the city and the hills of the Meccan neighbourhood. In the middle of the large open court of the Mosque stands the nearly cubic, black veiled building of the Ka'ba, the holiest sanctuary of Islam. The simple structure of the Ka'ba has been little modified throughout the centuries although the building has been restored, in contrast to the Great Mosque which has been reconstructed several times. The painting depicts a view of it after the Ottoman rebuilding period of the AH 10th century / AD 16th century. Inspired by the imperial architecture of Istanbul, arcades with small domes arranged in a line surround the court on either side and the seven minarets were provided with two or three balconies. The painter has tried to show a town-planning measure of the Ottomans. The old Meccan districts were densely inhabited and the houses reached the exterior walls of the Great Mosque. It was decided to tear down houses that immediately bordered the walls in order to create a large area of open space before the Mosque and its façade, as was the rule within the mosque complexes in Istanbul, Bursa or Edirne.  \nRepresentations of Mecca and the Ka'ba illustrate itineraries used by pilgrims for orientation during the *hajj* or appear on tiles and tile panels of the second half of the AH 11th / AD 17th century to the first half of the AH 12th / AD 18th century. They show detailed descriptions of the function of the different buildings. The dome in front of the Ka'ba on the left side of the *minbar* (pulpit), for example, covers the footprints of Abraham. The open building beside it houses the *Zamzam* well whose water the pilgrims drank and took home. The choice of the represented buildings, their arrangement and their execution resemble those of copperplate engravings in European descriptions of Mecca more than depictions of the same scene in contemporary prayer books or on the tiles mentioned above.","short_description":"Painting showing a topographical view of the city of Mecca with the Great Mosque in the centre surrounded by houses. In the middle of the large open courtyard is the black veiled building of the Ka’ba.","type":"Oil on canvas, painted","holder":"Uppsala University Library.","dates":"Hegira early 12th century / AD early 18th century.","location":"Uppsala","dimensions":"Height 84.5 cm, width 111.2 cm (without frame).","method_for_datation":"The painting was acquired by the theologian and orientalist Michael Eneman (1676–1714), probably in Istanbul, where he was sent by the Swedish King Charles XII (1682–1718) as his envoy in 1709. After a journey through Syria, Palestine, Sinai, Egypt and Cyprus in 1711 and 1712 he came back once more to Istanbul before he returned to Sweden. It is assumed that the painting is a contemporary work because representations of Mecca and Medina were common at that time.","method_for_provenance":"The painting was purchased by the theologian and orientalist Michael Eneman during his stay in Turkey, probably in Istanbul, at the beginning of the 12th / 18th century. At that time, representations of Mecca and Medina were a common subject of Ottoman painting not only in oil but also on tiles or as illustrations of pilgrim and prayer books.","provenance":"Possibly Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"Purchased by Uppsala University Library in 1717.","bibliography":"Ådahl, K., “View of Mecca and the Ka'ba”, in *Uppsala University Art Collections*, Uppsala University, 2001, pp.256–7.  \nErdmann, K., “Note. Ka'bah-Fliesen”, *Ars Orientalis* III, 1959, 192–7.  \nFaroqhi, S.,*Herrscher über Mekka: Die Geschichte der Pilgerfahrt*, Düsseldorf; Zürich, 2000.  \nGren, E., “Bidrag till Michael Enemans Biografi Studier och Bokförvärv”, *Donum Grapeanum*, 1945, pp.445–94.  \nMostafa, M., *Islamische Keramik*, Cairo, 1956, figs. 94, 95.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Friederike Voigt","copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["pilgrimage","figurative decoration"],"materials":["Oil on canvas","painted."]},"86141f73-f2d4-5de6-b66c-a5955dcb470a":{"name":"Public drinking fountain.","description":"This fountain was designed for the Mosque of Mustafa Lala Pasha. It resembles a bench and is made of fine marble decorated with calligraphic carving and geometric mosaics composed of coloured marble and mother-of-pearl. The upper section consists of a marble panel grandly engraved with two lines of Arabic inscriptions written in the busy and rhythmically over-lapping *diwani* script, a calligraphic type popular during the Ottoman era. A thin band of vegetal motifs divides the two lines of inscription. This central panel is flanked by a pair of curvilinear brackets that are also heavily ornamented with vegetal and calligraphic carvings.  \nThe inscription conveys that the fountain, referred to as a *rub*' (a unit of water measurement), was built and made available to the public in honour of Sultan Sulayman by the High Aristocrat Mustafa Pasha in AH 971 / AD 1564. The date seems to have been important as it is written numerically and alphabetically in three different locations within the inscription. This is the date upon which Mustafa Lala Pasha became the governor of Damascus and he would remain in this prominent position for the next five years. Of his *waqf* endowments to Damascus, he built a new mosque and a new *khan* with lavish water supplies. During the reign of Sultan Salim II (AH 973–81 / AD 1566–74) Mustafa Lala Pasha was assigned as the military commander to conquer Cyprus in AH 977 / AD 1570, one of the greatest victories of the Ottoman military.  \nThe inscription on this fountain translates as follows:  \n“The one who built this public *rub'*, may God make it the most useful, during the era of the most God-fearing sultan, the Sultan Sulayman Khan son of the Sultan Salim Khan, may God the Most Exalted raise him to the throne of the sultanate, is the High Aristocrat Mustafa Pasha, may God include him in the intercession of his mediator, the heir of the Ottoman kingdoms of the Sultan Salim Khan, the most God-fearing, may God light up his realm with his brilliant light, the utterance of this text was dictated and inscribed in the year nine hundred and seventy-one, 971 \\[1564\\].”","short_description":"An important marble fountain made in Damascus and dedicated to Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent by the powerful military aristocrat and governor of Damascus, Mustafa Lala Pasha.","type":"Marble, mosaic, public monument","holder":"National Museum of Damascus","initial_owner":"The ruler of Damascus Mustafa Lala Pasha (r. AH 971–6 / AD 1563–9) in honour of Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent (r. AH 926–74 / AD 1520–66).","dates":"Hegira 971 / AD 1564.","location":"Damascus","dimensions":"Height 78.5 cm, width 1.50 m.","method_for_datation":"The inscription on the object includes the date of its completion in 971 (1564).","method_for_provenance":"The fountain is dated by the documentary records at the Museum.","provenance":"Mosque of Mustafa Lala Pasha, Damascus, Syria.","obtention":"The Mosque of Lala Mustafa Pasha in Damascus was demolished between 1928 and 1930 so that the Suq al-Hal could be built. However, this piece along with a number of other archaeologically valuable objects, were relocated to the Museum for preservation. This piece was registered at the Museum in 1931.","bibliography":"Abu al-Faraj al-Ush, M., *A Concise Guide to the National Museum of Damascus,* Damascus, 1969, p.183, p.244.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Mona al-Moadin","translator":"Hilary Kalmbach (from the Arabic)","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Mustafa Lala Pasha","Selim II","marble","Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent","mosaics","Damascus","public fountain"],"materials":["Carved marble inlaid with marble mosaic and mother-of-pearl mosaic at the base."]},"8627d132-9bd5-5191-9a0c-f25fc6a48e7f":{"name":"Illustration","description":"Ottoman inscription. The inscription, written in Ottoman Turkish, reads:  \n  \n\"Ey birâder kıl namazın, kıble bu câhiptedir. İşte leğen, işte ibrik, işte peşkir iptedir.\"  \n  \n\"O brother, perform your prayer — the qibla is in this direction. Here is the basin, here is the ewer, and here hangs the towel.\"","type":"Illustration","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Length: 47cm, width: 33cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Lithography"]},"869b29bc-51fe-528b-b3a2-1d11954beeb5":{"name":"The Jami‘ al-Mabadi’ wa’l-Ghayat of al-Marrakushi","description":"Abu ‘Ali al-Hasan al-Marrakushi’s treatise, compiled c. 680 AH (AD 1281–2) in Cairo, is the most important written source for medieval Islamic astronomical instruments and includes discussions of sundials, armillary spheres, astrolabes and quadrants for determining time from solar altitude.  \n  \nIt is copied in *naskh* script with 28 lines to the page.","type":"Treatise / Compendium","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AH 1070 (AD 1659–60)","location":"London","dimensions":"30.8cm x 19.2cm","place_of_production":"Iran or India","method_for_datation":"dated AH 1070 (AD 1659–60)","bibliography":"Maddison, F. and Savage-Smith, E., *Science, Tools & Magic. The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, vol. XII. Part One: Body and Spirit Mapping the Universe, London: The Nour Foundation, 1997: cat. 118, pp. 190-2, 200.  \n  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: cat. 368, p. 311.*","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.khalilicollections.org/collections/islamic-art/khalili-collection-islamic-art-kitab-al-masalik-wal-mamalik-of-al-istakhri-mss972/","author":"Qaisra Khan","keywords":["Ottomans","water","metalwork","water-scoop"],"materials":["leather binding with flap","gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink"]},"86a596e6-b986-58ee-a208-14ec3fe50206":{"name":"Footed bowl (*tazza*)","description":"Footed bowl. A thick-walled vessel with scalloped rim which flares out from a deep cavetto (curved profile) bowl on a large, flared, hollow-pedestal base. Overall white underglaze decorated with deep blue designs. On the rim, a rock-and-wave pattern; on the interior wall, a band of trefoil arcades with small trilobed \"cloud\" patterns above the space between each arcade. Above each \"cloud\" element and arcade is a vertical L-shaped spike which fills the space. The trefoil arcade register surrounds the central medallion filled by a freely-drawn  bouquet with an elaborate central lotus surrounded by eight symmetrically arranged, stylized blossoms and leaves. The bundled stems grow from a cloud-like horizontal ground line with tendrils filling the space below. All registers are separated by concentric blue lines. On the exterior, horizontal lines define the changes in profile between rim, bowl and base while a freely drawn line traces the undulating curvilinear edge just under the scalloped rim. The body of the bowl and the pedestal foot are decorated with small circular sprays of stylized flowers surrounded by leaves and buds or fruit. Just above the bottom of the foot is a thickened horizontal rib thrown in the profile; this is highlighted above with a wide blue band. The underside of the pedestal foot is glazed overall, the juncture of the foot and body highlighted with a blue line and the bottom edge of the foot is unglazed. Some chips in the rim and foot have been filled and inpainted, while there is some wear on the interior glaze.","type":"Ceramic","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira c. 977–998 / AD c. 1570–1590","location":"Saint Louis","dimensions":"Height: 15.9cm, diameter of mouth: 34.9cm, diameter of foot: 21.3cm","place_of_production":"Iznik","method_for_datation":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","method_for_provenance":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","provenance":"Iznik","obtention":"Hortense and Tobias Lewin Ancient Art Fund.","bibliography":"Atasoy, Nurhan and Raby, Julian, *Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey*, edited by Yanni Petsopoulos, , London: Alexandria Press, 1989.  \n  \nFehérvari, Géza, *Islamic Pottery: A Comprehensive Study of the Barlow Collection*, London: Faber and Faber, Ltd., 1973.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Glazed fritware with underglazed painted decoration"]},"86b8321d-1511-5aba-a8cf-ce33f27cf40c":{"name":"\"Khusrau Catches Sight of Shirin Bathing\"","alternate_name":"Folio 50 from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","description":"One of the five stories related in Nizami's Khamsa (Five Tales) concerns the love affair between the Iranian king Khusrau and the Armenian princess Shirin. This beautifully-detailed painting captures the moment when Khusrau first catches sight of Shirin, bathing in a stream. While the pond has now tarnished to near black, it was originally painting in shining silver, complementing the golden sky above.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","owner":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"F. R. Martin (Sweden), Alexander Smith Cochran (NY, USA)","dates":"AH 931 / AD 1524–25","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 32.1cm, Width: 22.2 cm","place_of_production":"Herat","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913.","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts\", *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin* , vol. 8 (1913), 80–86.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446594","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"8750b2ef-ed27-560f-a5b8-9740d8ab180c":{"name":"'A Palace Complex with Harem Gardens'","short_description":"The miniature, whose primary motif is a fantastic palace complex populated by a prince’s concubines along with their female servants and guards, in a way depicts the world as one great garden. In the distance we see the prince on the back of an elephant, and on the other side of the river all manner of activities are taking place that form a powerful contrast to the perhaps pleasant but enforced idleness of the women of the harem.  \n  \nThe painting has been attributed to Faiz Allah, one of the many skilled artists who worked in the growing provincial courts at the time when the Mughals’ power was waning. He was familiar with the concept of European linear perspective, but he disregarded its laws, either deliberately or unintentionally.","type":"Miniature, manuscript","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"Hegira c. 1180 / AD c. 1765","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 45.5cm × 31.8cm","provenance":"India, Faizabad or Lucknow","bibliography":"Folsach, K., “Paradise on earth: water and the Islamic garden” in John Kuhlmann Madsen et al. (eds), *Water of life: essays from a symposium held on the occasion of Peder Mortensen's 80th birthday*, Copenhagen: Forlaget Orbis, 2016: p. 184-195, fig. 3.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners*, Copenhagen: The David Collection, 2017: cat. 61.  \n  \nMukhoty, Ira, *The Lion and The Lily: the rise and fall of Awadh*, New Delhi: Aleph Book Company, 2024: ill. 12 og s. 105.  \n  \nLefèvre, C. and Clais, J., (eds.), *Les arts moghols*, Paris: Citadelles & Mazenod, 2024: fig. 464, 448--449.  \n  \nKazemi F., and Buresi, M., (eds.), *Jardins et palais d'Orient*, Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2024, ill. 1, 80-- 81.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Mughal","painting","Faiz Allah","miniature"],"materials":["pigments"]},"87879e92-ff30-570b-8cd8-47fd7a42b282":{"name":"Book of the Images of the Fixed Stars of al-Sufi","alternate_name":"Kitab suwar al-kawakib al-thabita of al-Sufi","description":"This book, based on the Almagest of the Greek astronomer Ptolemy, concerns the forty‑eight constellations known as the Fixed Stars, which, according to the medieval conception of the universe, inhabited the eighth of the nine spheres surrounding the earth. The constellations each appear twice in mirror image, shown as observed from the earth and from the sky.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Léonce] Alexandre Rosenberg, Paris, until 1913","dates":"AH late 9th century /AD late 15th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 25,8cm, width 18,1cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1913","bibliography":"The Metropolitan Museum of Art, D. S. Walker, A. P. Guadián, S. Babaie, S. Carboni, A. Froom, M. L. Swietochowski, T. Masuya, A. C. Daskalakis-Matthews, A. Kahli, and R. Kessler. \"Colegio de San Ildefonso, Septiembre de 1994–Enero de 1995.\" In *Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York.* , Mexico City: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1994.  \n  \nCarboni, S., *Following the Stars: Images of the Zodiac in Islamic Art.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1997.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., and C. Moore, ed. \"A Resource for Educators.\" In *Art of the Islamic World.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/446297","materials":["leather binding","ink and gold on paper"]},"8838f3d0-31b0-5466-9a13-570fd28e82f1":{"name":"Jar fragments with incised décor","description":"This fragment, a kitchen ceramic, was excavated in 2007 by the French-Qatari Mission in one of the houses in Murwab. The water jar features a globular body and a high, straight neck with an unpreserved rim. Crafted from creamy white clay with inclusions of sand and basalt, the porous nature of the material makes it well-suited for keeping water cool.  \nA vertical decoration, created with a comb, adorns the entire upper part of the body up to the midpoint of the globular section. Additionally, a rounded handle was attached to the neck of the water jar.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 52cm, rim diameter: 17.5cm, body diameter: 41cm","place_of_production":"Arabian Peninsula or southern Iran","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","Transportation","Jar","storage"],"materials":["Earthenware"]},"891afa7a-f098-52b7-9c06-6ee9249a8841":{"name":"Faucet","description":"The handle section is designed as a stylised dragon head and is rotatable.","type":"Faucet","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira late 12th–early 13th century / AD late 18th–early 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Length:16cm, height: 11.5cm","place_of_production":"Anatolia","obtention":"Purchased","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["brass"]},"893a0815-f9f4-52c7-8775-ffe7b752a7e5":{"name":"al-Ghuta ash-Sharqiyya","description":"The apricots are pressed using a press installed in the orchard or in the sheltered part of the facility. This press is equipped with two superimposed sieves, one with large holes to remove the stones and another with a much finer mesh to remove the fibres, leaving only the juice to pass through. The juice is collected in a large-capacity basin of more meticulous construction; the interior is tiled and surmounted by a fixed metal structure. The model of press dates from the 1970s. This operation takes place when the heat dies down at the end of the afternoon.","holder":"Museum for Islamic Art","owner":"Anne-Marie Bianquis","initial_owner":"Anne-Marie Bianquis","dates":"Hegira 1320 / AD 2002","location":"Berlin","place_of_production":"Ghutat Dimashq/Syria","method_for_provenance":"Direct contact","provenance":"Ghutat Dimashq/Syria","bibliography":"Al-Dawudi, F., \"L’abricot est ses dérivés dans la région syrienne\", thesis on pharmacy and chemistry, 1960, Damascus (in Arabic).  \n  \nBianquis, A.-M., “Modernisation d'un artisanat traditionnel: la pâte d'abricot dans la ghouta de damas”, *Bulletin d'études orientales*, T. 56 (2004-2005): 301-328.  \n  \nDenker, J., \"'Moon of the Faith:' A History of the Apricot and Its Many Pleasures”, (14 June 2016).","author":"Hiba Bizreh","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","materials":["Photographic negative"]},"896034df-5b65-5b50-921e-f52b7e844979":{"name":"Large Jar","short_description":"The origins of this object are from Southern Mesopotamia; it’s a complete pottery jar with rolled edges, a short-straight neck, and a globular body. This piece is considered rare, made from fine clay with opaque white glaze and copper, blue, and black manganese splashes on the sides. Archaeologists were able to find many different pottery pieces from different historical periods, and this piece dates back to the 9th century AD. A vessel like this is usually used as a goblet. Typically, it’s a multi-use jar which could have been used for storage and cooking or storing water to keep it cold or to drink from directly.","type":"Archaeological Artefact","holder":"National Museum Oman","dates":"4th century AH / 9th century AD","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height: 30cm, Spout diameter: 12.2cm, Base diameter: 13cm, Weight: 2349.3g","provenance":"Sohar Fort (al-Batinah North Governorate). Origin: Southern Mesopotamia","obtention":"Ministry of Heritage and Culture Collection","author":"Balqees Nakhlah","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["pottery","Jar"],"materials":["blue and black manganese splashes","Clay with opaque white glaze and copper"]},"8968b399-19e6-5695-afe3-880d10ba234f":{"name":"Water ewer","description":"This handled bronze ewer has a rounded body segmented vertically in a lozenge (diamond) pattern.","type":"Ewer","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 5th–6th century / AD 11th–12th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Body diameter: 15cm, height: 31cm","place_of_production":"Persia","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","provenance":"Khorasan","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["ewer","water"],"materials":["Bronze"]},"8a6532ff-cf2a-5f34-9f53-a4d9192c2490":{"name":"A folio from the Maqamat al-Hariri representing a *Jendoul* (folio 61r)","description":"The boat depicted by Yahya al-Wasiti in this AH 7th / AD 13th-century miniature, illustrating the \"Maqamat\" of al-Hariri, is a richly ornamented boat rowed by three men standing aft. The story it illustrates mentions that it was used on the river Euphrates. The fact that three oarsmen were needed suggests that it may have been rowed upstream, as well as carrying several passengers and perhaps cargo.  \n  \nIn AH 1444 - 1445 / AD 2023-24, artist Rashad Salim and the Safina Projects team studied this image in detail in preparation to reconstruct the historic boat. This was an unusual challenge, as the image is not proportionate. The study process included creating artist’s impressions and technical drawings, scale modelling by three different modelmakers experienced in different kinds of boatbuilding, and experimentation with rowing methods to understand how this boat worked and to calculate its proportions before the first prototype Abbasid Jendoul reconstruction was built in AH 1444 - 1445 / 2024-25.","type":"Folio","holder":"National Library of France","initial_owner":"The manuscript was probably produced for the Turkic emir shown in the left-hand frontispiece (folio 1v), a lieutenant of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir (r. AH 623–639 / AD 1226–1242)","dates":"AH 634 / AD 1236-1237","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Page 37cm x 28cm","method_for_datation":"Colophon in the manuscript provides the name of the artist and date of completion.","method_for_provenance":"Similarity with other Baghdadi manuscripts, and the appearance of the name of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mustansir in one of the paintings (AH 8th / 15th maqama, fol. 164v).","provenance":"Probably Baghdad","obtention":"Acquired from the estate of collector Charles Schefer in 1899.","scriber":"Yahya ibn Mahmoud al-Wasiti","binding_desc":"Leather","catalogue_holding_link":"https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b52519766k/f131.item.zoom","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["maqamat al-hariri","passengers","rowing","manuscript","wasiti","painting","crew","boat","miniature"],"materials":["watercolours","parchment","calligraphy","miniature painting."]},"8b2820f2-b570-5834-a941-6d905377879a":{"name":"Cock","description":"It was difficult to make and fire large ceramic figures like this one and the sphinx (Isl 56) with the technology of the day. They easily crackled or simply collapsed. The manganese, turquoise and blue glazes as well as the carved decoration are typical of laqabi ware, but while the glazes on a horizontal surface are kept in place by the carved decoration, this is not the case on an upright object like this one.  \n  \nAlthough both animals must be considered mythical creatures, the artist managed to depict the watchful and aggressive cock with all of this animal’s natural characteristics.","type":"Sculpture","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH 2nd half of the 6th / AD 2nd half of 12th century","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Height: 38.5cm","place_of_production":"Raqqa (Syria)","bibliography":"Folsach, K., et al., Sultan, Shah and Great Mughal: the history and culture of the Islamic world, Copenhagen: The National Museum, 1996: cat. no. 204.  \n  \nDaneshvari, A., Of serpents and dragons in Islamic art: an iconographical study, California: Mazda Publishers, 2011: 172, 110.  \n  \nFolsach, K., “Paradise on earth: water and the Islamic garden” in John Kuhlmann Madsen et al. (eds), Water of life: essays from a symposium held on the occasion of Peder Mortensen's 80th birthday, Copenhagen: Forlaget Orbis, 2016: 191, fig. 5.  \n  \nCanby, S., et al., Court and cosmos: the great age of the Seljuqs, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016: fig. 98, 243.  \n  \nEastmond, A., Tamta's world: the life and encounters of a medieval noblewoman from the Middle East to Mongolia, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017: 256, fig. 87.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["ceramics","Fritware","zangids","Ayyubids","water","Sphinx","sculpture"],"materials":["turquoise","and manganese under a transparent glaze","cast","painted in blue","modeled and carved fritware"]},"8b569dc5-e1b2-50a0-b4d0-c169fc260f13":{"name":"Engraved rock","description":"This engraved rock bears an inscription of a poem consisting of 12 verses composed by Khalfan bin Rashid. The prose documents the completion of a well in the Wilayat of al-Hamra for the Governor Saif bin Muhammad ibn Sayyar in AH 1177 / AD 1763, during the reign of Imam Ahmad bin Said al-Busaidi, the founder of the al-Busaid Household.  \n  \nThe poem reads as follows:  \n  \nThe Almighty granted the efforts with success  \nThe well has been built with mold and rocks.  \nIts omens were like a magic,  \nThe area around seems heavenly, a garden full of trees bearing fruits.  \nWhat a garden that burying sadness, with its flourishing beauty  \nBlessed be its owner, the builder and those who dwelled in it.  \n  \nHe , who had been freehanded to build the well, is Saif, son of Mohammad ibn Sayyar,  \nAnd is the wise Wali of Oman, and the best leader.  \n( )  \nMay the Almighty Allah protect him from the enviers, and those who are disloyal  \nThe best we conclude is by prayers upon the prophet Mohammad (Peace be Upon Him) as much of rainy clouds and more.  \nIn AH 20 Safar 1177, was written by (), Khalfan bin Rashid, ().","type":"Engraved rock","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 20 Safar 1177 / AD 29 August 1763","location":"Muscat, Oman","dimensions":"Length: 52cm, width: 25cm","place_of_production":"Wilayat of al-Hamra (ad-Dakhiliyah Governorate)","method_for_datation":"Found on the gravestone.","provenance":"Local acquisition – Purchased 2020 from Badar bin Mohammed bin Hamed al-Sinani","obtention":"Local acquisition.","scriber":"Khalfan bin Rashid","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["al-Busaid","gravestone","water"],"materials":["Schist rock"]},"8bc18f76-661e-508b-92b4-e262c93b5aa3":{"name":"Jar with turquoise-blue glaze","description":"This small ceramic jar is decorated in a turquoise-blue glaze. As the glaze covers the outside as well as the inside, liquids such as water, vinegar, oil and so on could be transported and conserved in the vessel. The jar has a short neck with a wide flat rim, allowing for a lid or flexible cover of fabric or leather to be fastened to it. Two small handles, one of which has broken off, indicate the jar could have been carried or suspended.  \n  \nThis type of turquoise-glazed pottery is very common on archaeological sites dating to the early Islamic period. These wares were produced in the workshops of Basra in southern Iraq and then exported all around the Abbasid Empire and beyond. Examples have been found around the Indian Ocean region, including East Africa, Sri Lanka and Cambodia.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 33cm, base diameter: 16.9cm, body diameter: 16.4cm, rim diameter: 9.5cm, weight: 1.694kg","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Guerin, A. and Na'imi, F., ‘Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar’, in *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, vol. 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., 2009, ‘Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)’, in *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, vol. 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., ‘Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar’, in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), *Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique*, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: pp. 169–188.  \n  \nCarvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A. and Georgakopoulou, M., ‘Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\"’ in *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, vol. 51 (2022): 55-70.  \n  \nKNUTH, E., 2017, Knuth, E., ‘An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab’, in F. Hojlund (ed.), *Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974*, vol. 97: 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["ceramic","earthenware","Glaze","Murwab","Iraq","Basra","early Islamic period","Abbasid","Jar"],"materials":["Glazed earthenware"]},"8c4feddf-8bd7-5d8a-94a8-143e731562a8":{"name":"Zamzam ewer (*Zemzemlik*)","description":"An Istanbul-made *tombak* (gilded copper alloy) ewer traditionally used for *Zamzam* water.","type":"Ewer","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira late 12th–early 13th century / AD late 18th–early 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 36cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","provenance":"Istanbul","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Tombac"]},"8c713d6f-f859-5642-9f8e-6432126cff05":{"name":"Tray","short_description":"This water-cooler tray stands on three legs and has circular recesses for holding cooling earthenware jugs. The inscriptions attest that the tray was made for the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun who was a lavish patron of the arts. The decoration is distinguished by its gold inlay and by the use of large lotus blossoms. This type of chinoiserie design was introduced from Mongol Iran to Mamluk Egypt in the early decades of the 14th century.","type":"Tray, metalwork","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"Hegira 719-730 / AD 1320-30","location":"Athens","provenance":"Egypt","keywords":["Tray","chinoiserie","Mamluk","China","metalwork"],"materials":["gold and black compound","Brass inlaid with silver"]},"8d580ca5-2f15-5f82-9f15-cc5c1c0c7b42":{"name":"'The Dervish from Faryab Crosses the River on his Rug'","description":"In his *Bustan* (The Flower Garden), Sadi described an amazing experience that he had on a ferry. While the author paid for his journey, an old dervish from the town of Faryab did not have the money and was left on the riverbank. As the boat made the crossing, Sadi heard laughter in its wake. It was the dervish, sailing over the river on his prayer rug.  \n  \nIn this rendition, the ferry is shown as a western carrack, with Sadi dressed in a green caftan and standing in the bow. The page comes from a manuscript calligraphed by Mir Ali Haravi in Herat in AH 932 / AD 1526. At this point, the volume evidently had only a few illustrations, while others were added later in a style in keeping with the original ones.  \n  \nThe richness of detail on this painting harks back in time, though the young man standing next to Sadi is wearing a turban typical of the Shah Abbas period (r. AH 995- 1039 / AD 1587-1629). This shah was responsible for the completion of the manuscript, and the stamp at the top shows that it was donated to the family sanctuary in Ardabil in 1608/1609.","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 1008-1016 / AD 1600-1608","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"folio: 28.5cm × 18.5cm","place_of_production":"Isfahan (Iran)","bibliography":"Christie's, London 21/4-2016, lot 100.  \n  \nFolsach, K. V. and Meyer, J., *The Human Figure in Islamic Art – Holy Men, Princes, and Commoners, Copenhagen: The David Collection*, 2017: cat. 31.  \n  \nMeyer, Joachim, *et al.*, *Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam*, Copenhagen: Strandberg Publishing, 2024: cat.119, 290--291.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Bustan","Dervish","Sadi","manuscript","water","miniature","folio"],"materials":["pigments"]},"8da71d19-da0a-5d1f-9e5b-ab417d6238f7":{"name":"*Mudhif* meeting house","description":"The *mudhif*, with its distinctive *kawser* (decorated face) and *shebbat* (arched columns) constructed of reed, is the traditional communal meeting and hosting space found throughout the Euphrates Delta and in the marshes of southern Iraq.  \n  \nThe earliest Mesopotamian civilization, the Sumerian, arose in this region from the 6th millennium BCE. The archaeological remains of its city states are largely mud brickwork and ceramics, but imprints and remains of organic material such as reed mats are also found, as are textual references to the use of reeds in construction, and depictions of structures resembling today’s *mudhifs*. From this we may surmise a continuity of the architecture of the Marshes from antiquity to modern times, with the *mudhif* being the most iconic representation of this ancient vernacular tradition.  \n  \nWhen a new *mudhif* is built, the community gathers to help the master builder and his team. The main structural element is gathered reeds (*qasab*), stripped of leaves and tied together into a bundle column, the *shebba*. After being set in the ground at a 15-degree (outward) angle, each opposing pair are pulled together with ropes so that their tops meet, spliced and bound together to create the *mudhif's* arches. The number of *shebbat* column pairs is always odd: 5, 7, 9 etc, with the largest recorded *mudhif* at 25 *shebbat*.  \n  \nLong, thin bundles called *huttar* form beams laid across the *shebbat* to support woven *baria* roofing mats. All sides of the *mudhif* are finished with lattice panels that permit light and the circulation of air modulated by outer flaps. *Mudhifs* are oriented towards the prevailing wind, so fresh air enters through one entrance and exits from the other side, causing a natural cooling process.  \n  \nReeds contain a high percentage of silica, making them waterproof and insect-repellent. An excellent heat and sound insulator, fast-growing, durable and flexible, they are used to build shelters, fences, mats, rafts, floating islands (*chibasha*) and other structures.","type":"Architectural structure","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Cultures","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1443/ AD 2021","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Length: 10.75m, height: 5m, width: 5m","method_for_datation":"Production was supervised by current owner.","method_for_provenance":"Production was supervised by current owner.","provenance":"Basra, Iraq","obtention":"Made in workshop organised by Safina Projects.","bibliography":"Ochsenschlager, E. L., *Iraq’s Marsh Arabs in the Garden of Eden*, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004.  \n  \nThesiger, W., *The Marsh Arabs*, London: Penguin, 1964.","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["Vernacular","building","architecture","reed"],"materials":["weaving","basketry","cordage","Reeds","stitching","bundle construction"]},"8eee28ae-e98c-58dd-82dd-0212290a8232":{"name":"Strainer.","description":"The greyish earthenware fragment showing openwork at the centre was part of a jug with strainer. The slightly convex strainer was placed at the juncture of neck and shoulder of the vessel and was intended to protect the stored liquid from pollution and insects. Its design is inscribed in a circle and shows a quadruped passing to the left. The motif is set against a filigree background of rhombs. The major outlines of the animal, usually called a gazelle, are incised into the material. The remaining surface of the body is left plain. A striated zigzag line between two circles surrounds the quadruped.  \nDecorated strainers are known from excavations of sites dated to the AH 2nd–9th / AD 8th–15th century. Strainers of the Fatimid period, which was the high point of their development, show not only the most varied patterns, but also the most elaborated compositions and the finest execution. As well as gazelle-like quadrupeds, other zoomorphic motifs such as elephants, lions, hares, birds or fish are depicted on the strainers.  \nThe strainers are only small fragments of vessels, but they call attention to themselves. One reason might be the unexpected combination of simple earthenware, mostly undecorated on the outside, with costly designs inside the neck of the jugs. Another might be that the potters created a highly aesthetic form for a simple utilitarian object. The complex patterns of the openwork carried out within small areas reveal the skills of the craftsmen.","short_description":"Earthenware fragment which was integrated in a vessel as a strainer. The latticework displays a quadruped, possibly a gazelle, passing to the left. The strainer was placed at the juncture of neck and shoulder of the earthenware vessel to protect the stored liquid from insects and pollution.","type":"Strainer, earthenware","holder":"Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities (Medelhavsmuseet).","owner":"National Museum of Fine Arts, Stockholm. In order to reorganise the expanding collections, the main part of the Islamic collection has been on permanent loan to the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities since 1982.","dates":"Hegira 5th century / AD 11th century.","location":"Stockholm","dimensions":"Diameter 6.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"A strainer also showing a gazelle was excavated at al-Fustat and dated according to numismatic evidence of undisturbed loci to the 5th / 11th century.","method_for_provenance":"Similar strainers were excavated at al-Fustat and their place of manufacture ascribed to the city. According to F. R. Martin, this strainer comes from excavations at al-Fustat.","provenance":"Al-Fustat, Egypt.","obtention":"Purchased from the collection of the Swedish art dealer and art historian F. R. Martin in 1921.","bibliography":"Olmer, P., *Catalogue Général du Musée Arabe du Caire: Les Filtres de Gargoulettes*, Cairo, 1932.  \nScanlon, G. T., *Fustat Expedition Final Report. Vol. 1: Catalogue of Filters*, Winona Lake, 1986.  \nWittkowski, G., “Arabic Filters from the Collection of the Cracow Archaeological Museum”, *Materialy Archeologiczne* XXX, 1997, 41–55.","author":"Friederike Voigt","copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["earthenware","purity of water","animal decoration","water","zoomorphic imagery"],"materials":["unglazed","incised.","Earthenware"]},"8f0498f0-0ced-550b-8d87-d24b4ee4d5c9":{"name":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts Park","alternate_name":"Previously known as the *Jabal al-Luweibdeh* Park","description":"The park covers an area of approximately 7500 square metres and provides a pleasant green space surrounded by residences in what was once one of Amman's most elegant neighbourhoods. Following the rehabilitation programme of the early 2000s, the park incorporates the domain of the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, presenting different areas of the garden that have been fully reinterpreted in terms of sustainability and contemporary landscape architecture.  \n  \nThe new public installations include outdoor sculpture displays, children's play areas, a performance/exhibition space, a café/restaurant and model educational gardens demonstrating water-conservation landscape practices. It also includes a Japanese garden, elaborated in partnership with the Japanese Embassy in Amman, and an Andalusian fountain, also a fruit of the collaboration with the Spanish Embassy in Amman.  \n  \nThe park also includes a 160 cubic metre reservoir that harvests rainwater for use in a drip irrigation system. All existing trees and mature ornamental plants were carefully preserved and incorporated into the new landscape design. To enhance the park’s vegetation, a diverse selection of drought-tolerant trees, ornamental species and ground covers were introduced to complement the original greenery. Additionally, a specialised variety of turf grass (Bermuda grass) has been introduced in select areas to further reduce water usage.  \n  \nRadiating from the platform, the pathways retrace the layout of the park’s original circulation routes. The irregular stone paving panels from the former design have been preserved to maintain a visual and tactile connection to the park’s historic character.","type":"Park","dates":"AH 1373 / AD 1953","location":"Amman","history":"Originally known as *Jabal al-Luweibdeh* Park, the National Gallery of Fine Arts Park was established in AH 1371 / AD 1953 as one of the first public parks in Amman. Situated in one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods, it became a cherished meeting place and an early example of civic planning in Jordan’s growing capital. However, over time, neglect and insufficient maintenance led to its deterioration. In AH 1423 / AD 2002, the Center for the Study of the Built Environment (CSBE) proposed comprehensive rehabilitation works. In collaboration with the Greater Amman Municipality, work began in the spring of AH 1424 / AD 2004 and was completed in AH Rabi 1426 / AD May 2005. The park was officially renamed to emphasise its integration with the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, linking the original gallery building and its new extension. The entire complex was inaugurated under the royal patronage of Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania, restoring the park as both a public amenity and a model of sustainable landscape design. In AH 1437 / AD 2016, the park won a Global Gold award by Green World Organisation in \"Sustainability\".","author":"Yelyzaveta Basysta","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Sustentability","Amma","Jordan","park","water","Rehabilitation","National Gallery"]},"8fa09327-47d4-5dce-9649-b4f26818817e":{"name":"Jar","description":"A hollow wooden jar with a rounded base and a large rhomboid-shaped body designed to store a greater quantity of water. It has a slightly protruding circular mouth, while on either side of the body are small recessed areas for fastening a rope to secure it to an animal. The jar is lightweight enough to be carried or transported over short distances. It was used for storing and transporting water in rural or Bedouin settings and was designed to facilitate drawing water from wells or troughs and preserving it for a period of time.","type":"Jar","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"Late AH 13th century AH / AD 19th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Jar diameter: 133cm,  Rim diameter: 40cm, Height: 40cm","provenance":"The Arabian Peninsula","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["water","wood","Jar"],"materials":["carving","Wood"]},"9019f587-868b-5467-91b0-7b17a50a99bd":{"name":"Small bucket.","description":"The small bucket is a metal container with a handle used for throwing water over hot marble paving to produce steam needed for the baths. The mouth is deformed, probably as a result of use. The decorative elements are contained within compass-drawn lines around the circumference. The engraving was done with two points, one sharp and the other blunter. The plant-arabesque decoration was added to fit the piece.  \nThe outer surface is totally covered with compartmentalised decoration, with ribbons that mark the boundaries between an inscribed strip in the upper part, a frieze of scrolls and palmettes, another strip (split into two circles and two poly-lobed medallions) and lastly another frieze of scrolls and palmettes in the lower part. In the upper strip, the inscription 'Continuous happiness' appears several times, while in the medallions 'Happiness, wealth, blessing and the fulfilment of desires' can be read. One of the medallions has a geometric pattern: two shapes spiralling away from one other that end in fanciful groups of stems and leaf buds make up the background of an inscription written in elegant cursive characters. The other, less dense, is made up of a group of scrolls finished with asymmetrical palmettes. The spandrels between the medallions develop the idea of the 'tree'. The structure relates to the Persian world, which from the AH 6th / AD 12th century revitalised the old Roman forms.  \nThis piece belongs to the type of domestic object used in refined environments and influenced by oriental trends, which had a great impact on al-Andalus.","short_description":"Fascinated by this magnificent gilded bronze bucket from the Alhambra, the powerful Cardinal Cisneros took it and added it to his private collection. Its exquisite and refined geometric, plant and epigraphic decoration show that it was a luxury piece for use only in a palace setting.","type":"Bucket, metalwork","holder":"National Archaeological Museum.","dates":"Hegira 8th century / AD 14th century.","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height 18 cm, upper diameter 18 cm, lower diameter 9.75 cm.","method_for_datation":"By the technique and decoration of circles covered with regular geometrical areas created from a hexagon and its multiples, following Nasrid conventions of decoration.","method_for_provenance":"The inscription includes the emblem of the Nasrid monarchy. Its rich and careful decoration suggests that it was made in the royal workshops of Granada.","provenance":"Palace of the Alhambra, Granada, Spain.","obtention":"The piece came to the National Archaeological Museum on 30 May 1868 from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando.","bibliography":"*Al-Andalus: Las Artes Islámicas en España*, Exhibition catalogue, Madrid, 1992, p.256. English edition: *Al-Andalus: The Art Of Islamic Spain* (ed. J. D. Dodds), New York, 1992.  \nAmador de los Ríos, R., “Acetre Arábigo que Se Conserva en el Museo Arqueológico Nacional”, *Museo Español de Antigüedades*, Vol. VII, Madrid, 1876, pp.467–81.  \nDomínguez Perela, E., “Acetres hispanoislámicos”, *Icónica*, 8, Madrid, 1987, pp.8–13.  \nFranco Mata, A., “Acetre”, *Isabel la Católica. La Magnificencia de un Reinado. Quinto Centenario de Isabel la Católica, 1504–2004*, Valladolid-Madrid, 2004, pp.246–7.  \nGómez Moreno, M., *El Arte árabe Español Hasta los Almohades. Arte Mozárabe*. Ars Hispaniae, Vol. III, Madrid, 1951, p.337.","author":"Ángela Franco","copy_editor":"Rosalía Aller","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["baths","Alhambra","water","domestic furnishing"],"materials":["nielloed and fire gilding.","Cast bronze","engraved"]},"90eb5666-a36c-5490-8731-23f1e4f7d426":{"name":"Water jug","description":"This artefact is inscribed in Ottoman Turkish with the phrase:  \n  \n\"İçdikçe bulasın şifa, bu mâ-i lezîzden.\"  \n  \n\"May you find healing each time you drink from this delightful water.\"","type":"Jug","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira early 14th century / AD early 20th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 31cm","place_of_production":"Anatolia","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","provenance":"Kütahya","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Ceramic"]},"91029f78-8118-55e0-9f2c-c243b78948b4":{"name":"*Landscape of Calligraphy*","description":"This artistic work embodies the artist's experience in the field of Arabic calligraphy and craft formations.","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 140cm, width: 133cm","provenance":"Local acquisition program (purchased 2019)","obtention":"Local acquisition program (purchased 2019).","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["painting","water","Oman"],"materials":["Acrylic on canvas"]},"914eb4c5-9b5a-549c-b385-fee293bdb38a":{"name":"Cogged well wheel (*al-manjūr*)","description":"The central hub of a cogged well wheel (*al-manjūr*) is made from a single cross-cut section of local hardwood such as the Christ's thorn jujube (Zisiphus spina-christi, locally known as *sidr*). To form the cogs, a double row of hand-shaped wedges, also of hardwood, are fitted into the hub individually. The wheel is then lashed together with shark skin or goat leather.","type":"Well wheel","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"AH 14th / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat, Oman","dimensions":"Height: 92.5cm, length: 95cm, diameter: 40cm","place_of_production":"Northern Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition","obtention":"Local acquisition.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Well wheel.","water"],"materials":["Wood"]},"91c00825-34dc-5126-9e4f-7ae6ce0eed5a":{"name":"The Bridge-Dam of al-Battan","description":"Throwing itself over across the Medjerda, 2 km downstream from Tbourba, this bridge-dam was built around AH 1101 / AD 1690 by the Bey Mohamed, son of Murad II. It is one of the most commendable works, pierced by 16 arches that stand raised up on an invert that serves as its foundation. Gates closed the arches and raised the water-level to set the press mills in action and to irrigate the river plains. The bey ordered for a summer house to be built next to this bridge.","type":"Hydraulic system","author":"Ahmed Saadaoui","keywords":["Tunisia.","water","hydraulic system"]},"9245b827-e2b3-5d39-ad6f-d1f2358eaffb":{"name":"Fatwa on water management","alternate_name":"Legal opinion on water rights; Islamic jurisprudence manuscript","description":"This manuscript presents a fatwa—an Islamic legal opinion—concerning the management and distribution of water in Moroccan society. Issued by a religious jurist (*faqih*) in Marrakech during the AH mid-14th / AD mid-20th century, it reflects the pivotal role of Islamic law (*fiqh*) in regulating access to water as both a natural resource and a sacred trust. The fatwa provides guidance on conflicts between water users, allocation of irrigation turns, and the religious duty of ensuring fairness and equity in distribution. Written in Arabic script in clear, formal calligraphy, the text embodies the enduring connection among law, faith, and environmental stewardship in Morocco. Such documents illustrate how water, a scarce and precious resource, was historically governed through ethical and religious frameworks, complementing customary practices and communal agreements. Today this manuscript serves as a testimony to the moral and spiritual dimensions of water management, highlighting how Islamic scholarship reinforced the idea of water as a collective right entrusted by God. The manuscript’s presence in the museum underscores the continuity of faith-based governance and its influence on Moroccan hydraulic traditions.","type":"Manuscript: religious and legal text","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Religious institution / private library (later transferred to museum)","dates":"AH 1370s / AD 1950s","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"Folio (approx.): 30cm x 22cm","place_of_production":"Marrakech","method_for_datation":"Based on internal colophon, handwriting, and curatorial records.","method_for_provenance":"Museum documentation and historical context of religious endowments.","obtention":"Museum acquisition for permanent exhibition (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","scriber":"Traditional Islamic scholar (anonymous copyist)","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Morocco","Islamic law","religious manuscript","Marrakech","water rights","fatwa"],"materials":["Ink on paper","Arabic script in traditional calligraphy"]},"92faf071-041f-5e86-a8af-4013003f481e":{"name":"Water jar, with one handle","description":"The upper section of this water jar, discovered in one of the houses at Murwab, was found during the Qatari-French Mission's excavation in 2007. This kitchenware features a globular body paired with a high, straight neck. The neck is adorned with incised horizontal lines, and the lip is simple with a rounded end. Crafted from red clay, the surface is covered with a thicker, darker red slip, albeit significantly damaged over most of the surface.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 28.5cm, rim diameter: 10cm, body diameter: 31cm","place_of_production":"Arabian Peninsula, or southern Iran","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), *Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique*, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), *Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974*, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","Transportation","Jar","storage"],"materials":["Earthenware"]},"93e8ae64-547f-5c2e-a1a2-19aee2c4d694":{"name":"*Birkat al-Hajj*","description":"The *Birkat al-Hajj*, the \"pilgrimage’s reservoir\", marks the most south-easterly extension of the Muslim city. The open, trapezoid-shaped reservoir measures 155 m x 122 m, edged by massive 3.5 m-thick walls of roughly hewn basalt-stone blocks. Three metre-wide projections divide the inner walls. The reservoir itself is between 6 m and 12 m deep. Stairs at the north-western, south-western and southeastern corners provide access to the water. The Birkat al-Hajj and another, slightly smaller, reservoir to the east secured the water supply for the city, collecting rain and melted ice from the Jabal Hauran and the Wadi al-Zaidi to the west of the city.  \n  \nIn his description of Syria, the historian Ibn Shaddad al-Halabi mentions that the Ayyubid ruler of Damascus, al-Mu‘azzam ‘Isa (d. 624/1227), built a huge reservoir in the outskirts of Bosra, to serve as a drinking trough for the pilgrim’s caravan that passed on its annual journey to Mecca before entering the desert region. Describing his participation in the pilgrimage from Damascus in 726/1326, the traveller Ibn Battuta gives a vivid description of Bosra as pilgrim’s halt: “…we travelled on to the town of Bosra; it too is a small place. It is the usual practice of the caravan to stop there for four nights. The inhabitants of the Hauran flock to this town with their produce  \nand the pilgrims supply themselves here with provisions for the journey.”  \n  \nThe huge dimensions of the reservoir suggest that it must have provided water for a large city and not just for the  \npilgrims’ caravans that passed through twice a year. Therefore the initial structure may date to the Roman period (5th century AD) while the historically documented efforts of al-Mu‘azzam ‘Isa  \nindicate a medieval renovation. This supposition matches very well with the extension of the citadel into a palatial residence for the lord of Bosra, the brother of al-Mu‘azzam, al-Salih Isma‘il,  \nsince the citadel with its newly constructed mosque and hammam required a sufficient and well-functioning water supply that the Birkat al-Hajj may well have provided.","type":"Hydraulic system","author":"Verena Daiber","keywords":["Syria.","water","hydraulic system"]},"940d00ac-1015-5d53-8ce3-ab0f77662dcf":{"name":"Ain es Sultan, 50 sq. miles","description":"An original field map from the Survey of Western Palestine showing the water courses feeding into the Jordan Valley and River in the Jericho oasis.","type":"Manuscript map","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","dates":"AH 1290 / AD 1873","location":"London","place_of_production":"Palestine","method_for_datation":"Recorded dates of the survey.","method_for_provenance":"Palestine Exploration Fund project.","provenance":"Palestine, Survey of Western Palestine field map","obtention":"Created for the PEF during the Survey of Western Palestine, AH 1872 - 1282 / AD 1872–1878","bibliography":"Warren, C., *The Survey of Western Palestine-Jerusalem*, London: Legare Street Press, 2022.","workshop":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Jericho","Mamluk","Umayyad","aqueduct","Survey","Map"],"materials":["pen and ink","pencil","Tracing paper"]},"944c621e-5c60-5c17-8bcf-5af22f7a0004":{"name":"Hookah","alternate_name":"Hukka (হুক্কা)","description":"The hookah is a traditional contraption used for smoking, where the large pot made from the shell of the coconut contains water. The smoking substance is placed at the top. The use of this artifact is rare now.","type":"Hookah","holder":"Water Museum","dates":"21st century","location":"Pakhimara, Kuakata District, Barishal Division, Barishal","bibliography":"Martin, R., \"Hookah\", in *Encyclopedia Britannica* https://www.britannica.com/topic/hookah \\[accessed 4/10/2025\\].","author":"ActionAid Bangladesh","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["water","hookah"],"materials":["Indegenous technique"]},"95fa67f4-e90b-5049-aefb-6e44fd542a80":{"name":"Small Metal Ewer","description":"A small ewer with a spherical body and a tall cylindrical neck, featuring a slightly flared mouth opening. The handle is thin and curved, with breaks or corrosion at the top. The surface patina exhibits some green-blue oxidation characteristic of copper or bronze. The absence of decoration may indicate domestic or utilitarian use.  \n  \nIn that period people referred to such a small vessel as *al-sāqī al-awwal* (the first server), as it was typically placed near a sleeping area. It was used by a traveller arriving late at night who would rise at dawn to wash his face with cool water in preparation for prayer.","type":"Ewer","holder":"Department of Antiquities","dates":"AH 6th - 9th / AD 12th–15th century","location":"Amman","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["ewer","water","Mamluks"],"materials":["Copper alloy","Bronze"]},"9649e657-d081-5990-b3dd-ee2b6d2ee696":{"name":"Washing Set (Pitcher and Wash Basin) with Chamber Pot","description":"The 19th century witnessed major changes in the political, social, cultural, and economic spheres in Serbia. The uprisings against centuries-long Ottoman rule, in 1804 and 1815, led to the enactment of Sultan Mahmud II’s hatt-i sharif in 1830, the establishment of the autonomous Principality of Serbia, Serbia’s full independence, confirmed at the Congress of Berlin in 1878, and the proclamation of the Kingdom of Serbia in 1882. The transition from a feudal to a capitalist society was accompanied by cultural pluralism, which implied the establishment of new cultural models with a local Ottoman-Balkan imprint, as well as the adoption of cultural models common in bourgeois Europe. In this context, the items imported from Central and Western Europe got a significant place in everyday life and the visual culture of Serbia. While European influences in Serbia signified a gradual breaking up with Ottoman traditions, at the same time, due to the extensive reforms that permeated all spheres of society, they also significantly shaped the visual culture of the Ottoman Empire.  \nThe washing set with a chamber pot originates from the renowned ceramics production centre of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England. This area was home to a collective of workshops that produced majolica, stoneware, and porcelain. One of these manufacturers was S. Fielding & Co. Adapting to fashion trends and market demands, the company exported high-quality ceramic pieces worldwide from 1870 to 1982.  \nThe wash set preserved in the Museum of Applied Art, and created in the Historicist style, is characterized by its subtle decoration and the combination of a green pastel ground with floral motifs. A floral garland follows a restrained black line running along the central section of each vessel. The black band is edged with delicate touches of gilding. On the bottom of the pieces is the mark of the workshop: Crown Devon, Fieldings, Stoke-on-Trent, England, indicating that the set is part of the Crown Devon collection, which was produced from 1880, while from 1912 onward, the items were made in series.","type":"Ceramics","holder":"Museum of Applied Art","owner":"Museum of Applied Art, Belgrade","initial_owner":"Vojislav Nikolić","dates":"1912–1917","location":"Belgrade","dimensions":"Pitcher diameter: 13.5cm, Pitcher height: 31.5cm; Washing basin diameter: 40cm, washing basin height: 15cm; Chamber pot diameter: 23cm, chamber pot height: 13cm","place_of_production":"Stoke-on-Trent (Staffordshire)","method_for_datation":"By the mark of the workshop.","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence.","provenance":"England","obtention":"Given by Vojislav Nikolić from Belgrade in 2008.","bibliography":"Đurić, B., Washing Set (Pitcher and Washing Basin) with Night Pot, in: *New in the Collections: Acquisitions 2001–2010*, Belgrade: Museum of Applied Art, 2010: 108–109.","workshop":"S. Fielding & Co.","author":"Jelena Vukadinović","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["pitcher and wash basin","majolica","Stoke-on-Trent"],"materials":["Majolica"]},"964a5e5c-38f2-52e1-916c-5aa787fad913":{"name":"\"How a Braggart was Drowned in a Well\"","alternate_name":"Folio 33v from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","description":"This miniature is an illustration of the most dramatic episode in the tale told by the Moorish princess in the Green Paviliion on Monday. While traversing the desert, Bashr, a good and pious man, and his bragging and evil-minded traveling companion come upon a jar filled with pure water sunk into the sand. After they have quenched their thirst, the selfish companion insists upon bathing in the water, in spite of Bashr's pleas against polluting it. The water turns out to be a deep well fed by a spring, and the heedless companion drowns. The tale ends happily for the deserving Bashr. The well is shown from two different perspectives to aid the viewer's comprehension of the scene.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","owner":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Emperor Akbar, India (from AH 988 / AD 1580); his grandson Shah Jahan, India (in AH 1097 / AD 1658); Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY","dates":"ca. AH 834 / AD 1430","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting height: 22.5cm, width: 12.1cm; Page height: 27.9cm, width: 18.3cm","place_of_production":"Herat","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin* , vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nJackson, A. V., Williams, A.Y., \"Presented to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, by Alexander Smith Cochran.\", in *A Catalogue of the Collection of Persian Manuscripts, Including also Some Turkish and Arabic*, no.10, (1914).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W. \"Prince Baysonghor's Nizami.\" in *Ars Orientalis* vol. II (1957).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"Collections in the United States and Canada.\" in *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century*, (1962).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.*, (1968).  \n  \n*Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (1975)  \n  \nLentz, T. W., Lowry G.D., \"Persian Art and Culture in the Fifteenth Century.\" In *Timur and the Princely Vision. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art*, no.62, (1989).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455058","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"96fec71d-f6a7-59f6-8185-e0c973120a26":{"name":"Hammam faucet","description":"A highly rare *tombak* (gilded copper alloy) double-inlet bath faucet, made in Istanbul during the Ottoman period; similar examples of which are found in the Topkapı Palace and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","type":"Faucet","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 12th–13th century / AD 18th–19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 21cm, width: 17cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","provenance":"Istanbul","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","Faucet","water","tombak","Istanbul"],"materials":["Copper tombac"]},"97a74e08-c680-51a4-9ff3-a40be3a5d9ea":{"name":"*The Source*","description":"Mona Saudi sculpts abstract forms imprinted by feelings. Her perfect mastery of gesture allows her to work with dexterity in all materials. Although she has a particular fondness for marble, she also works with granite, pink Jordanian stone, and bronze. Two versions of *The Source* were realised: the first in bronze (AH 1405 / AD 1984), shown here, and the second in pink Jordanian stone in a larger format (AH 1407 / AD 1986). Circles emanating from the central eye, which symbolises the water source, bring movement to the work. The terms \"eye\" and \"source\" are the same word in Arabic.","type":"Sculpture","holder":"Institute of the Arab World","dates":"AH 1405 / AD 1984","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Height: 28cm","obtention":"Gift, 1987.","translator":"Judy Harter","keywords":["bronze","water","Mona Saudi","sculpture"],"materials":["Bronze"]},"9844c72d-8d2f-50e5-8d5b-86ef15a82164":{"name":"*Egyptian village scene*","description":"Egyptian men and women are seen here in a town or village on the Nile. In the shade of an overhanging tree a market stall displays its wares, including paper lanterns and bread. At the stall behind, sugar cane is for sale. In the background is a mosque with a white minaret, though not distinctive enough to establish the scene's locality. Pilleau had visited Egypt in the winter of 1842-43 with Lieutenant Colonel George Everest (after whom Mount Everest was named) and two other companions, on their way home from India. On his return to England he published a set of twelve coloured lithographs, Sketches in Egypt (1845), which, like the better-known publications of Wilkie, Roberts and Owen Jones in the same decade, fuelled popular interest in Egypt and the Holy Land.","type":"Painting; watercolour","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum","dates":"1869 (painted)","location":"London","author":"Victoria and Albert Museum"},"98c2d5f1-e64c-5f9b-8fff-be3cc70af02b":{"name":"Bottle for sprinkling rosewater","description":"Green glass rosewater sprinkler decorated with floral and geometric motifs from India. It was used to spray scented water in reception areas such as the majlis. It was widely used during special events such as weddings. In the Qatari dialect, this sprinkler is called a *marash*.","type":"Glass","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH 12th–13th century / AD 18th–19th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 26.3cm, base diameter: 7.6cm","place_of_production":"India","provenance":"Qatar","obtention":"Object has been in the National Museum's permanent collection since 1975.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/perfume-bottle-marash/8AG29GAHaqjVRQ","author":"Tania Abdulmonem Al Majid","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["painting","glassblowing"]},"998d3461-0770-50eb-a5de-123b9ad0c56d":{"name":"Healing basin","description":"The base is low, and the body is hemispherical. Both the bottom and the rim are flat, while the centre is slightly convex. The interior and exterior are inscribed. The inside of the healing bowl is divided into thirteen mihrab-shaped sections. The base bears the inscription \"Sahip Ali\" in Ottoman Turkish.","type":"Bowl","holder":"Edirne Museum Directorate","dates":"AH 13th / AD 19th century","location":"Edirne","dimensions":"Diameter: 16cm","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["bowl","Ottomans","healing","water","Religion","brass"],"materials":["forged","incised","brass"]},"99eb7578-9253-520d-8e15-f2005c79e229":{"name":"Table jar with blue glaze","description":"This table jar, unearthed in 1981 during the French mission at the Murwab site in one of the houses with a plaster floor, exhibits a well-recognized design inspired by early Islamic metal needles. Featuring a notably tall (10cm) and wide (11cm rim diameter) straight neck with a slightly projecting rim, the jar boasts a mildly globular body that accommodates two handles on its upper portion. The straight handles suspend from the upper part of the neck. Although the blue glaze is considerably damaged, it reveals a very fine cream paste akin to eggshell. This artefact likely originated from the workshops of Basra.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"Hegira late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 15.4cm, body diameter: 14.3cm, rim diameter: 11cm","place_of_production":"Basra, Iraq","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","Transportation","Jar","storage"],"materials":["Glazed earthenware"]},"9a9b3c8a-31db-54d0-9f13-3dde2fa2ed32":{"name":"Water canteen","description":"An artefact originating from the Aegean region of the Ottoman Empire, reflecting the local craftsmanship style of the period.","type":"Canteen","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira late 13th century / AD late 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 17cm, diameter: 14.5cm","place_of_production":"Aegean","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Wood"]},"9ac8d0d2-823f-5dcf-8834-a73fe5588a48":{"name":"Merida Citadel.","description":"The city of Merida, founded by Augustus in AD 25, was one of the main urban centres of Roman Hispania and it was the second most important metropolis in the Visigothic period, after Toledo. The city went on to be the most important city in Gharb al-Andalus (western al-Andalus) after the Muslim conquest. However, continuous rebellions against the centralist Umayyad power sent Merida into obvious decline. In AH 220 / AD 835, following a succession of rebellions and sieges, ‘Abd al-Rahman II ordered the construction of a fortress where troops loyal to Córdoba could shelter in order to secure the city and guarantee the submission of an area so prone to uprisings.  \nThe citadel sits on the bank of the Guadiana River next to the bridge and its wall is built on a Roman containment-dyke. It is a square enclosure of some 130 m2 with a perimeter of 550 m. The walls, 2.70 m thick and 10 m tall, are built of granite ashlars taken from existing Roman and Visigothic buildings. The wall is strengthened by a series of large quadrangular towers that act as buttresses. The main entrance to the enclosure is a horseshoe arch situated on the north side and flanked by two towers. This entrance was protected by a rectangular courtyard with another two gateways (one to the bridge and one to the city) that acted as a barbican or initial defensive area.  \nInside the enclosure in the western section there has survived a rectangular reservoir, also constructed of granite ashlars, that dates to the same period. The building providing access to the water store is decorated with salvaged Visigothic pillars and has two flights of stairs that go down to the pool. The reservoir was continuously filled with river water filtering through the ground and would provide water to the people in the citadel in times of siege.  \nAfter the *Reconquista* the fortress was given to the Order of St. James, which added towers and other medieval structures in order to convert it into a convent and a residence, which explains why the building is also known as the 'Merida Convent'.","short_description":"This is the oldest surviving Muslim fortification on the peninsula. Having put down the continuous revolts against Merida, the Amir of Córdoba ‘Abd al-Rahman II ordered the city walls to be dismantled and a new fortress to be built from the salvaged ashlars using a header/stretcher bond in accordance with existing Roman and Byzantine military tradition. The new fort was located next to the Roman bridge over the Guadiana River in order to defend it. It was also used as the governor’s residence and as refuge for servants loyal to the amir in the event of a revolt.","dates":"Hegira 220 / AD 835.","location":"Merida, Badajoz","method_for_datation":"A surviving inscription tells us the exact date when the citadel was constructed. It was commissioned by the Amir ‘Abd al-Rahman II in 220 / 835.","bibliography":"Gómez Moreno, M., *El Arte árabe Español Hasta los Almohades: Arte Mozárabe*,Ars Hispaniae, Vol. III, Madrid, 1951, pp.45–6.  \nHernández Jiménez, F., “The Alcazaba of Mérida: 220 H. (835)”, in *Early Muslim Architecture*, Vol. 2, Oxford, 1940, pp.197–207.  \nSerra y Rafols, J., “La Alcazaba de Mérida”, *Archivo Español de Arqueología*, 65, 1946, pp.334–45.  \nValdés Fernández, F., “La Fortificación Islámica en Extremadura: Resultados Provisionales de los Trabajos en las Alcazabas de Mérida, Badajoz y Trujillo y la Cerca Urbana de Cáceres”, *Extremadura Arqueológia*,no. 2, Badajoz 1991, pp.547–57.  \nZozaya, J., “Islamic Fortifications in Spain: Some Aspects”, *British Archaeological Report*, 193, 1984, pp.636–73.","patrons":"‘Abd al-Rahman II (r. AH 207–38 / AD 822–52).","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PT_EN_001","author":"Margarita Sánchez Llorente","copy_editor":"Rosalía Aller","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["fortification","Abd al-Rahman II","Merida","Citadel","Umayyads of al-Andalus","reservoir"]},"9b465241-9dbe-5697-82cb-f32fd4f23628":{"name":"Magical Bowl","description":"The small, apodal cup has curved walls. The interior is entirely engraved with magical, astrological, and Kabbalistic symbols: two numerical squares, five-pointed stars, and zoomorphic representations, including the zodiac sign of Aries in the center, Scorpio below, and the double-headed knot of the Dragon of Eclipses. The engraved inscriptions contain invocations and Qur'anic quotations, as well as instructions for using the cup, referring to its restorative properties.  \n  \nInscription on the outer edge: Work of the destitute Muhammad b. Yanus, may God have mercy on him","type":"Bowl","holder":"Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte","initial_owner":"Collezione Borgia (until 1817)","dates":"AH 6th century / AD 12th century","location":"Naples","dimensions":"Height: 3cm, diameter: 11cm","place_of_production":"Syria","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1817.","bibliography":"Scerrato, U., *Arte islamica a Napoli: Opere delle raccolte pubbliche napoletane* , Naples: Istituto Universitario Orientale, 1967.  \n  \nVanoli, A., *Acqua, Islam e arte. Goccia a goccia dal cielo cade la vita*, Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2019.","keywords":["Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte","Magical bowl","collezione borgia"],"materials":["engraved bronze"]},"9b5e8338-6b01-5cf8-95f3-07fdc580d452":{"name":"Cup","description":"Cup made by blowing glass into a mould; it bears applied decoration and a handle. The handle protrusions resemble thumb grips. There are, however, similar extant cups that are made of blown glass with stamped decoration, and attest to the simultaneous use and alternation of different techniques.","type":"Glass","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"9th - 10th century","location":"Athens","dimensions":"Height: 10cm, Diameter rim: 13cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Egypt or Syria","obtention":"Donated by Antonis Benakis","author":"Mina Moraitou","keywords":["Benaki Museum","applied","Egypt","glass"],"materials":["glass","applied"]},"9b8ab3ff-1008-5ce8-b032-994aad3a8bf4":{"name":"Fountain basin.","description":"Oblong basin in grey marble. A sculpted decorative element consisting of two poly-lobed arches that end in serpentine motifs can be found at both ends of the cavity. The four cornerstones of the basin's edge are adorned with four full medallions. The cavity of this fountain consists of a hollow with a bordering edge. One of the two sides features an orifice that was once connected to piping. The basin's exterior form becomes narrower towards its base.","short_description":"This rectangular basin is decorated with sculptures consisting of two poly-lobed arches finished with snake motifs. There are four full medallions in the four spandrels around the basin. This basin was probably used to provide water to the Palace of the Sea (Dar al-Bahr).","type":"Basin, fountain, marble","holder":"National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Arts","dates":"Hegira 405–547 / AD 1015–1152.","location":"Algiers","dimensions":"Height 26.5 cm, length 119 cm, width 52 cm, depth 17 cm.","method_for_datation":"Found in the Dar al-Bahr of the Qal'at Bani Hammad (5th–6th / 11th–12th centuries).","method_for_provenance":"Discovered by De Beylié in the northwest corner of the great court of Dar al-Bahr.","provenance":"Dar al-Bahr, Qal’at Bani Hammad, Algeria.","obtention":"Archaeological repository (De Beylié excavations, 1908).","bibliography":"Beylié, général de, *La Kalaa des Beni Hammad, une capitale berbère de l'Afrique du Nord au XIe siècle*, Paris, 1909.  \nBourouiba, R., *Les H'ammadites*, Algiers, 1984.  \nGolvin, L., *Recherches archéologiques à la Qal'a des Banû Hammâd*, Paris, 1965.  \nMarçais, G., *Le musée Stéphane Gsell, musée des antiquités et d'art musulman d'Alger*, Algiers, 1950.","author":"Leila Merabet","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Maria Vlotides","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["arch","palatial architecture","cornerstone","fountain","Dar al-Bahr","Basin","architectural decoration","Hammadids","marble","medallion","Qal’at Bani Hammad","water","piping","palace"],"materials":["Sculpted grey marble."]},"9b938f78-dd1b-5b00-a709-62c11978cdc8":{"name":"Basin","description":"This basin was discovered in pieces at the end of the 19th century in the centre of Seville. Restoration work has reconstructed the bands of inscriptions, as well as the decoration on three of its sides.  \nThe front is decorated with three tri-lobed arches, framed by alfiz (frame) panels supported on columns. Each arch contains a plant sprouting leaves, palmettes, pinecones and intertwining stems. The space between the arch and the alfiz panel shows the same type of decoration, and the whole thing is framed by an inscribed strip.  \nThe right-hand side shows a space divided vertically into three parts. The central area is undecorated, probably to allow space for the water to come out, and the other two sides show similar scenes: eagles, seizing deer with their talons, bear two lions face to face on their outspread wings, while beneath them two griffins facing each other complete the scene. This iconography, of Sassanid origin, refers to power, abundance and eternity.  \nOnly the inscribed band is preserved from the third side, a strip with ducks and fishes, and, underneath it, the remains of a lion attacking a deer.  \nWe know from the inscription that this basin was commissioned for the royal palace of al-Zahira on the orders of al-Mansur, prime minister and favourite of Hisham II, who was still a child when he became Caliph in AH 366 / AD 976, following the death of his father al-Hakam II. The unstoppable rise to power of al-Mansur started shortly after the accession of Hisham II. With the intention of establishing a parallel dynasty to the legal Umayyad one, al-Mansur built a palatine city called Madinat al-Zahira. This new city, rival to Madinat al-Zahra, was in the eastern part of Córdoba, but limited material remains have survived to the present day. The city was burnt to the ground in AH 399 / AD 1009.","short_description":"Emulating the Umayyad caliphs who built Madinat al-Zahra, the hajib of Córdoba al-Mansur built the palatine city of Madinat al-Zahira, and he commissioned this ablutions basin for it, as stated on the inscription. Animal-shaped spouts would have emerged from the attached side pillars, of which only traces have survived.","type":"Basin, marble","holder":"National Archaeological Museum.","dates":"Hegira 377 / AD 988.","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height 68 cm, width 150 cm, depth 77 cm.","method_for_datation":"The inscription in *kufic* lettering says: '…Almanzor Abi Amir Muhammad ben Abi Amir and glory to God. \\[This was\\] ordered to be made for the royal palace of al-Zahira and was finished with the help and assistance of God under the direction of the great Amiri Fata in the year seven seventy and three hundred'. Consequently, the basin has been dated to 377 / 988.","method_for_provenance":"There are two other basins attributable to the same period and place, one of which can be found in the Alhambra Museum, Grenada, and the other in Marrakesh (Morocco). This latter was made for ‘Abd al-Malik, son of Al-Mansur. The three pieces have similar decorations of eastern origin on one of their sides.","provenance":"The missing royal palace of Madinat al-Zahira (Córdoba), Spain.","obtention":"The basin arrived at the National Archaeological Museum in stages. The two most important parts, the front and part of one of the sides, were bought on 22 November 1882. Another fragment arrived in 1923. Finally, on 30 July 1930, the last piece arrived from the Provincial Archaeological Museum of Seville.","bibliography":"Bernus-Taylor, M., ‘Les cuves’, in *Les Andalousies de Damas à Cordoue. Exposition presentée á l’Institut du monde arabe du 28 novembre 2000 à 15 avril 2001*. Paris : Hazan, 2000 : p. 133.  \n  \nEwert, C., *et al.*, “Denkmaler des Islam”, *Hispania Antiqua*, 21 (1997): 176.  \n  \nLévi-Provençal, E., *Inscriptions Arabes d'Espagne*, Paris : Larose, 1931: p.194.  \n  \nRevilla Vielva, R., *Catálogo de las Antigüedades que se Conservan en el Patio árabe del Museo Arqueológico Nacional*, Madrid: Imp. De Estanislao Maestre, 1932: p.77.  \n  \nRosser Owen, M., *Articulating the Hijjaba: Cultural Patronage and Political Legitimacy in al-Andalus. The ‘Amirid Regency c. 970-1010*, Leiden: Brill, 2021: pp. 274-282.  \n  \nTorres Balbás, L., ‘España Musulmana Hasta la Caída del Califato de Córdoba (711–1031)’, in *Historia de España, vol. 5*, Madrid: Espasa Calpe España, 1957: p.718.  \n  \nZozaya, J., ‘Antigüedades Andalusíes de los Siglos VIII al XV’, in *Guía General del Museo Arqueológico Nacional, vol. II*, Madrid: Ministerio de cultura y deporte, 1991: p.66.","author":"Margarita Sánchez Llorente","copy_editor":"Rosalía Aller","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["Basin","water","palace"],"materials":["Carved marble."]},"9bc77e5d-4437-5fe8-99a0-82dd01f0d23c":{"name":"He who Gives the Drink","description":"The artistic work entitled *He Who Gives the Drink* (1979) by the artist Mohanna Durra, which is currently on display at the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, is a prime example of Durra's unique combination of social realism and expressive modernism. The image portrays an elderly man attired in traditional Jordanian clothing, meticulously pouring a beverage (potentially water or tea) into a bowl. This unassuming, quotidian act evolves into a poignant meditation on human generosity, humility, and resilience. Durra's adept handling of light and shadow accentuates the man's weathered face and hands, lending spiritual gravity to an intimate, commonplace gesture.  \nThe warm colour scheme, characterised by ochres and browns, interspersed with soft blues, serves to evoke the arid yet luminous atmosphere of Jordan's landscape. The architectural background, which is not rendered with great precision, situates the figure within a traditional urban setting, reminiscent of the old quarters of Amman. The subdued brushstrokes and tonal gradations capture both the material texture of the scene and the emotional depth of the subject, characteristics that are indicative of Durra's mature style.  \nThis painting is indicative of the artist's sustained interest in the dignity of labour and the moral strength of ordinary people. Durra's depiction of such figures positions him within a broader movement in Middle Eastern modern art that seeks to honour local identity through everyday realism. His work *He Who Gives the Drink* engages in a profound visual dialogue on charity, endurance and the cultural ethos of giving that defines Jordanian and Arab life.","type":"Painting","holder":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts","dates":"AH 1407 / AD 1986","location":"Amman","catalogue_holding_link":"https://nationalgallery.org/artist/faik-hassan/#artwork-2","keywords":["drink","seller","man","water"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"9c040e27-f568-54de-b5a4-cbbcdf66d29c":{"name":"Gourd Growing","description":"This type of gourd, grown in Hit, Anbar Governorate, Iraq, is among a number of varieties of calabash or \"bottle gourd\" of different shapes and sizes that were historically used as multipurpose vessels, including water bottles and containers for agricultural produce including beer and wine, milk and other dairy products, honey or grains. Cut segments of these gourds could also be used to make kitchen utensils such as ladles and bowls. They have been cultivated in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas for thousands of years for similar purposes.  \n  \nWhile the same gourds can be harvested young for consumption as a vegetable, if grown as containers or utensils they are left to grow for longer and harvested when mature. After harvesting, they are dried for several months until the outer shell becomes hard. The dried gourds are usually cut at the top to make an opening through which the seeds are removed and contents added for storage.","type":"Gourd","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Culture","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1444 / AD 2023","location":"Basra","dimensions":"40cm x 30cm x 30cm","method_for_datation":"Recorded by the photographer.","provenance":"Hit, Anbar Governorate, Iraq","obtention":"Photograph taken by institution founder.","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["vessel","gourd","container","utensil.","calabash"],"materials":["drying","Cutting","Gourd"]},"9c17568a-e2ca-5524-b5ae-c2d13aa4c2ac":{"name":"The Beirut water factory","description":"Located in the suburb of Dbayeh, this factory provided the daily water supply for all of Beirut. The company was founded in 1873 and the factory was first opened in 1896. The water was taken from the Nahr al-Kalb river and distributed across a large water network.","type":"Photograph","holder":"Ministry of Water and Energy","dates":"1896","location":"Beirut","author":"Jeff El-Msanne","copy_editor":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"9fe1e828-67e2-5249-a654-e86e4a5b6c0c":{"name":"Irrigation bucket","description":"The cylindrical object features a straight mouth and pointed base, with retaining recesses located at the start of the mouth and base. The surface shows traces of hand modelling, leaving indentations on the body in the form of perimeter circumferences and on the base in parallel lines following the conical shape.  \n  \nMade of whitish porous, unglazed clay, it retains traces of *almagra* (reddish pigment) drips on both the exterior and interior. Functionally, such objects can be understood within the context of irrigation and hydraulic systems in al-Andalus. Their development enabled the introduction of new plant species, the expansion of arable land, and the diversification of the diet. These innovations changed working methods, the agricultural cycle, and the landscape.  \n  \nWaterwheels spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula. The waterwheel buckets, which were secured with ropes at the top and halfway down their cylindrical body, underwent technical improvements. These elements reflect a series of small but significant technical advances. The earliest ones, with an annular or pointed bottom, gradually were replaced by others with a perforated bottom that prevented their tilting and breakage in addition to the backward movement of the wheel.","type":"Irrigation bucket","holder":"National Archaeological Museum","initial_owner":"Unknown","dates":"Hegira 4th–5th century / AD 10th–11th century","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Length: 28.7cm, diameter: 12.2cm","method_for_datation":"Comparative study of typologies; references provided by previous owner.","method_for_provenance":"References provided by previous owner on file.","provenance":"Arcos de la Frontera, Cádiz","obtention":"The bucket was donated to the National Archaeological Museum on 1 January 1987.","bibliography":"Cara Barrionuevo, L. and Malpica Cuello, A. (coord), *II Coloquio Historia y medio Físico. Agricultura y regadío en al-Andalus*. Conference proceedings. Almería, 9–10 June 1995, Almería: Instituto de Estudios Almerienses, 1995.  \n  \nGómez Espín, J.M. and Hervás Avilés, R. M. (coord), *Patrimonio hidráulico y cultura del agua en el Mediterráneo*, Murcia: Fundación Séneca, AECID, 2012.  \n  \nPoveda Sánchez, Á., “Un estudio sobre las norias de sangre de origen andalusí: el caso de la alquiería de Benassal (Castellón)”, *Historia Agraria*, 32 (April 2004): 37-58.","author":"Helena Lahoz Kopiske","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["pigment","Ceramic"]},"a07c1b97-5ce9-5d4e-a870-1d3149e2561d":{"name":"Badi Palace.","description":"On 3 Sha'ban 986 / 4 October 1578, Ahmad al-Mansur achieved a resounding victory against the Portuguese at the Battle of Wadi al-Makhazin (also known as the Battle of Alcazarquivir / al-Qasr al-Kabir or the Three Kings), after which he was proclaimed sultan and received the title of 'Mansur' (the Victorious). Having achieved international renown, he decided to build a luxurious reception palace in the *kasbah* of Marrakesh.  \nThe work lasted 16 years and the palace was named 'Badi' (the Incomparable), one of the 99 names of Allah (moreover, *ksar l-bdi* in Moroccan Arabic means 'the porcelain palace', which could refer to the rich ceramic panels that profusely decorated the building). Montaigne, in his *Voyage en Italie*, reported that Italian craftsmen near Pisa were cutting, 'for the King of Fez in Barbary', 50 very tall marble columns which were paid for in sugar, weight for weight. And al-Ifrani reported that workmen from different countries, including in Europe, were recruited to execute the work.  \nFor three-quarters of a century, the Badi was the venue for all of the great ceremonies and parties given by the Sa'did sovereigns, and ended up with a reputation, more or less deserved, for excess and debauchery. This was the main reason why the 'Alawid king Mulay Isma'il (AH 1083–1140 / AD 1672–1727) ordered the complete destruction of the building and consequently all that remains today is a section of the 2 metre-thick outer wall, the esplanade, with remains of its pools and orchards, one of the pavilions with its columns and some decorative elements (stucco, marble, *zellij* – small tiles).  \nHowever, excavations carried out in the 20th century, the discovery of two drawings of the palace (one Portuguese and one English) and the reports of contemporary chroniclers and foreign visitors give us a reasonably precise idea of how the Badi would have been in its heyday.  \nThe palace was constructed around an enormous rectangular courtyard measuring 135 m by 110 m, including a long central pool measuring 90 m by 20 m that contained a monumental fountain and had hollows on either side planted with trees and flowers and four small rectangular basins at the ends whose ceramic mosaic paving is still visible. The east side of the palace looked out over a large garden known as 'the crystal garden'.  \nTwo pavilions measuring 15 m by 16 m were built half way along the shorter sides of the courtyard and two more measuring 23 m by 15 m in the middle of the longer sides. Truncated-pyramid towers stood in the corners of the courtyard.  \nThe pavilions were crowned with domes whose ceilings were encrusted with gold and precious *muqarnas* (honeycomb work) supported by marble columns with capitals covered with golden leaves. The floors and walls were covered with faience mosaics, the doors were made of sculpted wood and, throughout, the fountains gushed water from the mouths of lions, leopards and pythons sculpted in solid silver.","short_description":"For 75 years the Badi, destroyed under the 'Alawids, hosted all of the celebrations held by Sa'did sovereigns.  \nThe palace was built around an enormous courtyard endowed with five ceramic-tile pools and leading to large garden. Central pavilions flanked by two towers were built at the centre of each of the sides. Its decoration was extremely sumptuous, with gold-encrusted *muqarnas* (honeycomb work), Italian marble, mosaics and solid-silver fountain heads. Part of the outer wall, the esplanade with remains of the pools, one of the pavilions with its columns, and some decorative elements have survived.","dates":"Hegira 986–1002 / AD 1578–94.","location":"Marrakesh.","method_for_datation":"According to al-Ifrani, based on the poetic inscriptions that decorated the palace (now lost), work started in the month of Shawwal 986 (December 1578) and was completed in 1002 / 1594.","bibliography":"Al-Ifrani, A., *Nouzhat al-Hadi, histoire de la dynastie saadienne*, ed. and trans. O. Houdras, Paris, 1888–9, ch. XL.  \nDeverdun, G., *Marrakech des origines à 1912*, Rabat, 1959, pp.392–401.  \nMarçais, G., *L'architecture musulmane d'Occident*, Paris, 1954, pp.395–6.","patrons":"Ahmad al-Mansur al-Dhahabi (r. AH 985–1012 / AD 1578–1603).","author":"Kamal Lakhdar","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["gardens","royal residence","zellij.","marble","wood"]},"a082fcd1-6ab8-5065-913f-e8b18e48249c":{"name":"Acte habous","alternate_name":"*Waqf* deed; water endowment document","description":"This historical and religious document, dated 1952, records the donation of a tour d’eau (water turn) as a waqf—an Islamic charitable endowment. Issued in Marrakech, it reflects a long-standing tradition in Islamic societies where essential resources like land, property, or water rights are donated for the benefit of the community or religious institutions.In this case, the water right was endowed to ensure ongoing access to irrigation or domestic water use, often for a mosque, madrasa, or a public fountain (*sabil*).  \n  \nSuch donations were considered acts of piety and social responsibility, intended to bring spiritual merit to the donor while serving the collective good. The document is not only a legal record but also a cultural artefact that illustrates how water was governed as both a sacred trust and a communal asset in Moroccan society.It highlights the intricate connection between Islamic law, environmental ethics, and local governance, where water—an essential and scarce resource—was managed through deeply rooted moral and religious frameworks. This *waqf *stands as a testament to how water endowments helped structure equitable access, social cohesion, and religious devotion in everyday life.**","type":"Legal manuscript","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Religious and charitable institutions of Marrakech","dates":"AH 12th / AD 18th century (copy)","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"Folio (approx): 35cm × 25cm","place_of_production":"Marrakech","method_for_datation":"Based on palaeographic analysis and historical references.","method_for_provenance":"Museum curatorial research.","provenance":"Archival reproduction of historical waqf document","obtention":"Museum archival acquisition (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","scriber":"Traditional Islamic notary (name not preserved)","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["water endowment","Islamic law","Marrakech","waqf","Habous"],"materials":["Arabic calligraphy","Ink on paper"]},"a0a31a62-7361-5268-8ad7-1a7b0126f09d":{"name":"Alhambra vase.","description":"This piece is one of the so-called 'Alhambra vases'. Formally, all of these are similar: a large egg-shaped body and a narrow, unglazed base from which two large, flat handles emerge, and an octagonal neck reinforced with vertical mouldings.  \nThe decoration of pale gold on a white base is arranged horizontally in broad bands of different widths that are separated from one another by other smooth, narrower bands. The central, and widest, band contains vegetal motifs and an inscription in *kufic* characters in white on a golden background, in which the word 'forgiveness' is repeated several times. Both above and below the central band there are other similar bands decorated with plant arabesques and gold circles, all joined by a thread. The decoration of the main body is completed by another two bands, one on the lower part with small arches and another nearer the neck with a *kufic* inscription, now almost completely disappeared.  \nThe neck, which has eight sides separated by mouldings, is decorated with stylised vegetal motifs. The handles, attached close to the body, are decorated with the hand of Fatima (*hamsa*) on each side.  \nThe Alhambra vases constitute the most important examples of Nasrid ceramic production. These pieces became extremely well known for their delicate decoration and large size, and were exported to other places. The best-preserved examples are to be found in Palermo (Regional Museum of Sicily), St Petersburg (Hermitage), Stockholm (National Museum of Fine Arts) and Madrid (Institute of Valencia de D. Juan and the National Archaeological Museum). Some are decorated exclusively in gold and others in gold and cobalt-blue, always on a tin-glaze background.  \nAlthough its form derives from large storage vessels, its cumbersome size and the absence of any strengthening elements in the handles suggest a purely ornamental function.","short_description":"The so-called ‘Alhambra vases’ were luxury items because of the technical complexity of their manufacture and the beauty of their decoration and lustrework. The intended use is not known, but their renown led them to be exported to Sicily and Mamluk Egypt.","type":"Vase, ceramic","holder":"National Archaeological Museum.","initial_owner":"Unknown, Cristóbal Bermúdez Plata","dates":"Hegira 8th century / AD 14th century.","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height 126 cm, max. diameter 63 cm.","method_for_datation":"It is difficult to determine the date of manufacture of these vases. Nonetheless, all writers agree that, on the basis of the inscription, the oldest examples are those decorated solely with gold on white, which were produced from the last third of the 7th / 13th century and, in particular, during the 8th / 14th century.","method_for_provenance":"Although all of these pieces are known generically as the Alhambra vases, they were produced in Malaga and exported. From the 7th / 13th century, Arab writers begin to mention Malaga as a large centre for the production and export of ceramics with gold or metallic highlights.","provenance":"Malaga, Spain.","obtention":"The piece was found by chance at the beginning of the 20th century during work to shore up vaults in the monastery of Santa María de la Defensión in Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz). It was donated to the National Archaeological Museum on 29 July 1930.","bibliography":"Llubía, L. M., *Cerámica medieval española*, Barcelona: Nueva Colección Labor (2nd edition), 1973: 82–110.  \nMartínez Caviró, B., *Cerámica hispanomusulmana: andalusí y mudéjar*, Madrid: El Viso, 1991: 76–7.  \nSerrano García, C., “Los Jarrones de la Alhambra”, in *Estudios dedicados a D. Jesús Bermúdez Pareja*, Granada: Asociación Cultural de Amigos del Museo Hispanomusulmán, 1988: 127–62.  \nTorres Balbás, L., \"Arte Almohade, Arte Nazarí, Arte Mudéjar\", *Ars Hispaniae*, Vol. IV, Madrid: Plus Ultra, 1949: 217.  \nPatronato de la Alhambra y Generalife (sel.), *Los Jarrones de la Alhambra. Simbología y poder*, Madrid: Junta de Andalucía, Patronato de La Alhambra y Generalife, 2006.","author":"Margarita Sánchez Llorente","copy_editor":"Rosalía Aller","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["ceramic","Alhambra vase","Malaga","Alhambra","Nasrids"],"materials":["glazure","lustreware","Ceramic"]},"a0b18c27-d268-5654-bb42-5550a1992777":{"name":"*Tamr* (Dates)","description":"*Tamr* (dates), the nutritious fruit of the palm tree, a staple part of the diet in the region.","type":"Dates","holder":"Sharjah Heritage Museum","owner":"Sharjah Museums Authority","dates":"Hegira mid 14th century/AD mid 20th century","location":"Sharjah, United Arab Emirates","dimensions":"Varies depending on type. Length: 40mm, width: 20mm, thickness: 15mm","provenance":"Arabian Peninsula","obtention":"Purchased","author":"Amanda Snyder","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Dates"]},"a0d6aa81-6f2f-566c-a687-f570ae278a69":{"name":"Mihrişah Sultan Fountain","description":"Westernisation brought about a change of form and decoration for fountains, which contributed to the urban structure of Istanbul.","type":"Fountain; public building","dates":"Hegira 1221 / AD 1806","location":"Küçüksu, İstanbul"},"a2abf9d6-891e-59a0-9c6b-0f36d803394d":{"name":"Beaded Water Glass","description":"A massive glass made of transparent, grey-toned glass with bubbles, cylindrical shape, set on a low, round pedestal base, from Avram Petronijević's Manufacture. The walls of the glass are wrapped with a bead embroidery with floral motifs. The central decoration is a wreath pattern, displaying the Cyrillic initials \"M.C.\", with the year 1855 shown on the opposite side of the glass. The initials are those of the embroiderer, Marija Stojković (Cyrillic: Марија Стојковић) from Belgrade, with the year reflective of the time of the ornamentation. The appearance of glassware items decorated with beads was very popular in the bourgeois houses of the 19th century where women's hand-made works were highly appreciated. Several similar items with beads originating from Belgrade families, including this beaded water glass, have been preserved in the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts.","type":"Glass","holder":"Museum of Applied Art","dates":"1850s","location":"Belgrade","dimensions":"Height: 13.5cm, Diameter (upper rim): 7.9cm, Diameter (base): 7.3cm","method_for_datation":"By stylistic analysis and comparative method using other objects made in the same period in the same place.","method_for_provenance":"By stylistic analysis and documentation","provenance":"Principality of Serbia, Jagodina","obtention":"Purchased in 1963","bibliography":"Djurić, J., *Staklo u Srbiji XIX veka* (Glass in Serbia in the 19th Century), exhibition catalogue, Belgrade: Muzej primenjene umetnosti (Museum of Applied Art), 1985: 61.  \nStojanovic, D., \"Vezovi sa karakteristikama bidermajera i drugog rokokoa\" (\"Embroidery with Features of Biedermeier and the Second Rococo\"), *Zbornik Muzeja priemnjene umetnosti* (Journal of Museum of Applied Art), 13 (1969): 105-121.","workshop":"Manufacture of Avram Petronijević","author":"Biljana Crvenković","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["Craft","Beaded glass","Blown glass","Manufacture"],"materials":["Blown glass with beaded glass decoration"]},"a2b8f43a-d5fd-57c1-a88e-b1fc3a6097b2":{"name":"*Laylā visits Majnūn in the Wilderness*","description":"Majnūn, emaciated and clad only in loincloth, is seated in the wilderness under a large tree. Reclining about him are wild beasts and waterfowl along the stream. On the further bank facing Majnūn sits Laylā, four maids standing behind her. The nearer one salutes Majnūn, her hand raised to her forehead, the second carries a large peacock plume, and the third holds a scarf in her hands, while the fourth (dark-skinned), whose head only is seen, stands behind the other two. Laylā is wearing a *coli* (tight fitting bodice) and a figured skirt. On her head is a large conical-shaped *mukuta* (crown) with *sarpes* (plume). She also wears a *keyura* (armlet), and a *mala* (necklace). In the foreground, where Majnūn sits, recline a gazelle, a tiger and a lion; on the other side of the stream recline an antelope and its mate. Along the bank are herons, cranes and ducks. In the background are high rocky hills and a large river seen to the right with a heavily forested bank. Cranes fly across the sky and songbirds can be seen in the tree above Majnūn. The sky is dark.","type":"Painting","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira c. 1070 / AD c. 1660","location":"Saint Louis","dimensions":"Length: 30.5cm, width: 19.9cm","place_of_production":"India","method_for_datation":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","method_for_provenance":"Scholarly review and/or comparison to similar objects from the period.","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift of J. Lionberger Davis.","bibliography":"*The Arts of Persia: Ceramics, Textiles, Bronzes, Rugs, Jewelry, Miniatures of Persia from the 9th to the 19th Century with Selected Examples from Moslem India*, New London, Connecticut: Lyman Allyn Museum, 1955","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Opaque watercolour and gold on paper","Ink"]},"a2bff875-de56-5054-ba77-30b1b3d100cd":{"name":"*Au bord du Nil* (On the Banks of the Nile)","description":"Often called the father of modern Egyptian sculpture, Mahmoud Mokhtar united the art of his country's pharaonic past with the 20th century to convey the spirit of a newly independent Egypt. The artist aspired to create an artistic language that would reconcile contemporary Egyptian society with its cultural and historical identity.  \nThroughout his career, Mokhtar drew inspiration from scenes of everyday life in Egypt's countryside and he frequently depicted the fallaha (peasant woman). Au Bord du Nil is a life-size statue that shows a fallaha wearing a tarha (traditional Egyptian veil) and holding a balas (jug used to transport water) on her head. The fallaha was a leitmotif in the artist's output, representing Egypt and the Nile Delta as an intrinsic part of the nation. The sculpture exemplifies Mokhtar's clean, bold and angular lines, evoking the ancient priestesses who walked the Nile's banks.  \n  \n*Au Bord du Nil* sends a clear, powerful message in response to the turbulent political climate of the 1930s (AH 1348), when Egypt was under British military administration. At the time, the Egyptian people's desire to reclaim national sovereignty had grown, prompting Mokhtar to transform the fallaha into a nationalist emblem.","type":"Sculpture","holder":"MATHAF, Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"AH 1350 / AH 1931","location":"Doha","dimensions":"40.8cm × 9.6cm × 8.3cm","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["bronze","Nile","woman","water"],"materials":["Bronze"]},"a507b49f-de2b-5383-b587-8eef58a18a27":{"name":"\"Amr has the Infidels Thrown into the Sea\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khavarannama (The Book of the East) of ibn Husam al-Din","description":"This painting, with its vibrant color palette and lively action, is taken from a manuscript of the Khavarannama (Book of the East), a gathering of tales relating the adventures of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. These mostly imaginary accounts of the exploits of 'Ali and his companions against demons, dragons, and kings were composed in emulation of the great Persian poet Firdausi’s Shahnama, but have the important religious figure of 'Ali as their main protagonist.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Hassan Khan Monif, New York, until 1955]","dates":"AH ca. 881-891 / AD ca. 1476–86","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 39.8 cm, width: 28.6 cm","place_of_production":"Shiraz","obtention":"Purchased in 1955","bibliography":"Sachau, H., Ed; Ethe, ed. \"Part I: The Persian Manuscripts.\" In *Catalogue of Persian, Turkish, Hindustani, and Pushtu Manuscripts.* Oxford: Bodleian Libraries, (1889).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W., *A Descriptive Catalogue of the Persian Paintings in the Bodleain Library.*, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1958.  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"from Collections in the United States and Canada.\" In *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century.*, Venice: N. Pozza, no.47, (1962).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W., *Persian Miniature Painting : from collections in the British Isles.*, London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1967.  \n  \nHillenbrand, R., *Imperial Images in Persian Painting.*, Edinburgh: Scottish Arts Council Gallery, 1977.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed. *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.* 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451324","materials":["opaque watercolor","and gold on paper","Ink"]},"a51d8bae-57d0-5565-9480-72d8b94775ba":{"name":"'The Paths of Paradise'","description":"The miniature, which like 13/2012 and 14/2012 comes from a manuscript describing Muhammad’s mystical ascension to heaven (*miraj*), shows the Prophet and the Archangel Gabriel (*Jibril*) at the pond of al-Kawthar before one of Paradise’s richly ornamented gates. Both the ribbed domes and tiled walls are covered with rich vegetal ornamentation of various types, in keeping with contemporary architecture from Central Asia. Beside the pond are countless vessels of gold and jade and celadon-glazed ceramics from which the believer can quench his thirst after the tribulations of the Day of Judgment.  \n  \nThe Garden of Paradise itself, with its many spiritual and sensual delights, is not depicted in this beautiful painting, and no artist would probably have been able to describe it to the believer as intensely as accounts in the Koran and later writings.  \n  \nOf the museum’s seven paintings from this manuscript, the refined ‘Gates of Paradise’ is the one that most clearly points toward the artistic zenith of Timurid painting at the end of the AH 9th / AD 15th century.","type":"Folio; Miniature","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"c. AH 860 / AD 1465","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Folio: 41.2cm × 29.8cm","place_of_production":"Herat","bibliography":"Boehm, B. D. and Holcomb, M., (eds.): *Jerusalem, 1000-1400: Every people under heaven*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2016: fig. 149e, 295 and 299.  \n  \nFolsach, K., “Paradise on earth: water and the Islamic garden” in John Kuhlmann Madsen et al. (eds), *Water of life: essays from a symposium held on the occasion of Peder Mortensen's 80th birthday*, Copenhagen: Forlaget Orbis, 2016: fig. 1, pp. 184-185, 187.  \n  \nMeyer, J., *et al.*, *Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam*, Copenhagen: Strandberg Publishing, 2024: cat. 77, 224--225.  \n  \nSims, E.,“The Nahj al-Faradis of Sultan Abu Sa’id ibn Sultan Muhammad ibn Mirranshah: an illustrated Timurid ascension text of the “Interim” period”, *The Journal of the David Collection*, 4 (2014): cat. 9, fig. 27, 132--133.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Herat","Timurids","water","miniature","folio"],"materials":["pigments"]},"a56a9bf0-2b17-5702-8aa1-d72790e9ec02":{"name":"Tumbler","description":"The glass is bell-shaped and rests on a wider, cylindrical base. It is embossed with engraved motifs. The front displays the initials \"A.K.\" encircled by a garland. The opposite side and rim display a floral motif. An 1844 Austrian coin was placed inside the glass' stand.  \nIt was determined by comparison and stylistic analysis that the glass was most likely created in the first glass manufactory of the Principality of Serbia, which was owned by Avram Petronijević, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and the envoy at the Sublime Porte. At the invitation of Avram Petronijević, glassmakers came from Bohemian and Bavarian glasshouses. Considering that the manufactory operated during a very short period, from 1846 to 1852, only a small number of items can be reliably linked to its production and few have been preserved. Most items were caste or mould blown. They are distinguished by their common characteristics: a greyish tone of glass that testifies to the presence of lead, the presence of bubbles in the glass mass, and the thick walls of the object. They were heavy, but harmonious shapes, such as this very rare example that was most likely made for a particular person.","type":"Glass","holder":"Museum of Applied Art","dates":"1846–1852","location":"Belgrade","dimensions":"Height: 10.8cm, Diameter (upper rim): 7.7cm, Diameter (base): 6.5cm","method_for_datation":"By stylistic analysis and comparative method using other objects made in the same period in the same place.","method_for_provenance":"Djurić, J., *Staklo u Srbiji XIX veka* (Glass in 19th Century Serbia), exhibition catalogue, Belgade: Muzej primenjene umetnosti (Museum of Applied Art), 1985: 58","provenance":"Principality of Serbia, Jagodina","obtention":"Purchased in 1952","bibliography":"Djurić, J., *Staklo, u Srbiji XIX veka* (Glass in 19th Century Serbia), exhibition catalogue, Belgade: Muzej primenjene umetnosti (Museum of Applied Art), 1985: 58.  \nPopović, R., *Avram Petronijević: 1751-1852*, Belgrade: Freska, 2012.","workshop":"Probably Glass Manufacture of Avram Petronijevic, Serbia","author":"Biljana Crvenković","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["floral decoration","Serbia","Coin","Blown glass","Manufacture","Engraved decoration"],"materials":["colourless","blown glass with engraved decoration"]},"a5f7ac5a-c7e3-5149-8a1c-17cd76006305":{"name":"Two Chinese blue-and-white porcelain sealed ‘Zamzam’ water bottles","short_description":"Prophet was known to drink from the well and use the water for significant purposes. The most famous *hadith* (Prophetic saying) regarding Zamzam states that the water is good for whatever purpose it is intended. Thus, over time, the water has been used for many purposes: in graves, to prevent harm, to cure and in ceremonies to obtain blessings.  \nSimilar examples to these bottles are in the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul and were used during ceremonies involving the mantle of the Prophet. During these ceremonies the mantle was dipped in Zamzam water and what dripped from the cloth was then collected in bottles similar to these. Other comparable types were simply sent from Mecca to Istanbul containing Zamzam water and closed with leather, string and sealed with wax.  \nThe well is believed to have been discovered by Hagar and Ismael, after being abandoned by Abraham in Mecca. It was later rediscovered by ‘Abd al-Muttalib, Prophet Muhammad’s grandfather, who is credited with having dug several wells, most importantly that of Zamzam. From then on the responsibility of giving water to pilgrims was to remain in the lineage of one of his sons.  \nWater from the well of Zamzam was previously collected in buckets by a rope pulley mechanism and then transferred to earthenware vessels. Now the well is entirely managed subterraneously by electric pumps and the King Abdullah Zamzam Water Factory produces approximately 200,000 bottles of water a day.","type":"Bottle; Porcelain; Containter; Flask","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"19th century","location":"London","dimensions":"21.4x11.5cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance based stylistic grounds and by comparison with similar items in the Topkapi Palace Museum.","provenance":"China","bibliography":"Aydin, H., *Sacred Trusts: Pavilion of the Sacred Relics (Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul), The Fountain*, 2005.  \n*Zamzam*, in Saudi Geological Survey ([https://sgs.org.sa/English/Topics/Pages/Zamzam.aspx](https://sgs.org.sa/English/Topics/Pages/Zamzam.aspx) last accessed 08-07-2019)","author":"Qaisra Khan","keywords":["Medina","Mosque","prayer","pilgrimage","pilgrim flask","water","Ka'ba","Hijaz","blue-and-white","Religion","China","Prophet Muhammad","Mecca","Holy place"],"materials":["leather","string","Porcelain","wax"]},"a672ca3f-2b88-56b6-9ef8-4b188d9eb591":{"name":"Jug","short_description":"This jug, with its rounded body, cylindrical neck with cover and dragon-shaped handle, is one of the few surviving examples of sixteenth-century Ottoman silver. Several similar objects are currently preserved in museums and collections outside Turkey. The jug is reminiscent of the metal or jade Timurid vessels inspired by the art of the Mongol period. The differences concern not so much the shape as the various decoration techniques: whereas the Timurid metal vessels are inlaid with silver, the Ottoman wares feature hammered, engraved, and chiselled motifs. The raised decoration on the body, neck and cover is characteristic of the first half of the sixteenth century: the composition combines *rumi* (half-palmettes) arabesques and motifs of Chinese origin. This decorative repertoire, still closely linked to Timurid traditions, but likewise indebted to Balkan silver, was also typical for the Ottoman ceramics of the time. The jug was probably donated to the Monastery of Bistriţa (Vâlcea County) by a boyar or a voivode. Its exquisite workmanship testifies to the opulence and refinement of the Romanian princely courts, extensively documented, but illustrated only by a few extant objects.","type":"Metalwork","holder":"The National Museum of Art of Romania","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD first half of the 16th century","location":"Bucharest","dimensions":"Height: 12cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Ottoman Empire","obtention":"Transferred in 1948 from the National Museum Carol I in Bucharest.","bibliography":"Atıl, E., *The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent*, Washington, D.C. / New York: National Gallery of Art, 1987.  \nDunca, M., *Islamic Art at the National Museum of Art of Romania*, Bucharest: National Museum of Art of Romania, 2015: 62, no. 21.  \nNicolescu, C., *Argintăria laică şi religioasă în ţările române (sec. XIV-XIX)*, Bucharest: Muzeul de Artă al Republicii Socialiste România, 1968: 87, no. 56, fig. 41.","author":"Mircea Dunca","keywords":["Rumi"],"materials":["parcel-gilt","engraved","chiselled","Cast silver","hammered"]},"a6f7260d-ef85-59b3-b027-9c6c71d20efa":{"name":"Sprinkler","description":"A rare sprinkler made of blue glass in an articulated gilt mount, with corals.","type":"Glass","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"18th century","location":"Athens","dimensions":"Height: 18cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Istanbul","obtention":"Exchange Fund 1932","author":"Mina Moraitou","keywords":["copper alloy","Benaki Museum","Ottoman","mounted","coral","Istanbul","glass"],"materials":["coloured coral","copped alloy","mounted","glass"]},"a7ce0231-54e8-5757-928a-48c3c0b66585":{"name":"Süleymaniye waterway map.","description":"The Süleymaniye waterway map is handmade on unfinished paper. The waterway was designed to supply water to the entire complex of the mosque, including its *imaret* (soup-kitchen), *maristan* (hospital), *maktab* (school) and public fountains. Fed by the Aypah (Kirazlı) and çınar springs, the highest-capacity branches of the Halkalı water supply system, this waterway supplied the Süleymaniye Complex as well as 80 other points in Istanbul. The map shows the waterway in detail from its source all the way to its end, including the places where it is joined by other waterways, the points where it enters the city through the walls, and especially the water-distribution centres and aqueducts.  \n  \nThe map was prepared without a scale and has a schematic style. Therefore, many structures and neighbourhoods cannot be precisely placed. At the far end of the map there is the drawing of the Süleymaniye Complex.  \n  \nSuch waterway maps tell the story of water from springs being conveyed via pipes, crossing valleys in aqueducts, its pressure adjusted at certain points, being sent off in various directions at distribution centres and reaching public fountains. These maps also provide information about the urban structure; how people lived, and the infrastructure and buildings in a given quarter. For example, the Roman Aqueduct of Valens (AD 375), known as Bozdoğan Aqueduct in Turkish is introduced as 'the big aqueduct in the Horse Market'. The names of the people and the structures receiving water from this aqueduct are also given. The water of the Halkalı network could be distributed to private estates only on the written permission of the sultan. For instance, we find the house of Süleyman the Magnificent's dentist, Moshe Hamon, (AH 899–962 / AD 1490–1554) listed as 'House of Hamudoğlu'.  \n  \nFrom the Süleymaniye Complex waterway map, we learn not only how the water was brought to the city but also about the quarters where the courtiers and dignitaries resided. Therefore, the waterway maps are important for describing the social topography of the city.","short_description":"Istanbul has always suffered from water shortage due to a lack of sufficient springs nearby and its demand was met by conveying water via aqueducts from afar. Waterway maps provide information about the routes from the springs to the city, monuments on the way and the social structure of the city.","type":"Paper, ink","holder":"Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","dates":"Hegira second half of the 12th century / AD 18th century.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul.","dimensions":"Length 2572 cm, width 30 cm.","method_for_datation":"Although the map does not have a date it is clear from the names of people and structures therein that this is an 18th-century document. For example, it is known that water was supplied to Taygun Palace in 1161 / 1748, a building shown on this map; therefore, this map must have been prepared after 1161 / 1748.","method_for_provenance":"The map does not bear any date. However, that our copy is an 18th copy is clear from the names of people and structures given therein. For example, it is known that water was supplied to Taygun Palace in 1161 / 1748, a building shown on our map; therefore, this map must have been prepared after 1161 / 1748. Public services such as the water supply were under the supervision of the state and due to this fact the waterway would have been designed and constructed by the official architects of the Topkapı Palace.","provenance":"Istanbul, Turkey.","obtention":"The map was transferred to the museum in 1923 from the Directorate of Supplies for Pious Foundations.","bibliography":"Aksoy, Ş., “İstanbul'un Suyolları (Waterways of Istanbul)”, *P Dergisi (P Magazine)*, 22 (Summer 2001), pp.17–29.  \n  \nçeçen, K., *Süleymaniye Suyolları (Süleymaniye Waterways)*, Istanbul, 1986.  \n  \nçeçen, K., *Halkalı Suları (Halkalı Water Supply System)*, Istanbul, 1991.  \n  \nYerasimos, S., *Soliman le Magnifique*, Paris, 1999, cat. no. 323.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Şule Aksoy","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["water"],"materials":["Ink","Paper","coloured paints."]},"a842940f-0cc2-5088-a04d-869d51b9464b":{"name":"Pitcher, with one handle","description":"Uncovered in an unbuilt area adjacent to a cluster of five houses, this pitcher was discovered during the 2007 excavation by the Qatari-French Mission. The unconstructed space between the houses featured temporary installations, potentially serving as open-air kitchens, marked by ash and fireplaces.  \nThis jar features a single handle, a flared globular body, and a small flat base. Its body is adorned with a horizontal incised line as a decorative element. Crafted from red clay and adorned with a cream slip, the entire lower section of the body retains traces of red pigment. This kitchen vessel likely served the purpose of storing and transporting liquids.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height 33.2cm, rim diameter 8cm, base diameter 8cm","place_of_production":"Arabian Peninsula or southern Iran","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), *Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique*, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), *Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974*, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","Transportation","Jar","storage"],"materials":["Earthenware"]},"a8c174f0-6099-5aad-945f-087eadc119af":{"name":"Zawiya al-Ahmadiyya","description":"The zawiya is attributed to the shaykh Ahmad Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Muhammad Ibn Bakr, known as al-Badawi (d. AH 675 / AD 1276). He was a famous sufi who lived in Tanta, Egypt, with many followers both inside and outside the area. The foundation inscription above the entrance portal reveals that the Amir Tarantay al-Yukandar the wali of Gaza, constructed the zawiya in AH 731/ AD 1330–1331, during the reign of the Amir Tankiz al-Nasiri.  \n  \nThe zawiya consists of two main sections: the prayer hall and the lodging wing. The square-plan prayer hall lies in the southern part of the building, and its side is 8.5 m. long. A stone dome that stands on a polygonal drum, pierced by many windows for ventilation, covers the prayer hall. The mihrab is in the Mamluk style. The lodging wing consists of a large, square interior courtyard, covered with a cross vault. In the centre is an octagonal fountain, used for ablutions. The water for the fountain was supplied from the neighbouring rivulet, which also supplied water for the air-cooling system. The hall overlooks the front courtyard from the west through two pointed arches. Three rectangular vaulted iwans surround it and each overlooks the external courtyard through a doublevaulted window.","type":"Religious institution","keywords":["religious institution","Gaza","Palestine.","water"]},"a96d02ab-fea4-5e29-9dc5-16c7773c9331":{"name":"Ewer for Zamzam water","short_description":"The ewer is unsual in that the cover for the mouth and the stopper for the spout are both screw-threaded, which allows them to be securely sealed in place. This implies that their purpose was more than keeping insects and the like away form the contents; rather, they were meant to minimize evaporation, a factor which has lead to the designation of such vessels as containers for Zamzam water. The somewhat flattened sides also allowed the ewer to be carried suspended from a saddle during the journey back from hajj. An almost identical ewer in the Louvre, Paris, which was on display at the Louvre Abu Dhabi in March 2018, still retains the chain which allowed the ewer to be suspended from the two loops on its sides, and which is now missing from the Khalili ewer.","type":"Ewer; Zamzam ewer; *tombak*; gilded copper","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Hajj and the Arts of Pilgrimage Collection","dates":"AD second half of the 18th century","location":"London","dimensions":"Overall height: 33cm","method_for_datation":"Provenance and date are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Villanfray & Associés, Drouot, Paris, 21 December 2017, lot 309.","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["Medina","Mosque","prayer","pilgrimage","pilgrim flask","water","Ka'ba","Hijaz","Religion","Prophet Muhammad","Mecca","Holy place"],"materials":["chain of thick copper wire","cast and engraved decoration","piece cast","Gilded copper (tombak)"]},"a9aec9e3-3257-571d-870d-3f39027411af":{"name":"Basin","description":"Carved from a single piece of marble, the basin is rectangular in shape and shallow. One of its short sides has a semicircular recess, while its interior has a drain hole with a cover. The rim of the basin is wide and decorated with a flat frieze. The interior of the piece features bas-relief decoration. This consists of wading birds flanking intertwined fish on the long sides; on the short sides, there is a bird devouring a fish. On the outside, in addition to a perimeter moulding, there is an unfinished relief of a dromedary.  \n  \nIn this regard, the basin is part of the wider water architecture of al-Andalus. After a period of ruralisation, urban life was revived there and the ancient water supply systems were renovated and expanded. Basins, decorative fountains and irrigation channels were essential components of Andalusian spaces where gardens and architecture coexisted to create cool and relaxing atmospheres enriched by the sounds and scents of water. Within this context, the supply and display of water symbolised wealth, power, and well-being, reflecting the image of paradise.  \n  \nFrom a technical view, this basin could be a reused Visigoth cymatium, hollowed out and engraved in relief. The decoration is concentrated on the interior walls, where wading birds and fish seem to dive and jump with the flow of water and the incidence of light.","type":"Basin","holder":"Museo Arqueológico Nacional","owner":"Spanish State","initial_owner":"Private collection","dates":"AH early 4th-5th / AD 10-11th centuries","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"55cm x 40cm x 15 cm","place_of_production":"Unknown, probably province of Córdoba, Spain","method_for_datation":"Formal parallels, historical-artistic study.","method_for_provenance":"Formal parallels, historical-artistic study.","provenance":"Probably province of Córdoba","obtention":"State acquisition","bibliography":"Gómez-Moreno, M., *El arte árabe español hasta los almohades, arte mozárabe*, Madrid: Plus Ultra, 1951: 191, fig. 250, 255.  \n  \nRosser-Owen, M., *Articulating the Hijaba: Cultural patronage and Political Legitimacy in al-Andalus. The Amirid Regency c 970-1010 AD*, Leiden:. Brill, 2022: 336, fig. 161-163.  \n  \nVVAA, *Arte islámico en Granada. Propuesta para un Museo de la Alhambra*, Granada: Comares, 1995: 266.","workshop":"Visigod (Al-Andalus), probably cordovan workshops","author":"Helena Lahoz Kopiske","translator":"Dept. of Medieval Antiquities of the MAN","translation_copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Paradise","fountain","garden","reuse"],"materials":["Carved marble"]},"aa5417bd-aa61-5f36-9773-6c9fbf9885ab":{"name":"Customised Toyota Truck","description":"Almost unrecognisable, this Toyota Land Cruiser, once produced in Japan, is transformed into a decorated Pakistani truck. Fitted with a barrel, it was used for the transportation and distribution of water. The truck exhibits a large tank with a painted mural: decorative vegetal motifs of branches, leaves, and trees, along with lobed arches, ornamental oval medallions, intersecting geometric designs, architectural depictions and bird motifs such as the peacock.  \n  \nMughal traditions of embellishing carts and carriages survived as an expression of art, national identity and personal taste. Motifs, such as the peacock, religious sites like the Kaaba, and flowers and vegetation narrate the storied heritage of Pakistani truck art and their owners.","type":"Car","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"AH 1400s / AD 1980s","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 520cm, Width: 170cm, Height: 250cm","place_of_production":"Japan/Pakistan","method_for_datation":"Date and origin were established using vehicle documentation provided.","method_for_provenance":"Provenance was established through documentation of previous owners.","provenance":"Pakistan","obtention":"Auction","workshop":"Toyota","author":"Marc Martinez","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","keywords":["Special Purpose Vehicles","Pakistani Trucks","Toyota"],"materials":["painting","assembling","plastic","moulding","steel","leather","Wood","rubber","Aluminium","Paint","glass","welding"]},"ac1f2fa2-5a55-53f8-9fa5-bd7d22b5f627":{"name":"*al-Qanatir*","description":"*al-Qanatir* refers to two massive stone dams located south of al-Qastal and the town of Zizya. The word *al-qanatir* is derived from the Arabic word qanat, referring to water systems in the form of chains of wells or dams that were used to irrigate agricultural estates. These dams were used to collect and store rain water for the dry summer months. Even though the exact date of these two dams cannot be ascertained, it is more or less certain that they date back to the Umayyad period.","location":"Amman","author":"Lara Tohme","keywords":["water","hydraulic system"]},"acc57934-ae32-5e43-8f31-305447337577":{"name":"Water pumping equipment in Kağıthane, Istanbul","description":"During the 19th century, new technologies radically transformed both travel and communications. Cendere Hamidian Water Pump Station was built by Abdülhamid II in 1902 at an altitude of 34 metres above sea level. With its function, architectural design and mechanical equipment, the station is a unique monument to the history of the architecture industry in the Ottoman Empire. It pumped to Balmumcu and Beşiktaş – in the direction of Tophane, moving water coming from 20 different pipes in Kağıthane using steam pump machines.","type":"Photograph","holder":"Istanbul University, Nadir Eserler Kütüphanesi (Rare Books Library)","dates":"Beginning of the 20th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"ada30dbf-d7f6-59db-9686-df60e9f94fc9":{"name":"Blossoming almond trees.","description":"One of Portugal's most well-known legends tells of how it was that almond trees came to be part of the landscape of the southern region of the country. An Arab prince, married to a Christian from the north, noticed that his wife lived in a permanent state of melancholy, and so one day he asked her for the reason for this enduring mood. She told him that she missed the snow, frequent in the north of the Peninsula, but which rarely fell in the more southerly regions. The prince then ordered the planting of almond trees, whose blossoming at the end of the winter would create the illusion of fields covered with snow.  \nThis romantic and highly lyrical legend does nevertheless contain some basis of truth and demonstrates deep links with the Portuguese land.  \nAl-Mu'tamid, a poet and lord of the Abbadid dynasty (AH 461–84 / AD 1069–91), one day set a challenge to Ibn Amar, as they were travelling along the Guadalquivir: 'The breeze turns the river / into a coat of mail'. The response came from Itimad, a slave woman of Romaik: 'A better coat of mail cannot be found / since the river freezes it'. Impressed by the slave's beauty and by her poetic inspiration, al-Mu'tamid took her as his wife and made her queen. The family and geographical origins of Itimad were confined to helping construct the legend. Although the story told relates to the region of Seville, al-Mu'tamid was born in Beja and was a lord of Silves, having later governed a large part of the south of the Iberian Peninsula.  \nDeposed from power, al-Mu'tamid ended up living in exile in Morocco, where he died on 30 Dhu'l-Hijja 487 / 10 January 1095. Itimad lies at his side in a mausoleum in Agmat.","short_description":"Towards the end of the winter, the landscape of the Algarve is marked by blossoming almond trees. Legend has it that they were planted by an Arab prince in homage to his beloved, who came from the north, in order to create the illusion of snow, which is rare in the south. The legend is based on the romance between the Abbadid prince Al-Mu‘tamid and the slave girl Itimad. Impressed by her beauty and poetic inspiration, Al-Mu‘tamid married her and made her queen. Itimad’s geographical and family background helped to create the legend.","dates":"From the earliest Muslim presence in the region.","location":"Southern Portugal","method_for_datation":"Through oral tradition.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PT_EN_001","author":"Isabel Cristina Ferreira Fernandes","translator":"Gilla Evans","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["almond trees","Southern Portugal","al-Mu'tamid","traditions","Legend","landscape"]},"ada80603-3bb0-5613-bff0-989bc6936a22":{"name":"Calligraphy","description":"This composition features the Qur’anic declaration:  \nArabic: وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ  \nTransliteration: *Ve cealnâ mine’l-mâ’i kulle şey’in hayy*  \nEnglish: “And We created every living thing from water.”  \nRenowned calligrapher Hasan Çelebi presents the verse with his characteristic mastery of classical Ottoman *sülüs* and *nesih* forms. The sweeping curves and disciplined strokes create a rhythmic visual structure that mirrors the verse’s theme: the emergence and vitality of life through water.  \nThe work’s balanced layout and refined linework reflect the artist’s dedication to traditional aesthetics, while the verse’s universal message invites viewers to contemplate the sacred origins of life and the sustaining role of water in the natural world.","type":"Calligraphy","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 1430 / AD 2009","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 74cm, width: 94cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["verse","water","Qur'an","calligraphy"],"materials":["Calligraphy on marbled paper"]},"ae5a92a8-98ae-588a-a771-9a2c3a38eb09":{"name":"*Al Rahaa* (Millstone)","description":"*Al Rahaa* (millstone) is used to grind grains, such as wheat and barley to make flour. Grain is fed between the two stones through the central hole. The top stone is turned using the handle and this action crushes the grain.","type":"Millstone","holder":"Sharjah Heritage Museum","owner":"Sharjah Museums Authority","dates":"Hegira mid 14th century / AD mid 20th century","location":"Sharjah, United Arab Emirates","dimensions":"Height: 425mm, Ddiameter: 345mm, Tthickness: 140mm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Arabian Peninsula","obtention":"Purchased","author":"Amanda Snyder","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["flour","barley","grains","wheat","millstone","grind"],"materials":["Stone","Wood"]},"aea9b65b-d732-5c4b-ab3b-e64e9ba4e216":{"name":"Dhu’l-Nun Prays for Rain for the Egyptians","alternate_name":"Folio from the Manuscript of Kulliyat (Collected Works) of Sa`di","description":"This is the seventh painting to appear in the Bustan, and it is marked as page 124 in the manuscript. It represents the story of Dhu’l-Nun, an Egyptian mystic who died in 861 CE.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Aga Khan Museum","dates":"AH ca. 1012 / AD ca. 1604","location":"Toronto","dimensions":"Height: 41,8cm, width: 26,2cm","place_of_production":"Agra, India","bibliography":"Welch, A. and S. C. Welch, *Arts of the Islamic Book*, Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1982.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Princes, Poets and Paladins: Islamic and Indian Paintings from the Collection of Prince and Princess Sadruddin Aga Khan* , London: British Museum Press, 1998.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.agakhanmuseum.org/collection/artifact/dhul-nun-prays-for-rain-for-the-egyptians-akm284.9","keywords":["Bustan","rain","pray","Mughal","Sadi","works-on-paper","India","work-on-paper","painting","water","Persian","Iran","Sa‘di","mystic","folio","Egyptian"],"materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"af93fac1-5782-5f52-9b88-3b5082b80012":{"name":"Automata","short_description":"Folio from *The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices* by Isma\\`il ibn ar-Razzaz al-Jazari, illustrating the water-powered mechanism for a \"perpetual flute\", the text in elegant *naskhi* script; signed by the calligrapher Farrukh ibn \\`Abd al-Latif.","type":"Scientific manuscript, miniature","holder":"Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah","dates":"Hegira end of Ramadan 715 / AD end of Dicember 1315","location":"Kuwait City","provenance":"Syria; Iraq","keywords":["engineering","science","Artuqid","naskhi script","inscription","scientific manuscript","calligraphy"]},"afa75823-03d1-5b8b-9466-52bd507fdea6":{"name":"*al-azīzi falaj* log","description":"This manuscript, completed in February 1891 CE by the skilled Omani scribe Rabiʿah bin Majid bin Suleiman al-Kindi, offers a vivid glimpse into the life and rhythms of Seiq Town, in the Jabal Bani Riyam range of al-Jabal al-Akhdar (ad-Dakhiliyah Governorate). Written in a clear and confident hand, it records the intricate water-sharing system of the ʿFalaj al-ʿAzīzī, a vital lifeline for the community.  \n  \nUnlike most *falaj* logs in Oman, this copy replaces common distribution units with the ṭāsah, a pierced copper vessel whose draining time measured each turn of irrigation. Within its pages are the names of landowners, gardens, mosques, and endowments, each evoking the people and places that shaped this mountain community. Sixty-two irrigation cycles, alternating between day and night, are marked with care, the beginnings signalled by graceful elongated letters.  \n  \nIts final section sets out the rules for calculating the *falaj*’s rotation, preserving the knowledge and order on which the community’s survival depended, a timeless record of both master engineering skills and human cooperation.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 8 Rajab 1308 / AD 16 February 1891","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Length: 58cm, width: 32cm","place_of_production":"Seiq Town, al-Jabal al-Akhdar (ad-Dakhiliyah)","provenance":"Moved from Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman (now Ministry of Heritage and Tourism)","obtention":"Moved from Ministry of Heritage and Culture, Oman (now Ministry of Heritage and Tourism).","scriber":"Sheikh Rabi’ah bin Majid bin Suleiman al-Kindi","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Ink on paper"]},"aff8cde7-1f94-523b-b92a-5dd0a0feaca4":{"name":"*Hajj Day*","description":"Abdulhalim Radwi often evoked his hometown of Mecca, emphasising the importance of the Ka’ba as a source of universal energy and a religious symbol.  \nIn Hajj Day, the Ka’ba is surrounded by a central circle around which various elements of the composition revolve. The artist manipulates perspective so that near and far elements converge and intersect around the Ka’ba. Facial features are absent, and the artist has stripped the city of Mecca of all detail except for the main elements - the Ka’ba, the overlapping mountains and the pilgrims coming for the Hajj.  \n  \nIn contrast to his colourful scenes, Radwi removes the vibrant colours in this work, opting for a monochrome palette to emphasise the unity of the elements under this universal energy. In his series depicting Mecca, the artist emphasises the importance of Mecca as a place of peace, where there is no difference between people, who are all there for the same reason regardless of their cultures or social status.  \n  \nRadwi often uses Arabic words and letterforms in his artwork, including religious expressions such as Allah; *bismillah*, or 'in the name of God'; *and la illah ila Allah*, or 'there is no god but God'), as well as other Arabic expressions. This demonstrates Radwi's commitment to incorporating an Arab and Muslim identity into his work. In addition, his continued use of visual symbols such as crescents and other motifs underlines the importance of these symbols as signs of cultural heritage.","type":"Painting","holder":"MATHAF, Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"AH 1408 / AD 1987","location":"Doha","dimensions":"104.4cm x 104.4cm x 4cm","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["hajj","Zamzam","day","Mecca","Zam Zam"],"materials":["Oil paint","Wood","cotton"]},"b00aafcf-8e21-51f7-9183-e6c70742dd92":{"name":"Glass bottle","description":"This small green blown-glass bottle was discovered during the 2003 excavation of the city of al Zubarah. It dates from the AH 12th–13th century / AD 18th to 19th centuries.  \n  \nDue to its small size, this container was used to store perfume or precious oils and was probably manufactured in the Levant","type":"Bottle","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH 12th–13th century / AD 18th–19th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 5.5cm, rim diameter: 3.5cm","place_of_production":"India","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Qatar","obtention":"Archaeology Department, Qatar Museums.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["glassblowing"]},"b01b60d5-e457-5cea-b280-e145d44183d1":{"name":"*Haal* (Cardamom)","description":"*Haal* (Cardamom) used to flavour the coffee.  \nCoffee is always served at the beginning of a visit and is repeatedly offered until guests politely signal that they have had enough by rocking their cup from side to side. In order to keep coffee hot and fresh for unexpected guests it goes through many stages. After roasting and grinding the coffee beans the grains are added to boiling water inside a large *dallah* (coffee pot) called a *khamra*. Next, the liquid is poured into a medium-sized coffee pot called a *taljeemah*. At this stage cardamom seeds, saffron and rose water may be added for flavour. From this jug, the coffee is poured into a serving *dallah* referred to as a mezallah, where the coffee is refined and filtered. The server must hold the mezallah with their left hand and distribute the *fanayeel* (coffee cups) using the right hand. The coffee should fill less than half of the cup.**","type":"Cardamom","holder":"Sharjah Heritage Museum","owner":"Sharjah Museums Authority","dates":"Hegira mid 14th century / AD mid 20th century","location":"Sharjah, United Arab Emirates","dimensions":"Varies and depends on the piece. Length: 15mm, width: 5mm","provenance":"Arabian Peninsula","obtention":"Purchased","author":"Amanda Snyder","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["cardamom","coffee"]},"b0b32448-07f0-5aaa-8b81-cade08d4c6f4":{"name":"Fountain and *sabil* of Ahmed III.","description":"The Fountain of Ahmed III is located between the Bab-ı Hümayun (the Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace) and Ayasofya Museum. It is a square structure with a *sabil* in each corner. In the centre is an octagonal water tank encircled by a corridor.  \nIn the centre of each façade there is a fountain crowned with a pointed arch and flanked with a niche crowned with *muqarnas* on both sides. On the rear side, the niches are replaced with two doorways providing access to the *sabils.*  \nEach of the semi-circular corner *sabil*s has a low wall-surround of about one meter; the walls support four columns connected to each other with multifoil arches. The arches in between the columns are closed off by metal latticework. The walls that continue above the latticework are also semi-circular.  \nThe entire structure has a timber roof protruding in wide eaves. Plated with lead, the roof is crowned with five domes, a large one in the centre and four smaller ones above the *sabil*s. These timber domes rise on octagonal drums. The domes are also plated with lead and crowned with gilded bronze standards. The decorative schema is evidently based on *horror vacui*. The marble facades are entirely decorated with various motifs from both Turkish and European art.  \nOn the façades, the horizontal bands of *muqarnas*,arabesquesand palmettes as well as the foliate compositions around the fountains are noteworthy. Flowers in a vase executed in low-relief are found on both the façades and the lower walls of the *sabil*s. The use of decorative tiles and calligraphic script, together with the tulip motifs on the latticework, are also exceptional. The wide, timber eaves have decorative woodwork. The upper sections of the façades are decorated with compositions of coffers, while above the corner *sabil*s are various floral and fruit compositions.  \nMany fountains and *sabil*s were built in the so-called 'Tulip Era' (AH 1130–42 / AD 1718–30), when the Westernisation period of Ottoman art began. Fountains, which up until this period had been placed on walls or in courtyards, now started to be built as independent structures. As new elements in the city's silhouette, such fountains and *sabil*s are seen as the first structures to reveal the foreign influence on Ottoman architecture. The most monumental of the square fountains, the Fountain and *Sabil* of Ahmed III with its design and decorative programme is an important structure revealing the transition from the Classical Ottoman period to that of Westernisation period.","short_description":"Ottoman fountains built in public squares, of which the Fountain of Ahmed is an important example, assumed a monumental character in the AH 12th / AD 18th century. On each of the four corners is a *sabil* (water-dispensary kiosk) and in the centre of each of the four sides is a fountain. Located in front of the Imperial Gate of Topkapı Palace, it is an important example of the so-called Tulip Era with its wide eaves and rich decoration.","dates":"Hegira 1141 / AD 1729.","location":"Sultanahmet, Istanbul","method_for_datation":"The inscription on the fountain itself and on the *sabil*s is a *qasidah* by Seyyid Vehbi. It is inferred from this inscription that the structure was built on the suggestion of Damat Ibrahim Pasha of Nevşehir, the grand *vizier*, in AH 1141/ AD 1729. The couplet giving the date was composed by Sultan Ahmed III himself. A document dated to Ramadan 1141 (April 1729) provides evidence that there was a demand for local pure white, veinless marble from Marmara Island, indicating that the structure had not yet been completed by this date.","bibliography":"Eyice, S., “Ahmed III çeşmesi”, *Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı İslâm Ansiklopedisi \\[Encyclopedia of Islam by the Religious Affairs Foundation of Turkey\\]*, Vol. 2, 1989, p.9.  \nKumbaracılar, İ., *İstanbul Sebilleri \\[Sabils of Istanbul\\]*, Istanbul, 1938, p.8.  \nTanışık, İ. H., *İstanbul Çeşmeleri I \\[Fountains of Istanbul I\\]*, Istanbul, 1943.","patrons":"Sultan Ahmed III (AH 1115–42/ AD 1703–30).","architects":"The name of the architect is unknown, but it is inferred that the structure was built during the time when the head-architect at the Topkapı Palace was Mehmed Agha of Kayseri, who also gilded the alems (standards) and latticework of this Fountain.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"İnci Kuyulu Ersoy","translator":"Barry Wood","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["sabil","fountain","vegetal decoration","Water architecture","calligraphy"]},"b2223947-ef0b-51d1-93ae-384d3496e7ab":{"name":"Hornos vase","alternate_name":"'Alhambra vase'","description":"Pear-shaped vase with a narrow base decorated with six rings. It has a tall, faceted, flared neck, a wide, protruding rim, and wing handles. The decoration combines gold and cobalt on a cream ground, forming segments of blue listels on the main body which are filled with vegetal compositions based on palms, palmettes, and pines. This vertical partition is repeated on the neck where, over two friezes framed in blue and decorated in reserve over a gold ground, salient edges are added. The first of the friezes features a cursive calligraphic inscription; the second, interlaces. The wing handles also feature small-scale vegetal decoration, overlaid with palmette scrolls. Reflecting the splendour of the Nasrid courts, the so-called Alhambra vases were considered luxury items. They were frequently mentioned as gifts and praised in the chronicles of Medieval travellers. These vases were manufactured in specialised workshops using complex lusterware techniques in gold and cobalt blue; they often included short poems of the fajr genre, or boastful style, reflecting on the object's beauty, contents, and use. Specifically, as translated by Eduardo Saavedra in 1875, the inscription around the neck of the Vase of Hornos praises the value of water: \"Every fountain springs forth, resembling the most perfect stream, and increases abundant kindness and excellent joys. And it affirms the memory of happiness and poverty that faded away morning and evening with the fortune of time.\"","type":"Vase","holder":"National Archaeological Museum","owner":"Spanish state","initial_owner":"Private collection","dates":"AH 8th - 9th / AD 14th-15th century","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"height: 134cm, diameter: 60cm","place_of_production":"Málaga","method_for_datation":"Formal parallels, historical-artistic study.","method_for_provenance":"Formal parallels, historical-artistic study.","provenance":"Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, Hornos (province of Jaén, Spain)","obtention":"Unearthed during plowing, the vase was moved to the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, where it served as holy water stoup. First acquired by V. Juan y Amat, then deposited at the Valencia Institute of Don Juan. Later purchased by the Spanish State for the National Archaeological Museum.","bibliography":"Coll Conesa, J., 'Técnica, áulica y distinción social en la cerámica medieval', *Anales de la Historia del Arte*, 24 (2015): 69-97.  \n  \nFernández Puertas, A., 'Lustreware', *Cuadernos de la Alhambra*, 53 (2024): 255-279.  \n  \nFranco Mata, Á., 'Jarrón de Hornos', in *Los Jarrones de la Alhambra: simbología y poder*, Madrid: Ediciones El Viso, 2006: 146-149.  \n  \nMarinetto Sánchez, P., “Jarrón nazarí de Hornos”, in *Corona y arqueología en el siglo de las Luces*, Madrid: Patrimonio Nacional, 2010: 296-297.  \n  \nPuerta Vílchez, J. M., *La cerámica nazarí en clave epigráfica y poética*, Granada: Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife, 2024: 142, fig. 8.","workshop":"Málaga","author":"Helena Lahoz Kopiske","translator":"Dept. of Medieval Antiquities of the MAN","translation_copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["poetry","Lustre ware","Fajr","Luxury"],"materials":["modelling","Clay","pigments","Glazing","Lustre","Glaze"]},"b2ae47d0-404c-5df9-b57d-fd46c3ad1864":{"name":"Folio from a Mu'nis al-ahrar fi daqa'iq al-ash'ar of Jajarmi","alternate_name":"(The Free Man's Companion to the Subtleties of Poems)","description":"This page from an anthology of Persian poetry illustrates a poem about the moon entering the houses of the twelve zodiac signs. In the three scenes illustrated here, the moon is shown visiting the Sagittarius, depicted as an archer who shoots an arrow against his own dragonlike tail, Capricorn, and finally the planet Saturn (the water carrier, or Aquarius) lifting a bucket from a well.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ, until 1956","dates":"AH 741 / AD 1341","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 16,8cm; width: 23,2cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Bequest from Cora Timken Burnett in 1956","bibliography":"Dimand, M. S. \"New York, October 9 through January 7, 1933–1934.\" In *A Guide to an Exhibition of Islamic Miniature Painting and Book Illumination.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1933.  \n  \nDimand, M. S. \"Islamic Miniature Painting and Book Illumination.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. XXVIII, no. 10.  \n  \nAckerman, P., \"The Iranian Institute, New York.\" In *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art.*, 2nd. ed. New York: Iranian Institute, 1940.  \n  \nDimand, M. S. \"New Accessions of Islamic Art.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 16 (April 1958).  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"from Collections in the United States and Canada.\" In *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century.*, Venice: N. Pozza, 1962.  \n  \nWelch, S. C., *The Islamic World.*, vol. 11. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1987.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., S. Carboni, T. Masuya, and A. H. Morton., *Illustrated Poetry and Epic Images : Persian Painting of the 1330s and 1340s.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1994.  \n  \nRossabi, M., C. Melville, J. C. Y. Watt, T. Masuya, S. Blair, R. Hillenbrand, L. Komaroff, S. Carboni, S. Bertelan, and J. Hirx., *The Legacy of Genghis Khan: Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia, 1256–1353* , New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451404","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"b2e397c6-490b-55a7-9d8c-c7b2478e307e":{"name":"Metal ewer with decorated handle","description":"A metal ewer with a swollen, rounded body and a short conical neck. The handle is decoratively shaped and more elaborate than earlier forms. The surface shows corrosion with traces of patina.  \nThis ewer was known as *Rafīq al-Jumʿah* (The Friday Companion), as it was used specifically on Friday mornings. The men of the household would gather around it to perform ablution one after another, and the sound of water striking the metal would rise like a purifying melody, restoring clarity to the soul before they engaged with the world. These ewers were always placed in elevated spots, as people believed that vessels used for ablution were not merely tools, but honoured hosts for water that would touch the body before reaching the heart.","type":"Ewer","holder":"Department of Antiquities","dates":"AH 6th - 9th / AD 12th–15th century AD","location":"Amman","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["bronze","Mamluk","ewer","water"]},"b338f0aa-7763-5cb1-95e1-558ff691b64d":{"name":"Bowl","short_description":"This round-bottomed brass bowl with bulging sides was raised from a single sheet of brass and was finished by turning and polishing. Its engraved designs have been thickly inlaid with silver. Used for washing, it would have been proffered at arms’ length by a servant while another servant poured scented water from a similarly decorated jug or ewer over the hands of the bowl’s owner or guest. From that distance, the detail of the decoration as well as the Arabic inscription running around the exterior of the bowl could be appreciated. The fish within the bowl would have appeared to wriggle and swim as the water splashed over them.","type":"Bowl","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"1293–1341","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"Height: 9cm, Diameter: 20cm","provenance":"Egypt or Syria","obtention":"Purchased at auction","author":"Alessandra Cirelli","keywords":["bowl","Engraved","brass","inscription","roundel","silver"],"materials":["engraved and inlaid with silver","brass"]},"b35cbc07-d87d-5f89-b803-e7930fc1b57b":{"name":"*Sabil* of Sultan Qaytbay.","description":"The *sabil*, which is approximately 13 m high, consists of three sections. The first section is the square base, the walls of which open up to high windows in three directions, and a door that leads inside the *sabil* and opens out on to the fourth, east-facing direction. In each corner of the structure there is a pillar that is supported by the base and ends with a *muqarnas* capital with hewn-out decoration. The second section of the *sabil* edifice is the middle section comprising the drum of the dome, and the zone of transition between the base and the dome. At the corners of the drum, small piers are erected which are pyramidal in shape and facilitate the transition from the high square of the base to an octagonal, and then into a 12-sided polygon. The third section of the building is the high stone dome which is decorated with distinctive arabesque ornamentation. This dome is considered to be a unique example of Egyptian Mamluk architecture outside Cairo. The courses of the *sabil* were built of alternating red and yellow stone, known as *ablaq*. At the top of the building there is a carved inscription band that includes verses from the Qur'an and which holds a foundation inscription written in prominent Mamluk *naskhi* script.  \nThe architectural and decorative elements of this *sabil* were inspired principally by Egyptian building traditions which predominated during the Mamluk period. The Sabil of Qaytbay is considered to be one of the most famous and grandiose *sabil*s built in Jerusalem, and is also seen as one of the most exquisite small-domed buildings in the region of the Haram al-Sharif. The edifice is a good example of late Mamluk architecture in general, and of the architectural style that dominated in Cairo in particular. The *sabil*, which is still replenished, continues to provide visitors to the Haram al-Sharif with fresh water.","short_description":"The decorative and architectural elements of this *sabil* (public fountain) was inspired principally by Egyptian building traditions. The building has a square ground plan (4.80 m x 4.60 m) and it towers about 13 m from the ground. It is surmounted by a very high stone dome which is decorated in the arabesque style. Each of its facades contains a large window. Scattered throughout the building are inscriptions, which are primarily Qur’anic verses in addition to the foundation inscription. This *sabil* is considered to be one of the most famous and beautiful of the many *sabil*s in Jerusalem.","dates":"Built in AH 887 / AD 1482, then renovated in AH 1300 / AD 1882–3.","location":"Jerusalem","method_for_datation":"The building is dated by an inscription band which goes around the top of the all four sides of the facade. The date is further verified by the writing of the historian, Mujir al-Din al-Hanbali (d. 928 / 1521) who describes the works of Sultan Qaytbay in Jerusalem.","bibliography":"Burgoyne. M., *Mamluk Jerusalem: An Architectural Study*, London, 1987.  \nAl-Hanbali, Mujir al-Din, (d. 927 / 1520), *Al-Uns al-Jalil fi Tarikh al-Quds wa al-Khalil \\[The Significant Ambiance in the History of Jerusalem and Hebron\\]*, Amman, 1973.  \nKessler, C., and Burgoyne, M., “The Fountain of Sultan Qaytbay in the Sacred Precinct of Jerusalem”, in R. Moorey and P. Parr (eds), *Archaeology in the Levant: Essays for Kathleen Kenyon,* Warminster, 1978, pp.250–69.  \nWalls, A., “Ottoman Restorations to the Sabils and the Madrasa of Qaytbay in Jerusalem”, *Muqarnas*, No. 10, 1993, pp.85–97.  \n  \n*Pilgrimage, Sciences and Sufism: Islamic Art in the West Bank and Gaza*, pp.83–6.","patrons":"Sultan Sayf al-Din Inal (r. AH 857–65 / AD 1453–61) founded the *sabil* where the Sabil of Qaytbay is located today; nothing remains of this original Sabil of Inal. Then Sultan al-Ashraf Qaytbay (r. AH 872–901 / AD 1468–96) completely renovated the structure and made it an extension to his neighbouring Madrasa al-Ashrafiyya. The Sabil of Qaytbay was renovated by the Ottoman Sultan ‘Abd al-Hamid II (Adülhamid II, r. AH 1293–1327 / AD 1876–1909).","architects":"It is probable that the same team of engineers, architects and builders constructed both the Madrasa al-Ashrafiyya and the Sabil of Qaytbay, and that they were sent by Sultan Qaytbay from Egypt to Jerusalem to execute the work.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PA_EN_001; IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Yusuf al-Natsheh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["sabil","water fountain","naskhi script","Mamluk naskhi script"]},"b381524f-09dd-5a75-8920-d87af44e1cd5":{"name":"Public fountains.","description":"Al-Djazaïr and its *fahs* (rural surroundings) possessed a large number of fountains. Their number, for the walled town, varied from seven according to Haëdo in the AH 10th / AD 16th century, to 125 according to the knight of Arvieux in 1674–5, and to 'seventy-three as recorded in 1840' (S. Missoum, *Alger à l'époque ottomane* – see Bibliography). A large number of these fountains were built during the AH 12th / AD 18th century by *deys*.  \nBenefactors were responsible for the creation of these fountains. Attached to each one, on a plaque of marble or shale, in Arabic or Ottoman Turkish, is an inscription extolling the merits of the benefactor. Under the auspices of a *k**hudjat al-'uyun* – a sort of 'fountains secretary' – an administrative body was responsible for managing the *habus* (estate donations) that were collected on behalf of these fountains.  \nOne of these fountains, known as the fountain 'de la Calle aux Vins', has ended up on an exterior wall of the present National Museum of Antiquities and Islamic Art. Built by the *dey* Husayn in AH 1235 / AD 1820 outside Bab al-Djazira (Gate of the Island', also referred to as Gate of the Holy War) and below the battery of al-Andalus, it was moved for the first time in 1867 to 'underneath the stairway of the present bastion of the Gate of France' (undated report on the proposition of making an endowment to the state; but the agreement on the endowment is dated 13 May 1905). Then it was moved a second time to the Park of Liberty (formerly Gallant Park), to be placed against the wall of the Department of Antiquities, where, in correspondence dated 27 May 1968, it is the subject of an account of the maintenance work carried out by the chief architect of historic monuments.","short_description":"The town of Al-Djazaïr had a number of public fountains, most of which were built during the AH 12th / AD 18th century by the Ottoman *deys*. These fountains bore, on a marble or slate plaque, the names of the benefactors who commissioned them and were managed by an body under the aegis of the 'fountains secretary'. In AH 1235 / AD 1820, *dey* Husayn had a fountain built outside Bab al-Djazira, the gateway that bears an inscription in his honour.","dates":"Hegira 1235 / AD 1820.","location":"Algiers","method_for_datation":"Through an inscription in Arabic and Osmanli: 'Everything lives through water. The governor of Algiers along with his sultan, who is Husayn Pasha, incessantly strives, with virtuous intentions, to accomplish good deeds. His bounty attempts above all to bring running water in sufficient quantities to all places. It is he who commissioned the building of this fountain. He gives life to him that is thirsty and deprived, in this place that lacks water. Drink fresh water thanks to the generosity of Husayn and his love. Year 1235 [1820].'","bibliography":"Belhamissi M., *Alger par les eaux XVIe–XIXe*, Algiers, 2004.  \nMissoum, S., *Alger à l'époque ottomane*, Aix-en-Provence; Algiers, 2003.  \nNational Archaeological and Historic Monuments Agency, Archives, notably the report on endowments to the state, undated.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Ali Lafer","copy_editor":"Margot Cortez","translator":"Maria Vlotides","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["fountain","water"]},"b3b30c50-746b-58e7-9d2b-8bf0e782271e":{"name":"Tiraz Textile","short_description":"This linen textile with its regal purple inscription naming the Fatimid caliph al-Mustansir has lost much of it original length due to its use as a burial shroud. However, it preserves almost its full width, spanned by the decorative inscription band. Known as a “*tiraz*” textile, it is unusually wide and was perhaps a shawl. The term “*tiraz*” actually means “embroidery,” but came to denote an inscription band as one sees on these textiles and on anything else, including architecture. Most of the medieval textiles discovered in excavations in Egypt had been used as burial shrouds and have suffered similar deterioration. Only those that found their way into European church treasuries are well preserved and give us an idea of how the full garment appeared. *Tiraz* textiles, despite their Arabic inscriptions, were highly valued in Europe as relics of the Holy Land and appear as the costumes of Christ and the Virgin in Italian Renaissance paintings.","type":"Textile","holder":"Aga Khan Museum","dates":"Second half of 11th century","location":"Toronto, Ontario","dimensions":"82 x 57cm","provenance":"Egypt","obtention":"Purchased at auction","author":"Alessandra Cirelli","keywords":["tiraz","tabby","linen","textile","woven","tiraz-textile","linen-textile","inscription","Tapestry"],"materials":["and blue silk","with purple","Linen tabby","and undyed linen tapestry-woven inscription","yellow"]},"b5c0e36b-46e4-5ee6-b561-8e69e064e0cc":{"name":"Fountain","description":"Most Islamic gardens – including those in India – are very formal, with geometrically organised beds, paths, and irrigation channels. Fountains might stand in strategic places. The fountains that have been preserved are often made of marble, but there must have been many made of bronze, like this one, that were melted down later for other purposes.  \n  \nThe fountain’s elegant form, which looks mostly like a stylised, open lotus with everted, pointed petals, is found in various forms in architecture and decorative art from the Deccan. The demon-like head that spewed water into the fountain is of Hindu origin, like many other creatures found in Indo-Islamic art.","type":"Fountain","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH 1st half of 11 / AD 1st half of 17th century","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Height: 45cm; Diameter: 91cm","place_of_production":"Deccan (India)","bibliography":"Folsach, K., “Paradise on earth: water and the Islamic garden” in John Kuhlmann Madsen et al. (eds), *Water of life: essays from a symposium held on the occasion of Peder Mortensen's 80th birthday*, Copenhagen: Forlaget Orbis, 2016: 193, fig. 7.  \n  \nFolsach, K., *Flora islamica: plantemotiver i islamisk kunst*, Copenhagen: David Collection, 2013: cat.no. 6.  \n  \nHaidar, N.M. and Sardar, M., *Sultans of Deccan India, 1500-1700: opulence and fantasy*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015: cat.no. 126.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["bronze","fountain","India","water","Mughals","Deccan"],"materials":["Cast and engraved bronze"]},"b64a1bbb-e3ff-5209-9c78-7304ea9b3d7d":{"name":"Water Well","description":"This powerful and emotional drawing reflects everyday life, community and endurance. The artist uses a limited colour palette of dark, soft tones to create a haunting atmosphere. At the centre, a group of women stand close together around a dark well, while a solitary figure stands apart, carrying heavy containers. The scene is both quiet and heavy, conveying the physical and emotional weight of their daily labour.  \nThe well itself becomes more than just a source of water; it also symbolises life, connection and memory. The women's bent figures and joined forms suggest unity and cooperation, as if they rely on one another for strength and survival. Their faces are not clearly visible, giving the image a universal quality and turning the women into symbols of resilience and shared struggle rather than individuals.  \nThe artist’s use of shading and blurred lines gives the drawing a dreamlike and timeless quality, as if the moment exists in both the past and the present. The open space and faint background add to the sense of isolation and endurance in a harsh environment.  \nOverall, *Water Well* powerfully and poetically captures the intersection of women’s labour, community and survival. The simple composition and muted tones draw attention to the emotional depth of the scene, reflecting not only daily life in rural Jordan, but also providing a broader commentary on strength and perseverance.","type":"Drawing / Painting","holder":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts","dates":"AH 1396 / AD 1976","location":"Amman","catalogue_holding_link":"https://nationalgallery.org/artist/mohammed-abu-zreiq/#artwork-16","keywords":["Well","watercolor","water","art"],"materials":["watercolour"]},"b705e8a3-17fc-5217-8640-d86017b77c66":{"name":"Zamzam Water Bottle","description":"This simple, circular Zamzam bottle has been constructed from copper-alloy sheet and decorated with hammered and incised decoration. A very narrow cylindrical neck gives access to the body of the vessel, and a chain secured to its shoulder allows it to be carried. Every pilgrim to the Holy City of Makkah will make a point of drinking and collecting water from the sacred well of Zamzam, located near the Ka’bah within the precinct of the Holy Mosque at Makkah al Mukarramah. Its never ceasing flow is considered a miracle, and its properties are believed to aid good health and wellbeing. To this day, pilgrims to Makkah make a point of taking as much Zamzam water as they can back with them, not least to distribute it to loved ones and treasured friends in order to allow them to partake in the water's beneficial properties.","type":"Metal Bottle","holder":"Sharjah Heritage Museum / Sharjah Museums Authority","dates":"Hegira late 13th – early 14th century / AD late 19th – early 20th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Sharjah Emirate","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"b8b74d6c-8bd5-5f15-9490-e1dfa1ca07b9":{"name":"\"Firdausi's Parable of the Ship of Shi'ism\"","alternate_name":"Folio 18v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp","description":"In the introduction to the Shahnama, God launched seventy ships, bearing adherents to the religions of mankind, into a stormy sea. Clearly depicted on the central ship are the Prophet and his son‑in‑law and successor 'Ali sitting beneath the red canopy, while 'Ali’s sons, Hasan and Husain, stand nearby. Details such as the inlaid stars and figures with very small elliptical pupils are characteristic of works attributed to Mirza 'Ali, the son of the master painter Sultan Muhammad.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Shah Tahmasp, Iran (until AH 975 / AD 1568); Sultan Selim II, Turkey (from AH 975 / AD 1568); Sultan Selim III, Turkey (by AH 1214 / AD 1800); Baron Edmond James de Rothschild, France (by 1903); his son, Baron Maurice de Rothschild; France and Switzerland (from 1934); his son, Baron Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild, Paris and Switzerland(1957–59); Stiebel Ltd., New York, in 1959; Arthur A. Houghton Jr., New York","dates":"AH ca. 937-42 / AD ca. 1530-35","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: height: 31.7 cm, width: 22.7 cm; Page: height: 47 cm, width: 31.8 cm","place_of_production":"Tabriz","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Gift from Arthur A. Houghton Jr. in 1970","bibliography":"Migeon, G., \"Exposition des Arts Musulmans au Musee des Arts Decoratifs.\" *Les Arts* no. 16 (1903).  \n  \nWelch, S. C., *A King's Book of Kings: the Shah-nameh of Shah Tahmasp.* , New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M, and M. Jenkins-Madina., *Notable Acquisitions 1965–1975* (1975).  \n  \nWelch, S. C., S. R. Canby, and N. M. Titley. \"Masterpieces of Early Safavid Painting, 1501–1576.\" *In Wonders of the Age.* , Cambridge, MA: Fogg Museum, Harvard Art Museums, no. 7, (1979).  \n  \nDickson, M., and S. C. Welch., *The Houghton Shahnameh.* Vol. vols. I & II. Cambridge, Mass. and London, England: Harvard University Press, 1981.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Persian Painting.*, London: British Museum Press, 1993.  \n  \nGruber, C., \"The Prophet Muhammad in Islamic Texts and Images.\" In *The Praiseworthy One.*, Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 2018.  \n  \nKomaroff, L, ed. \"The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art.\" In *In the Fields of Empty Days.*, Los Angeles, CA,. no. 83, (2018).  \n  \nBahari, E., and A. Schimmel., *Bihzad, Master of Persian Painting.*, London, New York: I.B.Tauris Publishers, 1996.  \n  \nMelville, C., ed. *Safavid Persia : The History and Politics of an Islamic Society.*, Pembroke Persian papers. London - New York: I. B. Tauris, 1996.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp : The Persian Book of Kings.*, Madrid, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed. *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.* , 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nRüstem, Ü., \"The Afterlife of a Royal Gift: The Ottoman Inserts of the Shahnama-i Shahi.\" in *Muqarnas*, vol. 29 (2012).  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp : The Persian Book of Kings.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014.  \n  \nBlair, S. S., and J. Bloom. *By the Pen and What they Write.* New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2015.  \n  \n\"Inscriptions on Architecture in Early Safavid Paintings of the Metropolitan Museum.\" *Metropolitan Museum Journal* vol. 53 (2018).  \n  \nKhafipour, H., ed. \"Source Studies of the Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Literate Communities.\" In *The Empires of the Near East and India.*, New York: Columbia University Press, 2019.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/452110","materials":["Silver","and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"b8c3263e-bcad-57f1-85f6-7e684aea8d52":{"name":"Cistern.","description":"A water tank or cistern, circular in cross-section, almost 20 m deep (the depth reached with cleaning and excavation, but thought to be much greater) and 3 m in diameter at the mouth. As 2 to 3 metres of water can always be seen it is possible that the construction is linked to phreatic (underground) waters.  \nIt is a very rare work of hydraulics, built of local stone – Silves red sandstone – giving it a high quality of construction. Architecturally it is a fine example of technical craftsmanship and functionality: a vaulted spiral staircase descends alongside it for 16 metres in a gallery to the lower level.  \nThe entire staircase, consisting of four flights, is roofed by a magnificent segmented tunnel vault. Three windows, with semi-circular-shaped vaults, form the link between the gallery of the staircase and the well, allowing access to the water at the different levels of filling, and also provide the gallery with ventilation and natural light.  \nThis monument was built at the end of the AH 6th / AD 12th century or the beginning of the AH 7th / AD 13th century, close to the inner surface of the wall which runs around the *medina* (town) and which was rebuilt at the same time. In this area the wall is wider and has a watchtower built against the outside.  \nUndoubtedly these three structures (wall, watchtower and cistern), built at the same time, functioned as a defensive, structural and architectural whole.  \nThe function of this monumental cistern was probably to supply water to most of the lower part of the town, namely the *hammam* (public baths) which was very close, some 100 m away.  \nThe cistern was filled in with earth and rubbish and its function abandoned with the arrival of the Christians at the end of the AH 7th / AD 13th century. It was only rediscovered in 1979, when reconstruction and repaving work was begun in that area. The archaeological excavations which followed brought to light not only the magnificent structure itself but also an extraordinary haul of ceramics, with pieces dating from the AH 3rd–4th / AD 9th–10th centuries to the AH 11th / AD 17th century, now on display in the Silves Municipal Archaeology Museum.  \nThe cistern is today part of the Silves Municipal Archaeology Museum, where it plays a central role, with the whole permanent exhibition arranged around it.  \nThis unique example of a cistern linked to phreatic waters has been classified as a National Monument since 1990.","short_description":"This Almohad water tank or cistern was fed from the Silves water table. A vaulted spiral staircase descends into a gallery to a depth of 16 metres. The entire four-flight staircase is covered by a segmented barrel vault. Three windows with semi-circular vaults link the stairwell to the well, giving access to the water as well as naturally lighting and ventilating the gallery. The cistern is now the centrepiece of the Municipal Museum of Archaeology around which the other exhibits are arranged.","dates":"Hegira second half of 6th–first half of 7th century / AD second half of 12th–first half of 13th century.","location":"Silves., Faro.","method_for_datation":"From the style, construction and architecture of the structure. There are documentary records of the existence of a cistern close to the *hammam*.","bibliography":"Gomes, R. V., *Palácio Almóada da Alcáçova de Silves*, Lisbon, 2001, p.228.  \nGomes, R. V., *Silves (Xelb), Uma Cidade do Gharb Al-Andalus, Arqueologia e História (Séculos VIII–XIII)*,Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1999.  \n*Portugal Islâmico: os últimos Sinais do Mediterrâneo,* Lisbon, 1998, p.102.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PT_EN_001","author":"Maria da Conceição Amaral","translator":"Gilla Evans","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["Cistern","water"]},"ba9458ca-e9a9-5014-8d50-0e60dc64f20d":{"name":"Bath basin","description":"It is a round copper bath basin, with a floral motif at the center.","type":"Basin","holder":"Edirne Museum Directorate","dates":"AH 13th / AD 19th century","location":"Edirne","dimensions":"Diameter: 20.5cm","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","Copper","water","bath","bassin"],"materials":["forged","incised","copper"]},"bab7404e-f6da-51e5-bfe3-7f236f4ef2b2":{"name":"*Wadi el-Tuffah*","description":"In this image, a Palestinian lady uses a traditional spinning wheel for cotton. 19th-century Palestine became an increasingly viable, agricultural producer of cotton, whose importance on the world market was steadily increasing. Mainly supplying European countries  Palestine's cotton became a key commodity. 6% of its cultivated land was given up for its production. Throughout the 1860s, concerted efforts were made to meet the ever growing demand, but as early as the 1870s, the industry, which was merely based on expanded cultivation rather than industrialisation, declined again.This print originally appeared on page 192 in Charles William Wilson's  'Pituresque Palestine, Sinai and Egypt, published between 1881 and 1884. The caption reads: ''Wady et Tuffah, commonly called the vale of Eshcol. The peasants grouped in the foreground are under the southern branches of Abraham's oak. In the distance the minaret of the great mosque of Sheikh Ali Bakka, Hebron, may be distinguished'.","type":"Coloured wood engraving","holder":"Sharjah Art Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Published 1881–1884","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Published in New York","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"bb6ff3f2-34bc-53a8-ab51-b32bd5e8a3c1":{"name":"*Al Loz* (Indian Almond tree, *Terminalia catappa*)","description":"These colourful trees produce edible fruit and nuts. Extracts from the tree have been used for dying clothes and for medicinal purposes.","type":"Almond","holder":"Sharjah Heritage Museum","owner":"Sharjah Museums Authority","dates":"early 21st century","location":"Sharjah, United Arab Emirates","dimensions":"Varies and depends on the leaf. Length: 90mm, width: 35mm","provenance":"Arabian Peninsula","obtention":"Field collection","author":"Amanda Snyder","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["almond","almond tree"],"materials":["Leaves"]},"bb7952b6-4d91-5465-865c-1ced864ef922":{"name":"Painted wall-hanging: The Day of Judgement (*Ruz-e mahshar*)","short_description":"A painted wall-hanging depicts the *Day of Judgement* from a Shi'ite perspective in Isfahan. The main theme is the reward given in paradise to the martyrs who fell at Kerbala on 10 October 680, corresponding to the Islamic date 10 Muharram 61, and the agonies of their enemies on Judgement Day. Elements of Christian iconography are present. There is the trumpeting angel who blows into the bugle at the Last Judgement; the receiving of the arisen into heaven; the two angels who attend to the weighing scale of the souls; the chosen ones who await their entry into paradise; the blood witnesses who in advance enjoy the delights of paradise; and finally those of different faiths and traitors, who, already condemned, stand before the infernal ground. There are also new elements: the prophet of Islam is now an established, important figure, and Christ, the judge of the world, assumes the part of a precursor-prophet.","type":"Textile","holder":"Weltmuseum Wien","dates":"Late 19th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"H: 350cm, W: 370cm","method_for_datation":"Entry in the general inventory and archival documents.","method_for_provenance":"Entry in the general inventory book.","provenance":"Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Catalog entry: \"Purchased from Saeed Motamed, Frankfurt am Main, 1958.\"","bibliography":"Steinmann, Axel, \"The Day of Judgement, Ruz-e mahshar\", in Christian Schicklgruber (ed), *Weltmuseum Wien, exhibition catalogue*, Vienna: Weltmuseum Wien, 2017: 268-269.","materials":["cotton","pigment"]},"bb8218af-c329-56aa-9fd9-9570b638e2b2":{"name":"Sickle (*mikhlab*)","description":"The sickle is a tool that has been employed worldwide for its utility: it is a manual agricultural tool that consists of a curved blade that is usually used for harvesting grain crops or cutting weeds used to feed livestock.","type":"Sickle (*mikhlab*)","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height: 3.5cm, length: 52cm, width: 3.5cm","place_of_production":"Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition","obtention":"Local acquisition.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Wood and iron"]},"bc1be694-23e7-57dc-8d0e-5dd013cff796":{"name":"Bath scraper or pumice stone","description":"This object has been associated with a series of bath scrapers and pumice stones attributed to AH 5th-6th / 11th-12th century Middle East. They are characterised by an animal shape or motif made from a coarse material.  \n  \nThis model represents a rodent or a hedgehog recognisable by its long ears and the spines on its back. The bottom of the piece is incised with a grid that would have accentuated its abrasive quality. Deliberately left unglazed and unrefined, such scrapers were used during hamam rituals to exfoliate and purify the skin.  \n  \nThis bath scraper could be considered an early version of the traditional exfoliating washcloth (ar. *kessa* , tr. *kese*), an emblematic item from the hamam. It is also plausible that they coexisted, given that the *kessa* was made from natural perishable material that would have disappeared in places where ceramic has survived.","type":"Bath scraper or pumice stone","holder":"Institute of the Arab World","dates":"AH 6th / AD 12th century","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Length: 11.4cm","method_for_datation":"Comparison with similar items.","method_for_provenance":"Comparison with similar items.","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Gift, 2023","bibliography":"Peteet, J., *The Hamam through Time and Space* , New York: Syracuse University Press, 2024.  \n  \nRugiadi, M., ‘Bathing and the Hammam’, in *Court and Cosmos. The Great Age of the Seljuqs*, New Haven and London: Yale University, 2016: pp. 107-108.","author":"Dounia Handis","keywords":["ceramic","bath scraper","pumice stone","water","Ablution","Iran"],"materials":["Unglazed ceramic with molded and incised overlay decoration"]},"bc56c1b8-5b80-5a3a-abc0-afb363057dab":{"name":"Flask","description":"A rectangular-shaped flask with rounded shoulders, featuring a central round mouth with protrusions and a lid attached to a metal ring. On one side is a short, slightly upturned spout. Two metal rings hold a leather strap for easy carrying. The body is decorated with horizontal incised lines.","type":"Flask","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"AH 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Width: 19.5cm, Length: 29cm","provenance":"Hijaz","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["leather","container","water","wood"],"materials":["copper","casting and hammering"]},"bca1f6e5-4534-5831-b044-f283753ceae7":{"name":"Calligraphy","description":"This verse, from Surah Al-Insān (76:21), describes a symbolic moment of divine generosity in Islamic tradition. The phrase, ‘\"And their Lord will give them a pure drink (*wa saqāhum rabbuhum sharāban ṭahūrā*)\" evokes spiritual purification and ultimate reward. In Islamic theology, this \"pure drink\" is often interpreted as a metaphor for inner peace, moral elevation, and closeness to the divine granted to the righteous in the hereafter.","type":"Calligraphy","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 1430 / AD 2009","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 75cm, width: 94cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece.","obtention":"Purchased.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["verse","Türkiye","water","Qur'an","Purity","calligraphy","Surah"],"materials":["Calligraphy on paper"]},"bcc67bdc-c7be-5340-9052-eebc133a1ba7":{"name":"Prayer Book","description":"This small prayer book, or du'anama, belongs to a corpus of illustrated devotional texts produced in the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Unlike most prayer books created at the time, this one contains twenty-nine drawings of traditional Islamic themes and subjects, which are outlined in gold and filled with prayers in ghubar naskh, an especially fine or \"dust-like\" variety of the naskh script. These include representations of the Ka'ba, the footprints (kadem) of the Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of Solomon, the bifurcated sword of 'Ali (zu'l fiqar), Noah's Ark, the lamp of the Prophet, the trumpet of the Archangel Israfil, and the cave from the story of the Seven Sleepers in the Qur'an, among others. The manuscript is signed and dated by the calligrapher, a prominent mid-eighteenth-century master known for his calligrams and pictorial calligraphic compositions, such as the galleon with inscriptions referring to the story of the Seven Sleepers also in the Metropolitan's collection (2003.241). It also contains collectors' stamps dating to the first half of the nineteenth century. The leather binding is decorated with stamped and gilded medallions within a simple border. Prayer manuals enjoyed wide popularity in the Ottoman Empire in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a time of political reform and religious revivalism. Used for individual prayer, they also served as mediational devices to protect, comfort, and heal their owners.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[ Art market, Nairobi, Kenya, until 1973]; Steve Cammann, Philadelphia (until 2013); [ Bauman Rare Books, New York, (until 2013)","dates":"AH 1180 / AD 1766","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 15.2 cm, width: 10.2 cm","place_of_production":"Turkey","provenance":"Kenya","obtention":"Gift from The Friends of Islamic Art Gifts in 2014","bibliography":"James Cummins Bookseller. *Catalogue 120, Fall Arrivals.* New York, no. 43, (2013)  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., *How to Read Islamic Calligraphy.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.  \n  \n\"Including Fine Rugs and Carpets, London, 1 May, 2019.\" In *Art of the Islamic World.*, London: Sotheby's, no. 43, (2019)","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/629452","materials":["Manuscript: ink","Opaque watercolour","and gold on paper Binding: leather and gold"]},"bd080ceb-df24-529b-aa77-9281fae6f262":{"name":"Bahr el Khabeer or the Great Sea (rock-cut cistern under the site of Solomon’s Temple)","description":"\"Bahr el Khabeer\", or \"The Great Sea\", is the largest cistern cut into the Haram al Sharif, supplying water to those using the Noble Sanctuary. A man holding a staff gestures towards a bucket being lowered into the cistern from a square access hole in the roof above. A second man and a boy watch from the sidelines.","type":"Original watercolour","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Bought by Walter Morrison in 1872","dates":"AH 1287 / AD 1870","location":"London","dimensions":"36 x 54cm","place_of_production":"London","method_for_datation":"Watercolour is dated 1870 and signed by the artist","method_for_provenance":"PEF records","provenance":"London","obtention":"Donated to the PEF by Walter Morrison, 1872","bibliography":"Warren, C.,*Underground Jerusalem*, London: John Murray, 1876.","workshop":"William Simpson, London","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["William Simpson","Cistern","Haram Al Sharif","watercolour"],"materials":["Watercolour and pencil on paper. Created in the studio from a pencil and ink sketch made on site."]},"be67f016-2a91-567e-bfb3-ab20f22a18de":{"name":"Noria at the Mohammed VI Museum for the Civilisation of Water in Morocco","type":"Architectural feature","dates":"This reconstructed noria is displayed in the museum to highlight traditional urban water engineering. As a functional exhibit, it demonstrates historical methods of lifting and distributing water and engages visitors directly. In doing so, it illustrates how water infrastructure has shaped urban life while connecting engineering, public education and cultural heritage in a modern museum context.","location":"Marrakech"},"bf3bbec5-16fa-5c53-92d5-f939cdb22f28":{"name":"Water-Scoop","description":"This is the only precisely dated Ottoman silver object of the AH 10th / AD 16th century. The exterior of the bowl bears an inscription in a rounded script with careful pointing, engraved and inlaid with a black composition. The inscription begins with the *basmalah* followed by a quote from the surah *al-Anbiya’* (XXI), verse 30, ‘and \\[we made\\] from water every living thing’, and the date, AH 985, in figures.  \n  \nThe tubular handle, with a band of semi-precious stones set in collar-mounts, is constructed in sections and terminates in a knob with a ring set in a polyhedron.","type":"Metalwork","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AH 985 / AD 1577–8","location":"London","dimensions":"28.6cm  x 16.6cm","place_of_production":"Türkiye","method_for_datation":"Dated AH 985 (AD 1577–8)","bibliography":"Petsopoulos, Y., *Tulips, Arabesques and Turbans. Decorative Arts from the Ottoman Empire*, London: Alexandria Press,1882: n.23; pp.44, 54.  \n  \nRogers, J.M., *Empire of the Sultans. Ottoman Art from the Khalili Collection, exhibition catalogue*, London: Alexandria VA, 2002: n.25, pp.185, 187.  \n  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no.346; pp. 292–3.  \n  \nSpink, M., *Brasses, Bronze and Silver of the Islamic Lands, Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art*, volume XI, part three, London: The Nour Foundation and Azimuth Editions, London, 2022: cat. 592; pp. 924-5.","author":"Qaisra Khan","keywords":["Ottomans","water","metalwork","water-scoop"],"materials":["with traces of spinning and gilding","Silver sheet","semi-precious stones","inlay in black"]},"bfe37257-aff0-5289-b8c5-59ecbe78ace2":{"name":"Yıldız Palace Greenhouse Kiosk","description":"The palace has an inner garden which is called “Hasbahce” with a pool inside resembling a natural creek. In different points of this garden there are small independent resort kiosks.  \nIn the Palace garden winter gardens and greenhouses were constructed for growing plants appropriate for the natural topography. Some greenhouses had unique designs where then-fashionable iron and glass elements were expertly used and it is known some of them had been heated. Especially the Limonluk Köşkü, designed by Raimondo D’Aronco and found just behing the Harem Gate is one of the most distinguished structures in the Palace.\n\nYildiz Palace, which is the last architectural example of Turkish Ottoman palace, is located on the Yildiz hill in the district of Beşiktaş. Sultan Ahmed I was the first to build a pavilion, over this land registered at the time to the Private treasury of the Ottoman Sultan as a hunting place sultans beginning during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566).  \nThe main construction in the palace started in the period of Sultan Abdulhamid II (1876-1909) and it was called Saray-i Humayun (Central palace). During this period the palace comprised of buildings for private use of the sultan as well as buildings, allocated for the officials, repair shops and carpentry like repairing shop, carpenter’s shop and the buildings of culture and art such as theatre, museum and library. The Palace begun to serve as a museum under the name of \"Directorate of the Museum of Yildiz Palace\" since 1993.","holder":"Yıldız Palace Museum","dates":"1876–1909","location":"Istanbul","architects":"Raimondo D'Aronco (1857, Gemona – 1932, San Remo)"},"bff32db0-47a0-5fc9-88e2-12d073ff5354":{"name":"Ewer and Basin Set","description":"This set is comprised of three elements: an ewer, a basin, and a lid strainer. They are made of cast brass, and the surface is coated with nickel, thereby creating a gold and silver appearance.  \nThe ewer has a pear-shaped body, a slender neck with ring moulding, a curved spout and a handle, and is topped with a domed lid bearing a tall finial. All surfaces of the ewer are decorated with ornamental bands, engraved with leaves and stylised floral motifs.  \nThe circular basin is deep, with a flaring rim and a perforated decorative edge. It is ornamented in the same manner as the ewer. The lid is perforated and features a raised circular central section, which serves as a stand for the ewer.  \nThese types of sets were very popular and widely used for ritual ablutions, as well as for washing hands between meals. Some examples were distinguished by the refinement of their decoration or the preciousness of the material, and thus served not only a practical but also a decorative function in everyday life.","type":"Metalwork","holder":"Museum of Applied Art","owner":"Museum of Applied Art, Belgrade","dates":"AH early 14th century / AD early 20th century","location":"Belgrade","dimensions":"Ewer height: 35cm; Basin diameter: 32cm","method_for_datation":"By stylistic and comparative analysis with related material.","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence.","obtention":"Purchased in 1953.","bibliography":"Karamehmedović, M. A., *Umjetnička obrada metala*, Sarajevo: Veselin Masleša, 1980: 447.","author":"Mila Gajić","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["ewer and basin","brass","metalwork"],"materials":["Engraving","Casting","brass","nickel"]},"bff5b327-dd8c-55ac-a7f0-49d5bbc62548":{"name":"*Works for the opening of the Corinth Canal*","description":"The Corinth Canal under constuction, circa 1885. Photographer unknown.  \nThe Corinth Canal separates the Peloponnesian peninsula from the Greek. The idea of the canal was revived after Greece gained independence but soon abandoned due to economical reasons. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 gave an new impetus and the following year, the Zaimis government passed a law authorising the construction of the canal, which was formally inaugurated on 23 April 1882. Zaimis assigned the project to the Hungarian István Türr who set up the Société Internationale du Canal Maritime de Corinthe but the company failed and the project was finished by the company of Andeas Syngros. The canal was designed by the Hungarian engineer Béla Gerster with the assistance of the French Vincent Dauzants, a chief engineer of the Suez canal.","type":"Photograph","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"c. 1885","location":"Athens","author":"Maria Dimitriadou"},"c030f281-39a4-5826-98d8-b68d6a9cb3a7":{"name":"Basin of al-Malik an Nāsir","description":"The large basin is circular in section and rests on a flat base. The walls taper towards the flared rim with projecting lips. The interior and exterior surfaces are entirely incised and feature thuluth inscriptions on a background decorated with vegetal and floral elements, including peonia, leaves, and birds in flight. Three large polylobed medallions decorated with peonies and rosettes interrupt the thuluth inscription.  \nThe basin, along with other Islamic objects, entered museum collections thanks to King Ferdinand I of Bourbon's purchase in 1817 of the eighteenth-century collection of Cardinal Stefano Borgia (1731-1804).  \nThanks to his position as secretary of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, Cardinal Borgia collected a diverse array of artistic material through Catholic missions around the world, evidence of distant and exotic cultures, which reflects his erudite and encyclopaedic interest in the history of civilizations, of which this collection of Islamic objects is a part.  \n  \nInscriptions in thuluth:  \nOuter wall: Glory to our lord Sultan al-Malik/al-Nasir, helper of the world and religion, Muhammad ibn/al-Malik al-Mansur ibn \\[sic\\] Qalawun al-Salihi  \n  \nInner border: Glory to our lord Sultan al-Malik al-Na-/sir, helper of the world and religion, slayer of unbelievers and poly/theists, Muhammad ibn Qalwun al-Salihi, may his victories be glorious","type":"Basin","holder":"Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte","initial_owner":"Collezione Borgia (until 1817)","dates":"AH 709 - 741 / AD 1310-1341","location":"Naples","dimensions":"Height: 21,6cm, diameter top:  50,5cm, diameter base:39 cm","place_of_production":"Syria or Egypt","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1817","bibliography":"Scerrato, U., *Arte islamica a Napoli: Opere delle raccolte pubbliche napoletane* , Naples: Istituto Universitario Orientale, 1967.  \n  \nMartino, L., *La collezione Borgia. Curiosità e tesori da ogni parte del mondo*, Milan: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, 2001.  \n  \n*Islam e Firenze. Arte e collezionismo dai Medici al Novecento*, Florence: Giunti, 2018.  \n  \nVanoli, A., *Acqua, Islam e arte. Goccia a goccia dal cielo cade la vita*, Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2019.","keywords":["Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte","Basin","collezione borgia"],"materials":["Brass inlaid with silver and gold"]},"c0d80368-9101-5330-9c94-206d3ccd6cb3":{"name":"Umm al-Walid.","description":"The site of Umm al-Walid, situated 14 km southeast of Madaba, consists of an agglomeration of buildings which include both large and small structures, a late Roman temple, mausoleum, cisterns and barrages. In the Umayyad period, during the first half of the AH 2nd / AD 8th century, a large settlement sprang up on an area extending 400 m north to south, and 300 m, east to west. On the eastern periphery a *qasr* (palace) and a small mosque were built.  \nThe *qasr* is a square enclosure, measuring 70 m on each side. It has round buttresses at each of its corners and three-half round ones on the sides between them, except on the east side, which has only two. The walls are carefully built of local limestone and also include some embossed blocks apparently taken from earlier buildings. The entrance, set in between two quarter-round towers in the middle of the eastern side, opens onto a passageway which has stone benches, with armrests, along its sides. The entrance passageway leads into a paved courtyard measuring 33 m sq. Excavations have revealed that a portico ran all around this courtyard, and behind it ran low walls that separated the apartments from the central courtyard.  \nThe low walls enclose five narrow rectangular courts, and behind them are five self-contained residential units (*bayt*s). At the corners of the portico are narrow rooms each provided with a latrine. In addition to the pottery and steatite vessels, two incense burners with spherical covers, jugs and bowls, all in bronze, were recovered from the southeastern room. Also notable is a monolithic lintel decorated in plaster relief depicting a panther chasing a gazelle that was found in the northwestern room.  \nSome 60 m to the east of the *qasr* is a small mosque measuring 14 m x 10.30 m; it has two doors, one in the northern and one in the eastern side, the latter leading to a walled enclosure with stone benches along its western side.  \nThe interior of the mosque, which shows two phases of construction, is divided into three aisles by two arcades of three arches, each running parallel to the south (*qibla*) wall. In the middle of the *qibla* wall is a projecting concave niche (*mihrab*), which indicates the direction of prayer. It should be noted that the Umayyad settlement at Umm al-Walid was implanted in the middle of a predominantly Christian area, and without peaceful coexistence and close cooperation with neighbouring Christian communities in Madaba, Nitl and Umm al-Rasas, the Umayyad settlement could not have existed; it was in need of local markets to supply the sustenance required for the community. In other words, Umm al-Walid tells a story of integration rather than an attempt on the part of the Umayyads to live separately from the rest of the community.","short_description":"Umm al-Walid lies 14 km southeast of Madaba. It includes a late Roman temple, a mausoleum, cisterns and barrages. During the first half of the AH 2nd / AD 8th century, a large settlement was built with a small mosque and a qasr (palace), where a substantial collection of pottery, steatite and bronze vessels was found. The Umayyad settlement at Umm al-Walid was implanted in the middle of a Christian area, and had close co-operation with neighbouring Christian communities. It tells a story of integration rather than an attempt by the Umayyads to live separately from the rest of the community.","dates":"Hegira, first half of the 2nd century / AD third quarter of the 8th century.","location":"Umm al-Walid","method_for_datation":"Archaeological excavations at the site; material remains, especially pottery and steatite vessels, indicate a date of the Umayyad period.","bibliography":"Bujard, J., and Schweizer, F., *Entre Byzance et l\\`Islam: Umm er-Rasas et Umm el-Walid. Fouilles genevoises en Jordanie*, Geneva, 1992, pp.11–32  \nBujard, J., “Umm al-Walid et Khan Ez-Zabib: Cinq Qusur Omeyyades et leurs Mosquées revisités”, *Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan*, XLI, 1997, pp.351–73.  \nHaldimann, M. A., “Les Implantations Omeyyades dans la Balqa: l'Apport d'Umm el-Walid”, *Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan*, XXXVI, 1992, pp.302–23.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_JO_EN_001","author":"Ghazi Bisheh","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Mosque","mihrab","bayt","cultural integration","Qasr","qibla"]},"c12a5f6b-f5a7-56b3-a7ab-764076a23016":{"name":"Base of globular waterpipe (hookah)","description":"This globular hookah base has a short cylindrical neck that flares at the top.  Plant and floral decorations are distributed on the body and separated vertically by cords in relief. At its base, the neck is marke by two rings: the first has a triangular section and the latter - decorated with a chevron pattern - has a cylindrical section. The upper part of the neck is decorated by arches filled with ornamental plant motifs.","type":"Hookah","holder":"Museum of Civilisations","owner":"Italian State","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century, first half","location":"Rome","dimensions":"Height: 16.4cm, diameter at the bottom: 16.5cm","place_of_production":"South India (Bidar?)","method_for_datation":"Stylistic and formal analysis.","obtention":"Purchased.","bibliography":"Di Flumeri Vatielli, G., \"Metalli - Archeologia islamica in Afghanistan - Ghazni\", Arte dell’Islam, ed. by Torre, P., Di Flumeri Vatielli, G. and Jung, M., Città di Castello, 2010, p.45, fig.46.  \n  \nDi Flumeri Vatielli, G., \"Due basi di pipa ad acqua (huqqa)\", Odissee. Diaspore, invasioni, migrazioni, viaggi e pellegrinaggi, exhibition catalogue (Turin, 16th November 2017 - 19th February 2018), ed. by Curto, G., Novara, 2017, entry no. 8, p. 63.  \n  \nDi Flumeri Vatielli, G. and Giunta, R., I metalli islamici. La collezione del Museo delle Civiltà Museo d’Arte Orientale “Giuseppe Tucci”, Roma, 2022, p. 88.","author":"Maria Toscano","keywords":["Metals","Plant decoration.","Waterpipe"],"materials":["Brass inlaid with silver"]},"c13e07a9-25e9-500c-a2eb-4f7568251a1e":{"name":"Qajar Carpet -Hunting Scene","short_description":"The pictorial carpets of Qajar Iran illustrate royals and famous people in various scenarios. This Persian Kashan wool rug displays a hunting scene with a portrait of a king or a nobleman sitting on a chair embellished with crowns, drinking and holding a copper ewer in his other hand, and a wide variety of animals and plants. The phoenix above the nobleman, a popular creature in Persian mythology, represents immortality. Hunting dogs symbolize honour and glory, while the gazelle symbolizes innocence. The imagery of water is significant, denoting purity and the source of life, and in which the fish embody undying love. The cypress tree signifies Persian perseverance and pride.","type":"Carpet; rug","holder":"FBQ Museum","owner":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani","dates":"19th century","location":"Shahaniya","dimensions":"Length: 245cm, Height: 150cm","method_for_datation":"Date and origin were derived from material, colour, pattern and knot examination.","method_for_provenance":"Date and origin were derived from material, colour, pattern and knot examination.","provenance":"Iran, Kashan","obtention":"Auction","bibliography":"Ahmadi, R.,\"Symbolism in Persian Rugs\",*Manuscripta Orientalia*, 3 : 1 (1997): 62-64.  \nNikandish, B., Askari, S., and Chitsazian, A., \"Symbology of Bird Motifs in Persian and Indian Carpets\", *Peykareh*, 7 : 14 (2019): 33-51.  \nRouhina, M., and Ahmad Panah, S. A., \"The Motif of Cedar Tree in Qajar and Safavid Rugs\", *Peykareh*, 7 : 13 (2018): 17-35.  \nSharbatian, Y., and Bagheri, R., \"Anthropological Study of Kerman Carpet Symbols, Shapes, and Designs\", *American International Journal of Social Science Research*, 7 : 1 (2021): 15-29.  \nVandshoari, A., and Ebrahimi, A. N., \"Epic and Myth in Pictorial Carpets of Qajar Era in Iran\", *Art-Sanat*, 5 (2016): 103-118.","author":"Sarah Schroeder","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["rug","hunting","Kashan","carpet","Qajar","Portrait","Iran"],"materials":["wool","Senneh knot"]},"c2d89824-82fc-5b0b-b842-57fa1d2f9bf8":{"name":"Ceramic boat model","description":"This is one of many clay models of flat-bottomed boats with vertical sides found at Ur, of varying shapes and sizes. It is among several examples that bear a resemblance to the *isbiya* barge (see item 2024.8.2 in the collection of the Open Museum Initiative for Water Culture), particularly in the lip protruding from the bottom edge of the boat. This feature is called *leffa* in Hit, where *isbiyas* were traditionally made, and is unique to the *isbiya*.","type":"Model","holder":"Basra Museum of Civilisation","owner":"Basra Museum","dates":"2500 AC","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Approx. 10cm x 5cm x 5cm","provenance":"Royal Cemetery of Ur, Iraq","obtention":"Transferred to Basra Museum from the Iraq Museum by Ministry of Culture. Originally excavated from the Royal Cemetery of Ur by Sir Leonard Woolley, 1920s.","author":"Ali Tahir Mousawi","keywords":["ceramic","model","Ur","boat","Sumerian"],"materials":["Clay","fired"]},"c30fb9aa-8248-5b4a-84f5-a4be2f553315":{"name":"Oasis of Madkhal Meski","description":"The subject of this image is 'The Blue Source' in the oasis of (Madkhal) Meski, near Er-Rachidia, in Morocco, distinguished by its expansive body of water encompassed by palm trees. This oasis is a paradigm of the urban landscape in desert regions, where water functions as a nexus for communities and urban life. It is enveloped by residential dwellings and commercial establishments.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private collection","owner":"Private collection","dates":"AH 8 Safar / 29 October 2017","place_of_production":"Madkhal Meski, Morocco","author":"Yelyzaveta Basysta","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Morocco.","Oasis","Madkhal Meski","water"],"materials":["photography"]},"c37ffe04-f331-50a3-8853-714465f7a769":{"name":"The *tali'* (water system) of Damascus.","description":"The water-distribution system in Syria is important for the region's success as a centre of civilisation. The availability of running water nourishing both private houses and public buildings is tribute to the ancient Damascene heritage of irrigation and underwater canals that survives to this day. One of Damascus's most famous neighbourhoods is known as 'Hayy al-Qanawat' after the Roman water canals that supplied it, and which were well maintained under Islamic rule.  \nDuring the period of prolific construction begun by Nur al-Din Mahmud bin al-Zangi (d. AH 569 / AD 1174) Damascus was renowned for its luxurious bathhouses (*hammams*), its public drinking fountains(*sabils*), andthe accessibility of running water within its mosques, *madrasas* and hospitals (*bimaristans)*.The water fountain and running stream attached to the courtyard basin at the Madrasa Nuriyya, built in AH 563 / AD 1167–8, is an example of the Nuri creativity in water provision, for this visible abundance of water was a mark of good governance.  \nThe Barada River is the main water source, springing from the Anti-Lebanon Mountains near the Zabadani district at an altitude of 1100 m. Water reaches Damascus via six main channels, although the total tributaries are around 40. The underwater canals of Syria have been ingeniously used throughout history to transform a dry and desert-like region into a green one.  \nThere is a system of water distribution in the city called a *tali'*, which distributres a share of water to each neighbourhood based on a unit known as a *qirat*. The *qirat* is a unit of measurement equalling 1 out of 24. The total water supply in a *tali'*' is therefore 24 qirats and, as stated in the lease of any given property, each building has the right to a ratio of this water allocated by the *tali* system and measured as a number of *qirats*. This system of water distribution withan an urban setting was the hallmark of Atabeg and Ayyubid Damascus. Hammam Nur al-Din, for example, was constructed adjacent to its *tali'* and the Madrasa Adiliyya is located near Hayy al-Sabi*'* Tawali*'*, a neighbourhood named after the seven *tali'*s supplying it.  \nThe official controller who oversees the distribution process is known as *al-faradi*, an aqua-specific counterpart to the *muhtasib* who ensures that water distribution is fair and legal. As a result of this *tali'* system, water from the Barada River reaches every home; the Demascene home, unlike any other, is known to this day for its central courtyard basin and sprinkling fountain, the sight and sound of water always symbolic of good living.  \nSimilarly, in Aleppo, there is an important system of channelled water distribution known as *al-qastal.* The Madrasa al-Shu'aybiyya, built by Nur al-Din in AH 545 / AD 1150 was erected next to the Qastal al-Shuaybiyy which still carries his inscription and marks the extent of his work in water distribution. Also, the city of Hama is famous for its waterwheels or *noria*s, a number of which were built during Nur al-Din's reign.","short_description":"The supply of water for the city of Damascus relies on the River Barada, which springs from the Anti-Lebanon mountain range and reaches Damascus via six main channels and numerous minor ones. The expert manipulation of these precious waters to ensure water supply for every public institution and private house of the city was the hallmark of the rule of Nur al-Din Mahmud bin Zangi (d. AH 569 / AD 1174). Each neigbourhood was equipped with a *tali'* through which water was measured and distributed to the surrounding properties.","dates":"Hegira mid-6th century / AD mid-12th century.","location":"Damascus","method_for_datation":"The historian Ibn 'Asakir (d. 571 / 1176) describes a significant number of *hammams*, *qanats* (water channels) and *sabils* in Damascus during the mid-6th / 12th century.","bibliography":"Ibn 'Asakir, *Tarikh madinat Dimashq \\[The History of the City of Damascus\\]*, Vol. I, Part II, (Ahmad Salah al-Din al-Munajjid, ed), Damascus, 1951–4.  \nAl-Attar al-Dimashqi, M. *'Ilm al-Miyah al-Jariya fi Madinat Dimashq \\[The Science of Running Water in the City of Damascus\\],* The Series of Studies and Historical Documentation of Damascus and Greater Syria, Vol. 4 (A. G. Sabano, ed), Damascus, 1984.  \nElisseeff, N., *La Description de Damas d'Ibn Asakir*, Damascus, 1959.  \nTabbaa, Y., “Towards an Interpretation of the use of Water in Islamic Courtyards and Courtyard Gardens”, *Journal of Garden History*, Vol. 7, pp.197–220.  \nTresse, R., “L'Irrigation dans la Gouta de Damas”, *Revue des Etudes Islamique,* 1929, pp.461–574.","author":"Abd al-Razzaq Moaz","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["tali","water channels (qanat)","sabil","irrigation","qastal","fountains","water","Barada River"]},"c3846b74-8446-5391-a0bc-02dca834176f":{"name":"Water-basin.","description":"A brass water-basin originally inlayed with silver and divided into six sections with the aid of six roundels. Decorated with a band of bold calligraphic inscription, the text reads: 'This is one of the things made for his highness, the lordly, the kingly, the learned, the treasure house of excellence, the just, the conqueror, the warrior, the defender, the protector of frontiers, the fortified by God, the victorious, the planner, the well-ordered, the masterful, the complete, supporter of the khan, the Seal Bearer, the king the Nassiri.' The inscription indicates an official of high rank in charge of the Sultan Al-Malik Al-Nasir's correspondence and other administrative responsibilities. Al-Malik Al-Nasir (who ruled during three phases between AH 692 and 740 / AD 1293 and 1340) commissioned the basin. Three of the roundels enclose the design of a blazon. The other three roundels have a symmetrical composition of six birds: two facing each other, two looking away from each other; and two moving away from each other but looking back at each other. The compositions of these roundels with their birds or waterfowl are a distinctive feature of Egyptian Mamluk metalwork, distinguishing it from contemporary Syrian, Iraqi and Iranian work.","short_description":"Vessels like this one were quite expensive. The script round the basin is in the *thuluth* style, and describes the titles of the high-ranking Mamluk official who owned it. The blazon incised in the roundels that divide the text indicates that the owner was in charge of the sultan’s correspondence.","type":"Metalwork, brass, silver","holder":"Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow Museums","owner":"on temporary display at Glasgow Central Mosque.","dates":"Hegira 8th century / AD 14th century.","location":"Glasgow, Scotland","dimensions":"Height 15 cm, diameter 30 cm.","method_for_datation":"Artistic analysis together with identification of the 8th- / 14th-century Mamluk blazon and titles.","method_for_provenance":"Identification of the 8th- / 14th-century Mamluk blazon and titles.","provenance":"Egypt.","obtention":"Purchased by the Museum in 1907.","bibliography":"Allan, J. W., *Islamic Inscriptions*, Edinburgh, 1998.  \n  \nBlair, S. S., and Bloom, J. M., *The Art and Architecture of Islam 1250–1800*, Yale University Press, 1994.  \n  \nWard, R., *Islamic Metalwork*, London, 1993.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Noorah Al-Gailani","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["coat of arms","water","patronage","calligraphy","Ruling classes"],"materials":["beaten and inlayed with silver.","brass"]},"c42ca69a-f7fd-5764-8954-9f2bbd201575":{"name":"Ewer (*Aftaba*)","description":"A ewer, adorned with vegetal motifs and geometric designs, composed of a base, body, neck, mouth, lid, handle and spout. The base is circular, with a lobed contour and ornamented with arrowheads using the chasing technique. The body is spherical and lobed. Each lobe is ornamented with a meandering vegetal branch, while the field is adorned with rosettes of four petals in varying sizes. The neck is short, circular and lobed, beginning with a plain metallic band, followed by a frieze of arrowheads. The circular mouth is covered with a hemispherical helmet-shaped lid, topped by a small spherical knob entirely undecorated. The spout is cylindrical, beveled, and tapering towards the tip, narrowing upwards, with a central protrusion. It is adorned with longitudinal framed motifs of arrowheads, beginning with a row of broken arches. The handle is curved, extending from the middle of the body and ending in a lotus flower, attached to the lid by hinges fixed with circular pins.","type":"Ewer","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"AH 12th–13th century / AD 18th–19th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Length: 28.5cm, width: 34cm, height: 24cm, diameter: 61cm","provenance":"Lahore (India)","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["metal","ewer","water"],"materials":["Engraving","hammering","and incising","metal","mold casting"]},"c4f03920-d58d-553e-895b-4f8dadfb02e3":{"name":"Minbar of Burhan al-Din.","alternate_name":"Minbar al-Sayf (The Summer Pulpit).","description":"The *minbar* occupies an elevated position in Islamic Art. The *minbar* is an essential piece of furniture within the mosque for it is where the preacher stands to deliver his *khutba* specifically on religious occasions; for the Friday *khutba* it is not permissible to conduct prayers without the *minbar*. Thus the *minbar* is an important object linked closely with prayer one of the five pillars of Islam, and one of the most important Islamic rites after the *Shahada.* The *minbar* is found predominantly in congregational mosques, although it is found in some *madrasa*s as in, for example, the Mamluk *madrasa*s in Cairo, the *madrasa*s in Jerusalem, do not have *minbar*s.  \nThe Minbar of Burhan al-Din is a rarity for it is a purpose-built construction made specifically for open-air use and constructed out of stone and marble and not from wood as is more commonly seen. It seems that this *minbar* replaced the need fora wooden one, which normally would be towed on wheels as necessary.  \nThe present *minbar* contains a number of sections, the most prominent of which is the front panel, for this is the principle façade. The front of the *minbar* is composed of a rectangular opening flanked between two marble columns. Each column has a cylindrical base and a capital. Both columns bear stone lintels directly above them, where there is a stone panel that ends in the form of an arch. The panel has a carved inscription in *naskhi* script which dates the restoration of the *minbar* to the Ottoman period in AH 1259 / AD 1843. A series of stone steps at the front of the *minbar* lead to the *jawsaq* where the orator stands. The *jawsaq* consists of a small square platform covered by a segmented dome (known as the *Qubbat al-Maizan*), which is erected on top of a hexagonal drum. The drum is supported by six small tri-lobed arches, held up by marble pillars. The architectural elements of the *minbar* were not made specifically for it but were taken from sites and buildings dating to the Crusader period.  \nThe *minbar* has two sides designated the *risha* of the *minbar*. Both sides are triangular with corners that are characterised by marble side-panels. In the east corner of the *minbar,* on the supporting arches of the dome, a surface-*mihrab* has been erected which terminates in a tapered arch consisting of seven voussoirs. The *mihrab* is decorated with simple geometric forms on the upper and lower sections, and with natural vegetal forms in the central section.  \nThis *minbar* was used to preach to the masses in al-Aqsa Mosque on occasions which necessitated guidance, the strengthening of resolution and the calling for patience, especially in the execution of prayers for rain. The *minbar* was used particularly in the summer months to present religious lessons.","short_description":"This *minbar* (pulpit) is built from marble and stone and is located in the open plaza of the Dome of the Rock. It is the only *minbar* in Jerusalem which is located in an open area and was most probably used to deliver the *khutba* (Friday sermon) and lessons on summer days and on important occasions. It is therefore also known as the ‘summer *minbar*’. The *minbar* is an artistic piece characterised by vegetal and geometric decoration, columns and capitals and inscription panels. All of this has been implemented in the Mamluk style.","dates":"It is not known when the minbar was constructed but it was restored in the AH mid-8th / AD 14th century, and again in AH 1259 / AD 1843.","location":"Jerusalem","method_for_datation":"The *minbar* was dated by historical information from several sources; for example in the work of the historian Mujir al Din Hanbali (d. 928 / 1521) and in the writing of Ibn Fadl Allah al-'Umari (d. 749 / 1348), which dates to around 745 / 1345.","bibliography":"Berchem, M. van, *Matériaux pour un Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum,* Vol. II, Cairo, 1922.  \nBurgoyne, M., *Mamluk Jerusalem: An Architectural Study,* London, 1987.  \nAl-Hanbali, Mujir al-Din, *Al-Uns al-Jalil bi Tarikh al-Quds wa al-Khalil \\[The Magnificent Ambiance in the History of Jerusalem and Hebron\\],* Amman, 1973.","patrons":"It is not known who sponsored the *minbar* but Qadi Burhan al-Din Ibn Jama’a (AH 725–90 / AD 1325–88) supervised the initial restoration.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PA_EN_001; IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Yusuf al-Natsheh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["khutba","summer minbar","preacher","marble","Jawsaq","Minbar"]},"c58426af-004d-5e5c-b305-8352f7786889":{"name":"Water elevation towers of Tameslouht","description":"Water elevation towers relied on siphoning and pressurisation, allowing water to overcome elevation differences between the source in the village and the higher agricultural lands, specifically the Agdal, a vast olive grove. Each tower consisted of two adjacent cylinders: a main one, about 60cm in diameter, to hold water, and a smaller one, about 15cm wide, to regulate pressure. Built with local materials like brick, stone, and terracotta, the towers operated by creating progressive hydraulic pressure. Water, captured in the village or from lower springs, was directed into the first cylinder. The pressure difference then pushed it to the next tower, overcoming obstacles. Repeated successively, this process carried water to the heights where the olive groves were located.  \n  \nThis mechanism, based on an inverted siphon, saved manual or animal labour, which was once required for pumping and transporting water. Thanks to this innovation, Tameslouht’s inhabitants irrigated dozens of hectares, strengthening economic stability and food self-sufficiency. A territory marked by harsh climatic constraints was transformed into a productive agricultural area where olive cultivation flourished, sustaining the community and producing a valuable export.  \n  \nBeyond their technical role, the towers fostered community cooperation in water management, with clear rules governing distribution and maintenance, thus reinforcing social cohesion. With the advent of modern irrigation technologies in the AH 14th century / AD 20th century, the use of elevation towers gradually declined. However, in some remote rural areas, the Tameslouht elevation towers still function today, either for local use or within heritage valorisation projects.  \n  \nToday, these structures symbolise sustainable water management and the resilience of Moroccan rural societies, offering valuable lessons for contemporary environmental challenges.","type":"Hydraulic architectural structure / Water-lifting tower","dates":"AH 6th or 8th / AD 12th or 14th century.","location":"Tameslouht; Haouz region","bibliography":"Aïssaoui, H., 'Hydraulique traditionnelle et systèmes d'irrigation dans la vallée de l'Ourika : étude des tours élévatrices de Tameslouht', *Revue Marocaine d’Hydrologie*, 12(2; 2013), 115-130.","history":"Built at the end of the AH 13th / AD 19th century and located in the Tameslouht region, about twenty kilometres southeast of Marrakech, the water elevation towers played a crucial role in local agricultural development, particularly for irrigating the vast olive groves of this semi-arid region.  \n  \nTameslouht is marked by a semi-arid Mediterranean climate with irregular rainfall and rugged terrain. These conditions required water management to be both tactful and strategic to ensure crops and secure livelihoods. Historically, olive oil production was a major economic activity in the region, demanding an efficient irrigation system where water was precious and limited.","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Water elevation tower","Marrakech","water management","Tameslouht","traditional irrigation"]},"c59e402b-a53f-58e3-8f66-a2b8da7df255":{"name":"Leather container","alternate_name":"*Shann*","description":"Used for watering camels and animals in the desert and steppe, this container was filled with water after being drawn from the well. Made of leather, it is lightweight and easy to carry. Its primary function was to facilitate the drinking of camels and animals during desert journeys or while grazing. The vessel is deep in form, widening at the top to allow the animal’s head to drink without spilling the water. It is supported by branches arranged as intersecting semicircular arches, fastened with ropes. It was also placed beside wells and filled with water for livestock to drink. In some regions, it is known as a *Shann*","type":"Bucket","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"Late AH century / AD 19th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Diameter: 75cm, Height 38cm, with stand 64cm","provenance":"The Arabian Peninsula","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["leather","Bucket","water"],"materials":["Leather and wood","cutting and sewing"]},"c689fa52-52dc-59c4-be4e-613916e848a5":{"name":"Water Museum","alternate_name":"পানি জাদুঘর","description":"This is the first water museum of South Asia. The Water Museum was created to spread information and raise awareness among communities, stakeholders, and policymakers about the importance of safeguarding rivers. It serves as a strong foundation for the policy advocacy of the \"Water Commons\" campaign by ActionAid Bangladesh and a call to action to save rivers in South Asia.","type":"Museum","dates":"AH 14th century / AD 21th century","location":"Pakhimara, Kuakata District, Barishal Division","author":"ActionAid Bangladesh","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Museum","monument","water"]},"c7284cbb-74d2-54e9-8467-e6e99021b1f4":{"name":"Small hoe (format 2)","description":"This wider hoe was designed for maintaining irrigation plot boundaries and managing shallow water channels. It reflects adaptive agricultural practices developed to ensure efficient water use in oasis environments.","type":"Agricultural tool","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum for the Civilisation of Water in Morocco","dates":"AH 14th / AD 20th century","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"74cm × 30cm × 14cm","place_of_production":"Tiznit, Morocco","provenance":"Tiznit region, Morocco","obtention":"Institutional collection.","author":"Jihad Chitaouy","keywords":["hoe","agriculture","water"],"materials":["Wood","metal"]},"c7b92ca6-0fb1-5ef1-be15-6d03a8406b7f":{"name":"Small hoe (format 1)","description":"This small hoe was widely used in oasis agriculture for light soil work, including weeding and the creation of shallow irrigation channels. Its modest size allowed farmers to manage water distribution with precision, reflecting an agricultural system closely adapted to limited water resources.","type":"Agricultural tool","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum for the Civilisation of Water in Morocco","dates":"AH 14th / AD 20th century","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"51cm × 20cm × 16cm","place_of_production":"Tiznit, Morocco","provenance":"Tiznit region, Morocco","obtention":"Institutional collection.","author":"Jihad Chitaouy","keywords":["hoe","agriculture","water"],"materials":["Wood","metal"]},"c7e1ed38-295a-5272-b536-f559755ccd2b":{"name":"Photograph pitched wooden boats by the River Euphrates in Hit, Iraq","description":"This photograph, taken by explorer, archaeologist, writer, and colonial diplomat Gertrude Bell during her AH 1327 / AD 1909 travels in Mesopotamia, depicts traditional boats at shore beside the River Euphrates in Hit. The boats, which have been made using woven reeds, wood and bitumen, are one of many examples of traditional trade and craft captured within the Gertrude Bell Archive. The image was featured in Bell's AH 1329 / AD 1911 publication 'Amurath to Amurath', alongside many others taken during this trip.  \n  \nThe photograph has been digitised using the original negative, which is held along with the original print in Bell's photograph album ('Album K'), within the Gertrude Bell Archive at Newcastle University Special Collections. It is contextualised by original diary entries and letters, also held within the Archive.","type":"Photograph (original negative and print)","holder":"Newcastle University Special Collections","owner":"Newcastle University Special Collections","initial_owner":"Gertrude Bell","dates":"AH 24 Safar 1327 / AD 17 March 1909","location":"Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear","dimensions":"4cm x 6 cm","place_of_production":"Hit, (modern-day Iraq)","method_for_datation":"Date and origin documented by Gertrude Bell, and confirmed by contextual material in Gertrude Bell Archive.","provenance":"Photograph taken by Gertrude Bell in Hit, Iraq, during her AH 1327 / AD 1909 trip there, included in Photograph Album K, part of the Gertrude Bell Archive.","bibliography":"Bell, G. L., *Amurath to Amurath*, London: William Heinemann MCMXI, 1911: Fig. 61, pp.104-114.  \n  \nThe Gertrude Bell Archive, Newcastle University. Available at: https://gertrudebell.ncl.ac.uk/.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://gertrudebell.ncl.ac.uk/p/gb-3-1-11-1-9","author":"Valentina Flex","keywords":["reeds","Iraq","boats","bitumen","Mesopotamia"],"materials":["Photographic print","Nitrate negative"]},"c7ea01bb-8303-57dd-b186-861681adf109":{"name":"Hot and Cold Water Dispenser","description":"This object has become a familiar fixture in kitchens, office pantries, and public spaces across the Islamic world. Designed to provide instant access to hot and cold water, it reflects how convenience and functionality shape modern domestic and professional environments.  \n  \nMost dispensers are imported from industrial centres such as China. In Islamic communities global technologies are integrated into local habits, as water remains a basic necessity and shared social element.","type":"Household item","holder":"Private collection","dates":"AH 1430 / AD 2025","author":"Dina Turkieh"},"c8398422-799a-55c7-8104-53c86c320ef8":{"name":"The Fountain of the Virgin, Jerusalem","description":"A Christian woman wearing a traditional white headdress at the entrance of the Virgin’s Fountain in the Kidron Valley, near Silwan in Jerusalem. She holds a water jug, which presumably she has just filled. Behind her a man descends into the tunnel to access the spring.","type":"Original watercolour","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Bought by Walter Morrison in 1872","dates":"AH 1286 / AD 1869","location":"London","dimensions":"32.6 x 48.2cm","place_of_production":"London","method_for_datation":"Watercolour is dated 1869 and signed by the artist","method_for_provenance":"PEF records","provenance":"London","obtention":"Donated to the PEF by Walter Morrison, 1872","bibliography":"Warren, C.,*Underground Jerusalem*, London: John Murray, 1876.","workshop":"William Simpson, London","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Jerusalem","Silwan","Fountain of the Virgin Gihon Spring"],"materials":["Watercolour and pencil on paper. Created in the studio from a pencil and ink sketch made on site."]},"ca166fd8-40d8-5568-b817-4999a1ea04de":{"name":"\"The Eavesdropper\"","alternate_name":"Folio 47r from a Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits) of the Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","description":"This folio once illustrated a magnificent manuscript of Nizami’s Haft Paikar (Seven Portraits). The story of the Seven Portraits comprises a series of moralizing tales as told to the Persian hero Bahram Gur by seven princesses. This lively and lyrical scene illustrates a story in which a youth spies upon maidens swimming in a garden pool by moonlight. The voyeur is barely visible here, peering out of the shuttered window, unbeknownst to the playful bathers below.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Emperor Akbar, India (from AH 988 / AD 1580); his grandson Shah Jahan, India (in AH 1097 / AD 1658); Alexander Smith Cochran, Yonkers, NY","dates":"AH ca. 833 / AD ca. 1430","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: height: 22.5 cm, width: 12.4 cm; Page: height: 27.9 cm, width: 18.3 cm","place_of_production":"Herat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R., \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" in *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 8, (1913).  \n  \nJackson, A. V., Williams, A.Y., \"Presented to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, by Alexander Smith Cochran.\", in *A Catalogue of the Collection of Persian Manuscripts, Including also Some Turkish and Arabic*, no.10, (1914).  \n  \nLukens, M. G. \"The Language of the Birds: The Fifteenth-Century Miniatures.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. XXV, no. 9 (May 1967).  \n  \nRobinson, B. W. \"Prince Baysonghor's Nizami.\" in Ars Orientalis vol. II (1957).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"Collections in the United States and Canada.\" in *Muslim Miniature Paintings from the XIII to XIX Century*, (1962).  \n  \nGrube, E. J., \"The Early School of Herat and its Impact on Islamic Painting of the Later 15th, the 16th and 17th Centuries.\" In *The Classical Style in Islamic Painting.* , (1968).  \n  \n*Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*, vol. 33, no. 1 (1975)  \n  \nLentz, T. W., Lowry G.D., \"Persian Art and Culture in the Fifteenth Century.\" In *Timur and the Princely Vision.*, Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, no.62, (1989).  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch. \"et l'Enigme de Behzad de Herat (1465–1535).\" In *L'Art Figuratif en Islam Medieval.*, Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455059","materials":["Silver","and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"ca84a358-0e08-5345-bc08-43570cf84e04":{"name":"*Women grinding corn in Sinai*","description":"Many of the most popular subjects of stereographs were of topographical views or of scenes unfamiliar to the western audience for whom they were generally produced. This group of Islamic women from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula is shown grinding corn. Their faces are hidden by veils. The veil turns away the gaze while at the same time attracting it. The secrecy of the veil prompted fascination for what was often seen as the mysterious and exotic world of the East or the 'Orient' to 19th-century western viewers. In contrast, the men in the background confront the camera.","type":"Stereograph; photograph","holder":"Victoria and Albert Museum","dates":"1869","location":"London","provenance":"Egypt, Sinai","author":"Victoria and Albert Museum"},"cb8f8517-5780-5bcc-bee9-849860cd610e":{"name":"*Sabil* Birkat al-Sultan.","alternate_name":"*Sabil* of Bab al-Khalil.","description":"The Sabil Birkat al-Sultan is one of the six *sabil*s that were erected in Jerusalem by order of Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent. The *sabil* is built with cut white stone in a multiplicity of sizes, which form a rectangle 3.70 m long and 1.5 m wide. In front of the *sabil* block there is a recess 71 cm deep and 1.9 m long. Above the recess is a pointed arch composed of stone voussoirs decorated with saw-like ornamentation, in a style known as a Persian arch. The voussoirs are surrounded by moulded decoration. On each of the two sides of the arch there is a projecting circular stone medallion devoid of decorative elements. Around the bulk of the *sabil,* on both sides and above it, there is a frame of moulded decoration that terminates with more embellishment where the base of the *sabil* starts to form.  \nThe recess of the *sabil* is composed of three decorative architectural units. In the lower part of the recess there is a rectangular marble plaque which has an opening in the middle to allow water to flow from the *sabil* reservoir (located at the back) to the basin. At the top of the recess there are three tiers of *muqarnas* crowned by a small ribbed shell. In the middle of the niche, below the *muqarnas* tiers, there is an inscription panel. The panel is composed of three lines carved in Ottoman *naskhi* script which allude to the command to construct the *sabil*, the titles of the builder and the date of its construction. The inscription reads:  \n“The construction of this blessed *sabil* was ordered by our lord the Sultan, the Great Ruler, The Sovereign, The Noble, the Lord of Nations, the Sultan of Rome \\[Byzantium\\], the Arabs and the 'Ajam \\[Persians\\], Sultan Sulayman, son of Sultan Selim Khan. May God grant him a long reign and sovereignty on the date of the 10th of Muharram in the year AH 943 \\[29th June 1536\\].”","short_description":"This was the only *sabil* (public fountain) of the six commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent to be built outside the walls around Jerusalem. It is located on the road that connects Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Hebron. The *sabil* is provided with water from a canal linked to Solomon’s Pools. Inside a recessed niche, open at the front, in the middle of a rectangular plaque an opening allows water to pour into a wide basin. Above the basin is a large foundation inscription. The *sabil* is constructed of cut stone in different sizes with rich decorative motifs. Behind the building is a reservoir which collects the water.","dates":"Hegira 10th Muharram 943 / AD 29th June 1536.","location":"Jerusalem","method_for_datation":"The *sabil* was dated by the inscription on its façade, and further supported by a *waqf* document in the archive of the Shari'a Court of Jerusalem, that dates to AH 948 / AD 1541.","bibliography":"Berchem, M. van, *Materiaux pour un Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarium* (Part II), Cairo, 1922.  \nAl-Imam al-Hussaini, M. A., *al-Manhal al-Safi fi al-Waqf wa Ahkamihi \\[A Clear Spring in the Waqf and its Execution\\],* Jerusalem, 1982.  \nNatsheh, Y., “Sabil Birkat al-Sultan”, in S. Auld and R. Hillenbrand (eds), *Ottoman Jerusalem: The Living City 1517–1917* (Part II), London, 2000.","patrons":"Sultan Sulayman the Magnificent (r. 926–74 / AD 1520–66).","architects":"The construction supervisor was Muhammad Chalabi al-Naqqash, the guardian of the sultan’s revenues as well as the construction manager for the walls of Jerusalem.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PA_EN_001; IAM_TR_EN_001","author":"Yusuf al-Natsheh","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["sabil","Water.","Basin","moulded decoration","naskhi script","reservoir","muqarnas"]},"cdef497c-1efa-5c25-b7ef-048f71a83d64":{"name":"Blue glazed jar","description":"This jar, with two small handles, a narrow neck and a globular body is covered externally with a turquoise-blue glaze, while the interior is covered with a white glaze. The lip of the neck is protruding, which may have allowed for the placement of a small ceramic or wooden lid held by a textile.  \n  \nThis functional object used for the storage and transportation of liquids, such as oil, water, wine or syrup. t was discovered at the Murwab archaeological site in northwest Qatar. The production of this type of jar appears to have ceased in the middle of the 9th century, according to the stratified archaeological findings of Susa (Iran), Samarra and Basra (Iraq). The most important workshop for this production was the centre of Basra.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 25.5cm, body diameter: 15.5cm","place_of_production":"Basra, Iraq","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","table jar","9th century","Basra","blue glaze"],"materials":["Glazed earthenware"]},"ce0fc758-0578-5c82-a0bf-76b98283bf9c":{"name":"\"The Concourse of the Birds\"","alternate_name":"Folio 11r from a Mantiq al-Tayr (Language of the Birds)","description":"The illustration on this folio depicts a scene from a mystical poem, Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds), written by a twelfth-century Iranian, Farid al-Din 'Attar. The birds, which symbolize individual souls in search of the simurgh (a mystical bird representing ultimate spiritual unity), are assembled in an idyllic landscape to begin their pilgrimage under the leadership of a hoopoe (perched on a rock at center right). The careful, harmonious composition is consistent with that of the late fifteenth-century Timurid miniatures also in the manuscript, but three factors indicate that this image is later: the presence of the hunter, who has no place in the narrative; his firearm, a weapon that gained currency in Iran after the mid-sixteenth century; and the signature of the late sixteenth- to early seventeenth-century artist Habiballah.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Shah Abbas I, Isfahan, Iran (ca. 1600–1609); Shrine of Shaikh Safi Al-Din, Ardabil, Iran(ca. 1609–sack of Ardebil, 1826); M. Farid Parbanta(until 1963)","dates":"AH ca. 1000 / AD ca. 1600","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting: Height: 25.4 cm, width: 11.4cm; Page: Height: 33 cm , width: 20.8 cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran, Isfahan","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1963","bibliography":"\"Sufi Narratives.\" in *Hali* vol. 191.  \n  \nGrube, E. J. \"The Language of the Birds: The Seventeenth-Century Miniatures.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. XXV, no. 9 (May 1967).  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art, *Masterpieces of Fifty Centuries: the Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1970.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen, ed., \"The Historical Background and Illustrative Character of the Metropolitan Museum's Mantiq al-Tayr of 1483.\" In *Islamic Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen. \"Islamic Painting.\" in *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, New Series, vol. 36, no. 2 (Autumn 1978).  \n  \nFerrier, R. W., ed., *The Arts of Persia.*, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989.  \n  \nde Montebello, P., and K. Howard, ed., *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, 6th ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992.  \n  \nAlexander, D., M. al-Malik Abd al-Aziz al-Ammah, D. S. Walker, and H. Nickel., *Furusiyya. The Horse in the Art of the Near East.*, vol. 1. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz Public Library, 1996.  \n  \nHillenbrand, R., ed. \"Studies in Honour of Basil W. Robinson.\" In *Persian Painting from the Mongols to the Qajars.*, Pembroke Persian papers, vol. 3. London and New York: I. B. Tauris, 2000.  \n  \nSims, E., B. Marshak, and E.J. Grube. \"Persian Painting and its Sources.\" In *Peerless Images.*, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2002.  \n  \nBabaie, S., K. Babayan, I. Baghdiantz-McCabe, and M. Farhad. \"New Elites of Safavid Iran.\" In *Slaves of the Shah.*, Library of Middle East history, vol. 3. London; New York: I. B. Tauris, 2004.  \n  \nBarry, M., and S. C. Welch., *L'art figuratif en Islam médiéval et l'énigme de Behzâd de Hérât (1465-1535)* , Paris: Flammarion, 2004.  \n  \nKia, C., \"Is the Bearded Man Drowning? Picturing the Figurative in a Late-Fifteenth-Century Painting from Herat.\" in *Muqarnas*, vol. 23 (2006).  \n  \nLewisohn, L., and C. Shackle, ed. \"The art of spiritual flight.\" In *Attar and the Persian Sufi Tradition.*, London; New York: The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2006.  \n  \nCanby, S. R., *Shah 'Abbas: The Remaking of Iran.*, London: British Museum Press, 2009.  \n  \nKamada, Y.. \"An Illustrated Manuscript of Mantiq al-Tayr in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.\" in *Orient*, vol. XLV (2010).  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., *Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.*, 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nThe Metropolitan Museum of Art., *The Metropolitan Museum of Art Guide.*, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.  \n  \nMumtaz, M., *Faces of God : Images of Devotion in Indo-Muslim Painting, 1500–1800.*, Handbook of Oriental Studies. Section II South Asia, vol. 39. Leiden; Boston: Brill, 2023.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451725","materials":["Gold","Ink","Opaque watercolour","and silver on paper"]},"ce13dcdd-26d4-51f9-be00-2236cb4965f4":{"name":"Ewer and basin","description":"The basin is made of brass, with a wide, shallow rim and a concave body with a flat base. The bowl-shaped opening supports a soap holder, which sits as a plate and, after a slight neck, has straight sides folded upwards. The soap holder features a star at its centre and curved, three-pointed openwork perforations on the edges and underside. The rim of the basin is inscribed in Arabic with the words: “Mahmud Paşa’da Duyun-i Umumiye Caddesi'nde Osmanlı İmalathanesi,” which translates as “Ottoman Factory on Duyun-i Umumiye Street in Mahmud Pasha.”","type":"Ewer and basin","holder":"Konya Museum Directorate","location":"Konya","dimensions":"Basin diameter: 41cm, basin height: 33cm; Ewer height: 33cm, ewer base diameter: 11.5cm","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","Basin","ewer","water","brass","Ablution"],"materials":["brass"]},"ceddedce-74b1-58a0-9e37-95a0cdedcef0":{"name":"Cup","description":"This copper cup is of a characteristic bell-shaped form, with a rounded base. Owing to its shape, it fits comfortably in the hand. The surface is entirely decorated with leaf motifs, arranged either as vine tendrils or within petal-shaped medallions. Vessels of this type were used for drinking water or wine, and parallels can be found in the AH 13th / AD 19th century metalwork collection of the National Museum in Niš, Serbia.","type":"Metalwork","holder":"Museum of Applied Art","owner":"Museum of Applied Art, Belgrade","initial_owner":"Ljuba Ivanović (1882–1945)","dates":"AH 13th / AD 19th century","location":"Belgrade","dimensions":"Height: 12cm","place_of_production":"Local workshop","method_for_datation":"By stylistic and comparative analysis with related material.","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence.","provenance":"Serbia","obtention":"The item is a part of the collection of Serbian painter and engraver Ljuba Ivanović (1882–1945). The collection was purchased by the Museum of Applied Art in Belgrade in 1951 and comprises 3,116 items, bearing witness to the early modern and modern visual culture of the Balkans: urban and folk dress,  jewelry, metalwork, casting molds and tools, items carved in wood, horn, and mother-of-pearl, wood-carved and painted icons, etc. The items were collected in the field, mostly during the interwar period.","author":"Mila Gajić","keywords":["Serbia","Copper","cup","metalwork"],"materials":["Engraving","hammering","Tinned copper"]},"cf314a7e-b71e-5876-a94f-3e498400a91f":{"name":"Persian flask","short_description":"This elaborate flask dates from the late 16th century. Its wooden body is covered with a linen and chalk ground that was gilded and painted where we see lovers and musicians in a garden filled with flowers.","type":"Flask","holder":"Kunsthistorisches Museum","dates":"Hegira 10th century / AD 16th century","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"Height: 25.5cm, Width: 23.5cm, Depth: 12cm, Diameter at the neck: 2.3cm","method_for_datation":"Collection Ambras Castle","method_for_provenance":"Collection Ambras Castle","provenance":"Iran?","obtention":"Collection Ambras Castle, obtained in AD 1869","bibliography":"Gamber, Ortwin and Beaufort-Spontin, Christian, *Katalog der Leibrüstkammer II. Teil. Der Zeitraum von 1530-1560*, Busto Arsizio: Bramante, 1990.  \nThomas, Bruno, \"Aus der Waffensammlung in der Neuen Burg zu Wien: Orientalische Kostbarkeiten\", *Bustan*, 4 : 5 (1963/64).","author":"Matthias Pfaffenbichler","copy_editor":"Liz Cooper","keywords":["music","floral decoration","court life","poetry","receptacles","garden","Drinking flask","figurative decoration","flask","vessels"],"materials":["Leather with chalk ground and gold leaf paint","handle: silk and silver thread","wood painted to imitate leather"]},"cfa3b6b5-6eae-560d-914d-532c5f064132":{"name":"Flask","description":"Flask with honeycomb decoration. Its shape was standard in Iranian workshop production during the Abbasid period. It was created by blowing glass into a mould, a very popular 10th century technique that facilitated the mass production of glass objects.","type":"Glass","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"10th - 11th century","location":"Athens","dimensions":"Height: 21cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Iran","obtention":"Donated by Antonis Benakis","author":"Mina Moraitou","keywords":["moulded","Benaki Museum","Iran","flask","glass"],"materials":["moulded","glass"]},"cfd3dc7b-5257-57f1-9440-8273cb0c0104":{"name":"*At The Well*","type":"Painting","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"AH 1431–32 / AD 2010","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height: 51 cm, base length: 24.5 cm, base width: 21.7 cm","place_of_production":"Oman","provenance":"Collections of Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id al Sa’id","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Bronze and wood"]},"d04d6038-8121-55a2-8b2e-c0971ba15d5d":{"name":"Water pump","description":"This bronze pump was made by a Greek artisan in Trabzon. The mouth section of the pump is designed in the form of a stylised dragon head, while the body features floral motifs and bears the inscription \"[M.] 1810.\"","type":"Water pump","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Beginning of the Hegira 13th / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 95cm","place_of_production":"Black Sea region","method_for_datation":"Its date was determined by examining the inscriptions, which included the date of production.","method_for_provenance":"Its date was determined by reading the inscriptions and the date written on it.","provenance":"Trabzon (Türkiye)","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["bronze","Water pump.","water"],"materials":["Bronze"]},"d0f77700-ba50-5c79-bdd6-b7a71456cf55":{"name":"Banknote","description":"The Syrian banknote depicting the Norias of Hama presents one of the country’s most iconic water monuments. The great wooden water wheels, rising above the Orontes River, symbolise traditional hydraulic ingenuity and the centrality of water in Syrian urban life. Rendered with fine engraved detail, the image links national identity to heritage, memory, and the enduring relationship between society and river landscapes.","type":"Banknote","holder":"Private Collection","dates":"AH 1446 / AD 2025","place_of_production":"Syria","author":"Yelyzaveta Basysta","keywords":["Syria.","banknote","water"]},"d1df60cc-7f00-5222-836d-c786e82473ca":{"name":"Water jug filter","description":"The decorative openings on the necks of this type of water jugs (fired clay vessels that cool their contents through a process of gradual evaporation) are evidence of the inventiveness of Cairo potters. They would trace the design onto wet clay with a sharpened reed similar to a calligraphy pen, in a technique similar to *al fresco* painting.","type":"Water filter","holder":"Institute of the Arab World","dates":"AH 2nd–7th / AD 8th–13th centuries","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Diameter: 8cm","provenance":"Egypt","obtention":"Formerly in the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Jean-François Bouvier.","bibliography":"Institut du Monde arabe, *A la plume, au pinceau, au crayon : dessins du monde arabe: catalogue de l’exposition au Musée de l’Institut du Monde arabe*, Paris: Institut du Monde arabe, 2019.","translator":"Judy Harter","keywords":["ceramic","clay","water","Filter"],"materials":["incised and perforated","Unglazed ceramic clay"]},"d2293b15-b277-5cf9-b55b-a5c86bba494e":{"name":"Waterway in Nizwa, Oman","description":"The *aflaj* (singular *falaj*) are one of the oldest irrigation systems still in use today. Its origins date back to 5,000 years ago, though the example here is from AD 500. Its channels convey water from underground sources, springs and stream flow to villages and towns all around Oman. This system is employed as a primary water source for agricultural and domestic purposes, accounting for more than 30% of water usage across Oman. Using gravity forces to maintain the flux of water and its distribution, it has emerged as a distinguished social, cultural and economic emblem of the Omani landscape. The responsibility for the maintenance of working falaj and the distribution of water to different settlements lies with these communities. Despite the existence of numerous wells that provide potable water, the presence of aflaj waterways is of pivotal significance to the agricultural prosperity of Oman. The Falaj Daris, seen here, are the largest of the aflaj in Oman, and played a big part in Nizwa’s former prosperity as the capital of Oman in the 6th and 7th centuries AD. In 2006, the Aflaj Irrigation System was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and consequently granted governmental protection.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private collection","owner":"Private collection","dates":"AH 4 Ramadan 1399 / AD 3 August 1979","place_of_production":"Nizwa-Oman","author":"Yelyzaveta Basysta","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["irrigation systems.","water","aflaj"],"materials":["photography"]},"d2881aa5-0ddf-52cc-b17f-a2d9d686b2fe":{"name":"Calligraphy","description":"This artwork centers on the Qur’anic phrase rendered in the form of a water droplet:  \nArabic: وَجَعَلْنَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَيٍّ  \nTransliteration: *Ve cealnâ mine’l-mâ’i kulle şey’in hayy*  \nEnglish: “And We made from water every living thing.”  \n  \nThe piece merges modern calligraphic expression with classical Islamic aesthetics. The water-droplet form highlights the verse’s central theme: the origin of life through water, a motif deeply rooted in Islamic cosmology. The fluid lines, layered strokes and turquoise tones evoke movement, purity and renewal. On the right, the intricate calligraphic motif adds a devotional dimension, inviting contemplation on divine creation and the sustaining nature of water.  \n  \nThrough its interplay of text, form and symbolism, the artwork invites viewers to reflect on life’s elemental foundations and the spiritual significance of water in Islamic thought.","type":"Calligraphy","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 1430 / AD 2009","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 100cm, width: 43cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Date and origin are written on the piece","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["verse","Water.","Qur'an","calligraphy"],"materials":["Calligraphy on paper"]},"d330f255-e6aa-5ada-a3e4-633faa06f950":{"name":"Konch","alternate_name":"Teta (কোচ)","description":"The Konch is a fishing device made from bamboo and iron spikes, and is specifically designed to catch larger fish. It is similar to the Juti, but employs at least 10 pieces of bamboo splits, which are firmly fixed in a bunch. In order to increase its effectiveness, the tips of the bamboo are topped with sharp and pointed iron caps. To use it, fishermen must wait with great patience until they find a fish, often spending hours on a boat or at the water's edge. Once they eventually find one, they hurl the implement with great force, pinning the fish down and striking it. The species of fish caught with this device include Rui (Labeo rohita), Catla (Catla catla), Shoal (Channa striatus), and Gozar (Channa marulius), amongst others.  \nTraditional fishing gear consists of a long bamboo handle (2-4m) with a 60-65cm iron rode at the base, and is fitted with multiple iron hooks at the apex. The iron rode is securely attached to the bamboo handle using coconut thread or iron wire.","type":"Fishing gear","holder":"Water Museum","dates":"21st century","location":"Pakhimara, Kuakata District, Barishal Division, Barishal","bibliography":"Siddiq, M., *et al.*, “Fishing Gears of the Meghna River Estuary of Chandpur Region, Bangladesh”, in *Trends in Fisheries Research, 2(1; 2018): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325120382\\_FISHING\\_GEARS\\_OF\\_THE\\_MEGHNA\\_RIVER\\_ESTUARY\\_OF\\_CHANDPUR\\_REGION\\_BANGLADESH \\[last accessed: 04/10/25\\]*","author":"ActionAid Bangladesh","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["fishing gear","konch","teta","water"],"materials":["Bamboo","Iron spikes"]},"d3981150-1dad-5bad-9f7e-e4e7cb1fa469":{"name":"Water jug (*maşrapa*)","description":"This pitcher (*maşrapa*) has a blue interior glaze and light brown exterior. The exterior surface is coated in a milky brown glaze and decorated with stylised vegetal motifs.","type":"Jug","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 5th–6th century / AD 11th–12th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height 12.5cm","place_of_production":"Persia","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Jug","vegetal motifs","water","Glazed"],"materials":["Glazed ceramic"]},"d39f33c7-ab99-570d-9745-2ca9481fd5e0":{"name":"Font.","description":"Font with eight lobes. The inside is hollowed out, with the rim moulded on the top and on the outside. It has a hole at the bottom. The base is truncated, with a base or foot missing. The exterior moulding has a decoration of small engraved geometric patterns (lozenges, squares and circles). The upper rim has an Arabic inscription in *kufic* script running all the way round, in which it is possible to read the expression ‘al-Mulk’, repeated in a chain.","short_description":"The evidence for the prolonged presence of a Muslim community in Lisbon is supported by this octagonal ablutions font sculpted from local *pedra lioz* (lias) limestone. It was found during restoration work in Lisbon’s Moorish quarter, to whose mosque it belonged.","holder":"City Museum.","dates":"Hegira 8th–9th centuries / AD 14th–15th centuries.","location":"Lisbon.","dimensions":"Total height 11.4 cm, diameter 22.3 cm.","method_for_datation":"External, historical dating. The mosque in the Moorish quarter, to which it is supposed to have belonged, was dismantled in the early 16th century, in the reign of Dom Manuel I of Portugal.","method_for_provenance":"Found during urban regeneration work, re-used in the masonry of one the walls of the building on no. 67 Rua João do Outeiro (Moorish quarter, Lisbon). The building probably dated originally from the 16th century.","provenance":"Lisbon.","obtention":"Donated to the Museum.","bibliography":"*Lisboa Subterrânea*, exhibition catalogue, Lisbon, 1994.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_PT_PT_001","author":"Rodrigo Banha da Silva","translator":"Gilla Evans","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["lias stone","kufic script","al-mulk","Font"],"materials":["Lias stone."]},"d3ddaba2-605a-593a-84dc-d55cd6a60174":{"name":"Pearl Diver’s Finger Protectors","description":"These finger guards are known as khabt (pl. khabta). They were an essential part of a pearl-diver's equipment, as they protected his finger tips from the sharp oyster shells and other unexpected dangerous objects the pearl-diver might brush his fingers against while searching the murky seabed. Much of his work had to rely on touch, as visibility was minimal and few dangers could be anticipated by sight alone. When not used, the finger guards were kept in a container filled with water to keep them supple.","type":"15 leather finger protectors with cotton bag","holder":"Sharjah Maritime Museum / Sharjah Museums Department","dates":"Hegira late 13th – early 14th century / AD late 19th – early 20th century","location":"Sharjah","provenance":"Sharjah Emirate","author":"Ulrike Al-Khamis"},"d3e76481-492c-566e-9282-18576527dae4":{"name":"Farmer with Dried Gourd","description":"This type of gourd, grown in Hit, Anbar Governorate, Iraq, is among a number of varieties of calabash or \"bottle gourd\" of different shapes and sizes that were historically used as multipurpose vessels, including water bottles and containers for agricultural produce including beer and wine, milk and other dairy products, honey or grains. Cut segments of these gourds could also be used to make kitchen utensils such as ladles and bowls. They have been cultivated in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas for thousands of years for similar purposes.  \n  \nWhile the same gourds can be harvested young for consumption as a vegetable, if grown as containers or utensils they are left to grow for longer and harvested when mature. After harvesting, they are dried for several months until the outer shell becomes hard. The dried gourds are usually cut at the top to make an opening through which the seeds are removed and contents added for storage.","type":"Gourd","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Culture","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1440 / AD 2019","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Digital photograph: 3464 x 4618 px; Gourds: various dimensions, 25 - 50cm (approx).","method_for_datation":"Recorded by the photographer.","provenance":"Hit, Anbar Governorate, Iraq","obtention":"Photograph taken by institution founder.","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["vessel","gourd","container","water","utensil.","calabash"],"materials":["drying","cutting. Digital photography.","Gourd"]},"d4e323fc-c4f2-52d4-94cb-5c4f2e01828f":{"name":"Map of the Üsküdar Waterways","description":"A scroll-shaped map of the waterways of Üsküdar, backed with cloth and painted in watercolours. This image shows a section of the map, which measures 17.86m in total.","type":"Paper","holder":"Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum Directorate","location":"İstanbul","dimensions":"Length: 17.86m, width: 0.29–0.32m","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Photoprint"]},"d5f6e50a-98c0-5ed7-8aca-8f6313966465":{"name":"Basin.","description":"A spectacular piece of Mamluk metalwork in the form of a large basin with a flared rim, covered inside and out with silver and gold inlay decoration. A striking *thuluth* inscription surrounds the central panel of the bowl giving the name and titles of the Mamluk Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun, who ruled between AH 692 and 743 / AD 1293 and 1341. This basin is one of a number of metalwork vessels from this period featuring bold inscriptions as the main decorative element. The principal inscription is set against arabesques whose tendrils transform into ducks or birds. Dividing the inscription are three medallions filled with lotus flowers, and a small epigraphic blazon in the centre that reads: ‘Glory to our master, the sultan’. Above and below this central panel are two friezes of floral scrolls alternating with six roundels containing further inscriptions.  \nThe presence of lotus blossoms and peonies derives from chinoiserie designs, imported by the Mongols in Iran; these floral designs are also found in Iranian art at this time. The inscription around the rim of the interior reads: ‘Glory to our master, the Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir the wise, the efficient, the warrior, the champion of the faith, the defender Nasir al-Dunya wa’l-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun, may his victory be glorious’. Large basins such as this one were used for a number of ceremonial functions. However, the circling fish in the base suggest that this basin was used as an ablution vessel.","short_description":"A large brass basin covered in silver and gold inlay, probably used as a vessel for ritual ablutions. A bold inscription band around the body of the basin is the main decorative feature, and displays the name and titles of the Mamluk Sultan al-Nasir al-Din Muhammad ibn Qalawun (AH 692–743 / AD 1293–1341).","type":"Metalwork, decoration object, silver","holder":"The British Museum.","initial_owner":"Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun.","dates":"About hegira 692–743 / AD 1293–1341.","location":"London, England","dimensions":"Height 22.7 cm, diameter (of rim) 54 cm.","method_for_datation":"The object is inscribed with the name Sultan Nasir al-Din Muhammad (r. 692–743 / 1293–1341). He was a great patron of the arts, commissioning many buildings as well as numerous fine objects; this object was made during his reign.","method_for_provenance":"The basin would have been made in Egypt or Syria as both countries were under the rule of the patron, Sultan Nasir al-Din Muhammad.","provenance":"Egypt or Syria.","obtention":"Acquired by the British Museum in 1851.","bibliography":"Atil, E., Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks, Washington, D.C., 1981, p.89–90, cat. no. 26.  \n  \nBarrett, D., Islamic Metalwork in the British Museum, London, 1949, plate no. 28.  \n  \nPhillips, T., (ed.) Africa: The Art of a Continent, London, 1996, p.587.  \n  \nWard, R., Islamic Metalwork, London, 1993, pp.111–3, fig. 88.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Emily Shovelton","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Chinese influence","floral decoration","water","arabesque","calligraphy"],"materials":["Brass inlaid with silver and gold."]},"d637d366-909f-55c1-86c7-bd60b9d571e9":{"name":"Water flask","description":"A wooden oval flask with metal edges decorated with zigzag (sawtooth) and wavy branch motifs. The body is ornamented with domed studs and rosettes of multi-petaled flowers with zigzag borders and simple cross-hatched lozenges. Metal fittings include rings for suspension. It features two cylindrical necks (one small, one large, pierced), with covers. One attached by a chain, the other missing.","type":"Flask","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"Late AH 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Width: 12cm, Height: 32cm","provenance":"Hijaz","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["water","wood","flask"],"materials":["Wood","metal sheathing"]},"d6880977-13ca-5aa6-b786-648161801155":{"name":"Basin.","description":"This piece, a deep copper basin inlaid with silver, is decorated with an epigraphic band written in *thuluth* script whose text reads: 'Made for the honourable Excellency, the sublime master, the learned, the just, the warrior (of the frontiers), the defender (of the faith), the masterful, al-Sayfi Tabtaq al-Maliki al-Ashrafi.' The name carried by this vessel is linked to Amir Tabtaq, one of the officers under al-Malik al-Ashraf Khalil, who ruled from AH 689–93 / AD 1290–4. Tabtaq was the governor of Qus a city in Upper Egypt, during the third reign of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun (AH 709–41 / AD 1309–40). A number of blazons depicting a goblet, a symbol for the position of cupbearer, intermingle with the inscriptions. The inside centre base of the basin holds a design composed of six fishes arranged in a spiral format.  \nThe basin was used for hand-washing and at times for washing clothes. During the Mamluk period, the wardrobe or storeroom for clothing was known as '*tast khana*' meaning the 'abode of the basin' and all that was allotted to the sultans by way of basins, apparel, jewellery, swords, chairs and carpets was stored there. There were various types of basin and a variety of decorative styles, including gold and silver inlay, especially during the Mamluk period.","short_description":"A basin would form a pair with a ewer as an indispensable item in hand-washing and cleanliness in general. This basin, inlaid with silver, bears the blazon of its owner, the cupbearer Amir Tabtaq.","type":"Basin, copper","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art","dates":"Hegira 8th century / AD 14th century.","location":"Cairo","dimensions":"Height 17 cm, diameter (of the opening) 44 cm.","method_for_datation":"The basin was dated based on studies of the inscriptions which bear the name of Amir Tabtaq, one of the officers of al-Malik al-Ashraf Khalil, and a governor of the City of Qus during the reign of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun.","method_for_provenance":"This piece was produced in Egypt, for in addition to having been discovered in the Egyptian City of Qus, it was commissioned specifically for Amir Tabtaq. Furthermore, the inlay technique used on this basin is in the mode that flourished in Egypt during the Mamluk period. There are a number of pieces, acquired by museums, that have been made in an identical manner to this piece, and whose provenance has been attributed to Egypt.","provenance":"Egypt.","obtention":"The basin was uncovered during the course of archaeological excavations in 1966 at Qus.","bibliography":"Abd al-Razzaq, A., “Al-Ranuq ala 'asr Salateen al-Mamalik \\[Blazons during the Mamluk period\\]”,in *Majalat al-Jam'iya al-Tarikhiya \\[Journal of the Historical Association\\],* Vol. 21, Cairo, 1974.  \nAllan, J., *Metalwork of the Islamic world: The Aron Collection*, London, 1986.  \nAtil, E., *Renaissance of Islam: Art of the Mamluks,* Washington D.C., 1987.  \n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_, et al, *Islamic Metalwork in the Freer Gallery of Art*, Washington D.C., 1985.  \nFehervari, G., *Islamic Metalwork of the Eighth to the Fifteenth Century in the Keir Collection,* London, 1976.  \nMusilhi, S., *Adwat wa Awani al-Matbakh al-Ma'adaniya fi al-'Asr al-Mamluki \\[Metal Implements and Tools of the Kitchen during the Mamluk Period\\],* PhD thesis, University of Cairo, 1983.  \nStierlin, H., and Stierlin A., *Splendours of the Islamic World: Mamluk Art in Cairo (1250–1517),* London, New York, 1997.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Muhammad Abbas Muhammad Selim","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["inlay","Thuluth","Copper","blazon"],"materials":["Copper inlaid with silver."]},"d69ce4c6-4db6-5eba-bc2f-4c16c9bf8894":{"name":"Women by the Well","description":"This painting elegantly encapsulates a quotidian moment imbued with the rural essence of Jordanian tradition. The scene under consideration depicts a group of figures, predominantly female, congregated around a stone well situated beneath a clear blue sky, with lush greenery and palm trees serving as a backdrop. The utilisation of vibrant hues and meticulous attention to detail serves to elicit a sense of concord between humans, architecture and nature.  \nThe composition is centred on the well structure, which is composed of warm, sandy stones and framed by an arched entrance that serves as both a practical and symbolic focal point. This concept encompasses not only the physical source of water but also serves as a nexus for community and social interaction. The women's actions, drawing, carrying and pouring water reflect cooperation and rhythm in everyday life, while their vibrant clothing, rich in blues, reds and greens, highlights cultural identity and regional craftsmanship.  \nThe artist's employment of colour and light engenders an atmosphere that is serene and almost celebratory. The distinct contours and vivid colour scheme bear resemblance to folk painting and naïve art, placing emphasis on storytelling and collective memory as opposed to strict realism. This approach encourages viewers to recognise the aesthetic value of simplicity and to acknowledge the dignity of routine activities.","type":"Painting","holder":"Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts","location":"Jordan","catalogue_holding_link":"https://nationalgallery.org/artist/jack-girdlestone/#artwork-9","author":"Dina Turkieh","keywords":["oil","Well","women","water"],"materials":["Oil on canvas"]},"d6d69c7b-e931-5628-b682-41484e297c16":{"name":"*Woman with a Branch of Dates*","description":"Faiq Hassan was among the pioneering artists in Iraq who obtained formal art education and was awarded a government scholarship to pursue studies in Paris. In AH 1356 / AD 1938, he assumed the directorship of the recently established *Ma’had al-Funun al-Jamila fi Baghdad* (Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad), a role he held until AH 1382 / AD 1962.  \nHassan belonged to the cohort of *'al-Ruwwad'* (the Pioneers), a group of painters that integrated elements of everyday Iraqi life into their artwork and defied conventional studio methods. He followed the artistic principle of istilham al-turath, which focused on taking inspiration from heritage. This principle was developed by *Jama'at Baghdad lil-Fann al-Hadith* (Baghdad Group for Modern Art), which was founded in AH 1370 / AD 1951.  \n  \n'A Woman with a Branch of Dates' shows an Iraqi woman wearing a black traditional garment and holding a basket of dates , before an abstract, flattened village background. Hassan preferred to depict everyday life in rural areas. He merged the artistic traditions of ancient Mesopotamia with modernism to cultivate an awareness of Iraqi national identity.","type":"Painting","holder":"MATHAF, Arab Museum of Modern Art","dates":"AH 1370- 1379 / AD 1950–1959","location":"Doha","dimensions":"75cm × 61cm × 0.5cm","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Dates","woman","water"],"materials":["Oil paint","Hardboard"]},"d86bffa6-0320-50d5-b0a4-c47134d7d642":{"name":"Water pumping equipment in Kağıthane, Istanbul","description":"During the 19th century, new technologies radically transformed both travel and communications. Cendere Hamidian Water Pump Station was built by Abdülhamid II in 1902 at an altitude of 34 metres above sea level. With its function, architectural design and mechanical equipment, the station is a unique monument to the history of the architecture industry in the Ottoman Empire. It pumped to Balmumcu and Beşiktaş – in the direction of Tophane, moving water coming from 20 different pipes in Kağıthane using steam pump machines.","type":"Photograph","holder":"Istanbul University, Nadir Eserler Kütüphanesi (Rare Books Library)","dates":"Beginning of the 20th century","location":"Istanbul","provenance":"Istanbul","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega"},"d88746c7-cbe9-5e02-9b69-27f81f2ed7e5":{"name":"Nilometer","description":"The Nilometer is the oldest extant Islamic structure in Egypt, built on the Nile island of al-Rauda in Cairo in AH 247 / AD 861. It consists of a shaft that is connected with the Nile through three channels. In the middle of the shaft stands a column, and its markings from the bottom up make it possible to measure the water level, providing information that is of fundamental importance for people and crops in the Nile river valley.  \n  \nThe Nilometer’s interior is decorated with inscriptions that primarily consist of passages from the Koran. Similar friezes, since demolished, once embellished the entrance, from which this inscription frieze probably came.  \n  \nIt was purchased in Cairo in AH 1240 / AD 1824 by F. C. Münter, Bishop of Zealand, Denmark.","type":"Inscription frieze","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH 247 / AD 861-862","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Height: 23cm; Width: 104.5cm","place_of_production":"Cairo","bibliography":"Meyer, J., *et al.*, *Beyond words: calligraphy from the World of Islam*, Copenhagen: Strandberg Publishing, 2024: fig. 12, 22 and 25.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","materials":["Marble"]},"d8a3f282-4a5c-57d0-8193-f56213cd10a0":{"name":"Water jug","description":"Ottoman Artifact from the Reign of Sultan Mahmud I.  \nInscribed in Ottoman Turkish with the following text:  \n  \n\"*Eba Eyyûb el-Ensârî aleyhir-raḥmeti’l-bârî’de Kur’an ve Mevlid-i Şerif için, Şevketli, Kerametli, Mehabetli Sultan Mahmud Han-ı Gazi Hazretlerinin Vakf-ı Hümâyun-ı Mülûkânesindendir. Sene 1161.*\"  \n  \n\"Belonging to the Imperial *Waqf* of His Majesty, the Glorious, Gracious, and Illustrious Sultan Mahmud Khan the Conqueror, for the recitation of the Qur’an and the Mevlid-i Şerif at the shrine of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. Year \\[Hijri\\] 1161.\"","type":"Jug","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 12th century / AD 18th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Diameter: 10cm, depth: 6cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["copper"]},"d8e1d81f-2112-5652-987b-f417b3f15ad1":{"name":"Scalloped ewer","description":"This pitcher with gadrooned (scalloped) body is used to rinse the hands and face of a guest who has arrived at a host’s residence. The shape of the object is well known in Türkiye and India; it was also reproduced in ceramics.  \nThe mark of the owner is visible in two places: under the spout, in an almond cartouche, and again in a hexagon whose sides are extended by a three-lobed floret.","type":"Metalwork","holder":"Museum of the Arab World Institute","owner":"Museum of the Arab World Institute","dates":"Hegira 11th century / AD 17th century","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Height: 31.5cm, l. 28cm, Diameter: 17.5cm, Minimum diameter: 12cm","provenance":"Iran or India","obtention":"Purchased at auction on advice of Ader-Picard-Tajan, 1990.","bibliography":"Delpont, E., et al., *Album du musée*, Paris: Somogy éditions d'art, 2012: 387.  \n  \nLane, A., *Later Islamic Pottery: Persia, Syria, Egypt, Turkey*, London: Faber and Faber, 1971: Fig. 94.  \n  \nMelikian-Chirvani, A.S., *Le bronze iranien*, Paris: Musée des Arts Décoratifs, 1973: 105.  \n  \nSkelton, R., et al., *Facets of Indian Art. A symposium Held at the Victoria and Albert Museum on 26, 27, 28 April and I May 1986*, London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1986: 253-259.  \n  \nZebrowski, M., \"The Indian Ewer\", in *Facets of Indian Art*, London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1986: 256, Fig. 8.","translator":"Judy Harter","materials":["chiseled","engraved","cast","Bronze"]},"d924bdbd-6784-5093-a7c0-3fb7fe51be48":{"name":"Vessel with tap","description":"The vessel has a cylindrical body with a rim that projects outward. It is fitted with a lid, which tapers upwards in a stepped form. The lower part of the body is decorated with a row of rounded reliefs. The lid has a rounded handle that expands slightly outward. A small brass spout is fitted to the lower part of the body.","type":"Fountain","holder":"Bursa Museum Directorate","location":"Bursa","dimensions":"Height: 23cm, base width: 16.5cm, mouth: 17.8cm","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","fountain","Copper","water"],"materials":["copper"]},"da60db2e-b27e-5914-9284-ae2e7d5378d4":{"name":"Astrolabe-quadrant","description":"One side of the instrument carries a Prophatius astrolabe-quadrant for latitude 41°, with an unequal hour diagram (horary quadrant) above. The other side is a sine-cosine quadrant with arcs of sine and versed sine. There are brief instructions in Turkish and Arabic on the sides and edges. The maker’s name and the date appear on each side, with slight variations in some details of the signature. The *nisbah* of the maker, al-Ufi, indicates that he was from Of, a small town on the Black Sea.","type":"Scientific instrument","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"AH 1256 (AD 1840–41)","location":"London","dimensions":"16.8cm x 12.8 x 3cm; radius of quadrant: 12.5cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Dated AH 1256 (AD 1840–41)","bibliography":"Maddison, F. and Savage-Smith, E., *Science, Tools & Magic. The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, vol. XII. Part One: Body and Spirit Mapping the Universe, London: The Nour Foundation, 1997: cat. 156, pp. 266-268.*","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.khalilicollections.org/collections/islamic-art/khalili-collection-islamic-art-astrolabe-quadrant-sci40/","author":"Qaisra Khan","materials":["the lead weight for the plumb-line is housed in the instrument","inscribed in red and black ink under a yellowish varnish","brass socket for the plumb-line","solid walnut"]},"daf0a019-2f3a-548e-8b57-dc323f10cd15":{"name":"Cisterns of Sidi Bou Othmane","description":"The cisterns of Sidi Bou Othmane, in the Haouz region near Marrakech, are an outstanding example of medieval Moroccan hydraulic engineering. Built in the AH 6th / AD 12th century under the Almohad dynasty, they show how crucial water management was in a semi-arid environment. Designed to collect, store, and distribute water, they supplied local populations, commercial caravans, and military garrisons in a water-scarce region. The complex comprises several basins and tanks linked by a system based on the impluvium principle, where channels run off into settling basins for filtration before reaching the main cisterns. At its core are nine large cisterns, each about 4 metres wide, 5 metres high, and 25 metres long, holding over 3,250 cubic metres of water. Thick walls of roughly 1.5 metres provided stability, and roof openings allowed ventilation and maintenance. Water flowed through a network of canals, with a nearby dam regulating the supply.  \n  \nBuilt from local stone and mortar, the cisterns were waterproofed with fine finishes. Fragments of decorated ceramics, now preserved at El Badi Palace, reflect the attention paid to durability and aesthetics.  \n  \nThese cisterns had multiple roles: they irrigated surrounding lands, supporting cereals, fruits, and other crops. Strategically, they supplied garrisons and caravans moving between Marrakech, southern Morocco, and Saharan trade routes. Socially, many cisterns were managed through *waqf* endowments, a type of Islamic charitable donation where property or income is dedicated to public or religious use, funding mosques, madrasas, and aid for the poor. Though their use declined with modernisation, they remain a vital heritage site showcasing historical water management and human adaptation to environmental challenges in Morocco.","type":"Hydraulic storage cistern complex","dates":"AH 6th / AD 12th century","location":"Bahira","bibliography":"Allain, C., ‘Les citernes et les margelles de Sidi Bou Othman’, *Hespéris*, vol. 38 (3–4), 1951 : 423–434.","history":"During the Almohad period (c. AH 524–667 / AD 1121–1269), Marrakech, then the empire’s capital, saw major developments in urban planning, agriculture, and water infrastructure. The dynasty inherited knowledge from the Almoravids and introduced new structures adapted to the local climate and terrain. In Haouz, capturing rain and floodwaters was essential. The Sidi Bou Othmane cisterns collected runoff from the surrounding mountains, ensuring a year-round supply.","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Cistern","water storage","irrigation","Haouz","Almohad","waqf","hydraulic system"]},"db7e26a4-3251-5466-8971-8209285633d5":{"name":"\"Alexander and the Circle of Seven Sages\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Khamsa (Quintet) of Nizami of Ganja","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","dates":"9th century AH / 15th Century AD","location":"New York","dimensions":"Painting and Text Block: Height: 22.2 cm, Width: 14.3 cm; Page: Height: 27.8 cm, Width 19.7 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Gift from Alexander Smith Cochran in 1913","bibliography":"Valentiner, W. R. \"The Cochran Collection of Persian Manuscripts.\" *Museum of Metropolitan Art Bulletin*vol. 8 (1913).  \n  \nBowie, T. R., and T. Brend. *East-West in Art. Patterns of Aesthetic and Cultural Relationships*. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1966.  \n  \nCasagrande-Kim, R., ed. \"Islamic Transformations of the Classical Past.\" In *Romance and Reason*. Princeton and Oxford: Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University, no. 26, (2018).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/455025","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"dc123c01-a94a-53ca-b79e-5fb7aeb83571":{"name":"Vat","description":"Globular vat with a conical base, a flaring neck, a flanged rim and winged handles. The paste is whitish and unglazed. Its decoration consists of a stamped, alternating series of lozenges and eulogetic epigraphy arranged in perimeter friezes.  \n  \nA common feature of Andalusian homes, these large earthenware vats were strategically placed in the courtyards or in interior rooms to preserve goods such as oil, cereals, or water, as well as to store domestic objects. In this case, the porous nature of the unglazed clay suggests that this example functioned specifically as a water vat, as it would have filtered and cooled the water, keeping it clean and fresh.  \n  \nBeyond their practical function, some vats had also an aesthetic value, as can be seen in the stamped decoration or glazing. Decorations included epigraphic motifs invoked to protect the vats' contents. The production and use of these vats continued after the Castilian conquest.","type":"Vat","holder":"National Archaeological Museum","initial_owner":"Unknown","dates":"Hegira 7th century / AD 13th century","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height: 68cm, maximum diameter: 203cm, mouth diameter: 34cm, base diameter: 18cm","place_of_production":"Al-Andalus","method_for_datation":"Archaeological and art-historical studies have established certain formal features that allow us to date the piece to the 7th–8th century Hegira / 13th–14th century AD. The globular body and stamped decoration are particularly present in the Almohad world, evolving towards more stylised forms, with more pronounced winged handles.","provenance":"Seville","obtention":"In the Museum's collection before 1980.","bibliography":"Aguado Villalba, J., *Tinajas medievales españolas: islámicas y mudéjares*, Toledo: Instituto Provincial de Investigaciones y Estudios Toledanos. Provincial council, 1991: 48, fig. 23.  \n  \nFernández López, M. Á., “El ajuar cerámico andalusí de almacenamiento de agua en la región de Murcia”, in L. Cara Barrionuevo (ed), *El agua en zonas áridas. Arqueología e historia. Hidráulica tradicional de la provincia de Almería*, Instituto de Estudios Almerienses, 1989: 199-225.  \n  \nFranco Mata, M. Á., “Antigüedades cristianas de los siglos VIII al XV», in L. Balmaseda et al. (eds), *Edad Media: salas XXIV-XXXV*, general guide. Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Madrid: Ministerio de Cultura, 1992: 75-111.  \n  \nNavarro Palazón, J. (ed.), *Casas y palacios en Al-Andalus: siglos XII-XIII*, Madrid: Lunweg, 1995.","author":"Helena Lahoz Kopiske","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Prophylactic practices","Technology","water","Household goods","Conservation"],"materials":["modelling","stamping","firing","Ceramic"]},"dc345fef-438d-5088-994a-47a78663e585":{"name":"Ablution jug.","description":"A cylindrical jug of leaded bronze without a handle and with a tall neck divided into two unequal parts by a decorative 'rope' band. The cylindrical body is plain, although the shoulder is divided into narrow bands that are filled with short vertical strokes.  \n  \nThis vessel may once have been used as an ablution jug for ritual washing before prayer; many other such metal and ceramic jugs have been found associated with this ritual. This particular jug was found during archaeological excavations in the hammam that was part of the qasr (palace) at Umm al-Walid.","short_description":"A jug of leaded bronze, without a handle and made from four parts welded together. Found during excavations at the baths of the Umayyad qasr at Umm al-Walid, it may have been used as an ablution jug for ritual washing before prayer.","type":"Jug, metalwork","holder":"Madaba Archaeological Museum.","owner":"Now on display at Jordan Museum","dates":"Hegira 2nd century / AD 8th century.","location":"Madaba","dimensions":"Height 41.8 cm, diameter (of neck) 7 cm.","method_for_datation":"The object was dated by its stratigraphic context and association with Umayyad pottery vessels also found at the site.","method_for_provenance":"Where this vessel was produced is unknown but it was recovered during archaeological excavations at Umm al-Walid near Madaba.","provenance":"Objeto hallado en Umm al-Walid.","obtention":"The object was recovered during archaeological excavations at Umm al-Walid in 1992.","bibliography":"Bujard, J., and Schweizer, F., *Entre Byzance et l'Islam: Umm er-Rasas et Umm el-Walid – Fouilles genevoises en Jordanie*, Geneva, 1992, p.17, fig. 11/6.  \nHaldimann, M. A., *Les Implantations omeyyades dans la Balqa: l'apport d'Umm el-Walid*, Annual of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan*,* XXXVI, 1992, pp.307–18.  \nJoguin, M., 'Des pots et des hommes; l'exemple d'Umm el-Walid', *Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan*, Vol. VII, 2001, pp.641–5, fig. 5.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_JO_EN_001","author":"Aida Naghawy","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Ablution","metalwork"],"materials":["four parts joined together.","Leaded bronze"]},"dc5b965f-e339-5f91-bede-06c101b7ce46":{"name":"Water mills","alternate_name":"Rḥa الرحى or maṭḥana المطحنة","description":"Water mills, locally known as *maṭḥana*, date back to the AH 5th-16th / AD 11th–12th centuries during the Almoravid and Almohad dynasties. They played a vital role in Morocco’s rural and agricultural history, supporting traditional economies where farming was the main livelihood. These dynasties promoted the development of hydraulic infrastructure and the rational use of water in both cities and countryside.  \nThe concept of the water mill was not new, but it was refined in Morocco through the blending of Berber, Andalusian, and Eastern influences, enriching local know-how in construction, hydraulics, and community organisation.  \nBuilt in rural regions near rivers and irrigation canals, these mills harnessed the power of flowing water to grind cereals such as wheat, barley, and corn: staples of Moroccan agriculture. Water was diverted through a small canal or pipe to a horizontal wheel, typically wooden or metal, which rotated and turned the upper stone. This efficient system turned grains into flour—an important step in preparing bread, the cornerstone of the Moroccan diet.  \nIn Morocco’s semi-arid climate, water management was always crucial to the survival of communities. Water mills were often integrated into larger hydraulic systems, linked to khettaras (traditional underground canals), norias (water wheels), dams, and retention basins. Beyond their agricultural function, water mills had a social and religious dimension. They might be incorporated into waqfs or habous (religious endowments), whose revenues were used to fund mosques, Quranic schools (madrasas), or hostels for travellers. The miller, often a respected figure in the village, played the role of mediator and overseer in ensuring fair access to milling services. More than functional structures, these mills served as social hubs and symbols of cooperation, sustainability, and spiritual value.  \nWith the advent of modern industry and the introduction of electric mills in the AH 16th / AD 20th century, the use of traditional water mills gradually declined. Some survive in mountainous areas, such as the Middle Atlas, or in remote regions of the Rif and Souss, preserved as part of Morocco’s cultural heritage. These mills stand as evidence of Moroccan hydraulic genius, of the ability of rural societies to adapt to their environment, and of the harmonious integration of nature, technology, and spirituality.","type":"Architectural water feature / Agricultural equipment","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Various local communities or preserved as heritage by Ministry of Culture and Islamic Affairs","initial_owner":"Community-owned or endowed through *waqf* (religious endowment)","dates":"AH 5th-6th / AD 11th–12th centuries","location":"Marrakech","place_of_production":"Rural regions of Morocco","provenance":"Originated during the medieval Islamic period as part of Morocco’s broader hydraulic infrastructure and agricultural practices","workshop":"Built by local rural craftsmen with knowledge of traditional Berber, Andalusian, and Eastern techniques","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["sacred economy","ritual food production","Islamic charity","community endowment","waqf"],"materials":["Stone","Wood","metal","hydraulic engineering using diverted water flows and gravity"]},"dc96172a-d522-545b-a1c3-052bebfe5e6c":{"name":"\"Device for Raising Water\" from al-Jazari's \"Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices\"","description":"In the AH 7th / AD 13th-century, a scholar and engineer named Isma‘il Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari wrote a famous treatise called *Kitab fi ma‛rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya*, or The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. The text offered detailed descriptions of a series of elaborate machines designed to delight and impress the elites at the court where he served, in eastern Anatolia. Al-Jazari’s text and its illustrations belong to a long tradition of studies about these kinds of devices, including Greek compendia on mechanics and mathematics. This page belongs to a copy of the text that was produced in Mamluk Egypt in AH 755 / AD 1354, and was copied by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri for a Mamluk ruler.","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"Ah Safar 755 / AD February 1354","location":"Boston","dimensions":"39.4cm × 27.6cm","place_of_production":"Probably Cairo","obtention":"By 1912, Victor Goloubew (b. 1879 - d. 1945), Paris; 1914, sold by Goloubew through M. Meyer-Riefstahl to the MFA.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.mfa.org/objects/13824/aljazaris-book-of-knowledge-of-ingenious-mechanical-devic?ctx=960a2c37-a27f-436d-9ac0-f9aed7bd2418&idx=0","keywords":["Technical Manuscript","water","Mamluks","folio"],"materials":["Opaque watercolour and ink on paper"]},"dd7c1d21-573b-5dd3-8f6f-94141d1320e3":{"name":"Safi ibn Vali’s Anis al-Hujjaj (‘Pilgrims’ Companion’)","short_description":"Written during the year-long pilgrimage undertaken by the author, Safi ibn Vali, in 1676–77, the Anis al-Hujjaj (‘Pilgrims’ Companion’) gives advice to prospective pilgrims on every aspect of the journey: which ships to choose, how to stay healthy, the places to visit, the rituals to be observed and the people one is likely to encounter. Safi ibn Vali’s own pilgrimage (he commenced his journey on 12 Rajab 1087/ 20 September 1676) was made possible through the financial help of Zib al-Nisa, a daughter of the Mughal emperor Awrangzeb, for whom he had written a commentary on the Qur’an.  \n  \nThis manuscript belongs to a long-established tradition of guides to the Holy Places (see MSS 1038), although the illustrations here differ in that they combine the diagrammatic views normally found in such guides with vivid and colourful scenes of the pilgrims and their caravans. The illustrations are simple in their conception yet their attention to detail is acute. They provide a cogent picture of camp life of pilgrims in the late 17th century.  \n  \nThe illustrations:  \n  \nView of the port of Surat and the ships carrying pilgrims (folio 2b). Surat, on the Western coast of India, north of Bombay, was one of the main points of departure to Arabia. The view is oriented to the south.  \nThe pilgrims’ ships crossing the Sea of Oman (folio 3b). The two larger ships carry pilgrims; one, on the right, appears to be casting (or raising) anchor. The smaller vessels may be fishing boats.  \nThe mish‘ar al-haram and the ritual of collecting pebbles (folio 10a). The painting shows the pilgrims in the region of Muzdalifa, in a state of ihram (ritual purity), collecting pebbles.  \nThe pilgrims in the town of Mina, being shaved, making sacrifices and casting pebbles at the Devil (folio 10b). This day corresponds to ‘Id al-Adha on 10 dhu’l-Hijjah, the feast commemorating the Sacrifice of Abraham. By this stage, the pilgrims, who are in a full state of ihram indicated by their white garments, have already completed their initial circumambulation of the Ka‘bah (the welcome tawaf); the ritual of running between the hills of Safa and Marwa (sa‘iyy) recalling Hagar’s desperate search for water for her son Isma‘il; the day of prayer at ‘Arafat – a most holy time when every pilgrim stands alone with God; and the gathering of pebbles at Muzdalifa in preparation for the stoning of the Devil at Mina. This recalls yet another chapter in the Abrahamic narrative in which Isma‘il stones the Devil seven times (the ritual is illustrated in the upper right-hand corner of the painting). After this a sacrifice is made. The pilgrims are released from most of the restrictions imposed by the state of ihram; men shave their heads and beards; women have their hair clipped. Pilgrims can now wear their normal clothes and leave for Mecca, where they perform another essential rite, a further circumambulation of the Ka‘bah known as the tawaf al-ifadah, which takes place on the same day.  \nThe birthplaces of the Prophet Muhammad; Fatimah; Abu Bak al-Siddiq; as well as the Madrasah of Sultan Sulayman, and a Bektashi lodge (folio 11b). These are shrines to visit in the vicinity of Mecca, which are not part of the hajj rituals.  \nPlan of the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca with the Ka‘bah (folio 12a).  \nThe camp of North African caravan of pilgrims (folio 15a).  \nThe camp of Egyptian caravan of pilgrims (folio 15b).  \nThe camp of the Syrian caravan of pilgrims (folio 16a). Unlike the pilgrims from North Africa and Egypt, the Syrian pilgrims are richly dressed and carry swords and gold daggers. Ahmad Pasha, the Syrian Amir al-Hajj, is identified by a caption (top left).  \nThe camp of the desert Arabs and the people of Najd (folio 16b).  \nThe camp of the caravans of the Indian (top) and Iranian pilgrims (folio 17a).  \nOfficials, scribes and secretaries (folio 17b). This is a small illustration, which is not captioned.  \nSharif Barakat, hakim haramayn sharifayn (‘Governor of the two Holy Sanctuaries’), riding to meet the envoy of Sultan Mehmed \\[IV\\], the Emperor of Rum (folio 18a).  \n‘Abdi Pasha, the Amir al-Hajj of the Egyptian caravan, on his way from Mecca to Medina (folio 18b).  \nThe port of Mucha, in the Yemen (folio 21a). The illustration shows the pilgrims’ ships departing from the port as well as Sayyid Husayn, the Governor of Mucha, riding his horse (bottom right).  \nThe port of Jeddah (folio 22b). This view is very similar to that of Mucha (folio 21a) in that it combines views of the city and the pilgrims’ ships with one of the Governor of the city, Sunjuq.  \nMan attacked by a lion (folio 21b); Man saved from the jaws of a lion (folio 23a); A feast (folio 23b). The three small-scale paintings are illustrations to a parable about a very poor woman taking pity on some beggars passing by and feeding them; her act of generosity was rewarded when a stranger saved her son from being eaten by a lion. The feast is probably in celebration of the son’s safe return to his mother.  \nScript:  \n  \nPersian text copied in nasta‘liq; with 23 lines to the page.","type":"Treatise / Compendium","holder":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, London","owner":"Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","initial_owner":"Princess Zeb un-Nisa (AH 1047-1113 / AD 1638–1702)","dates":"*circa* 1677–80 AD","location":"London","dimensions":"23 folios, with 11 full-page and 9 half-page illustrations. 33 x 23.2cm (page); 27.4 x 14.7cm (text panels, and full-page illustrations)","place_of_production":"India","method_for_datation":"The text states the dates of travel and compilation as AH 1087 / AD 1676–7.","provenance":"India, possibly Gujarat","bibliography":"Khan, Q.M., *The Pilgrim’s Companion: The Khalili Anis al-Hujjaj*, London: Kulturalis, 2025.  \n  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames and Hudson, 2010: cat. 332–41, pp. 284–7.  \n  \nYork Leach, L., *Paintings from India, The Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume VIII; London: The Nour Foundation, 1998: cat. 34, pp. 124-9.*","author":"Qaisra Khan","keywords":["Medina","Mosque","prayer","pilgrimage","Muhammad","travel","India","ship","Mukha","Ka'ba","Hijaz","Religion","Prophet Manuscript","Mecca","Holy place"],"materials":["gold and opaque watercolour on paper","Ink","modern leather binding"]},"dddd9f2e-9bbf-52e9-b0c9-6daa195c732b":{"name":"View of Jebel Kuruntul taken from the Jericho Plain","description":"A view of Jebel Kuruntul from the Jericho plain with the remains of Mamluk sugar mills and aqueducts in the middle distance. Charles Warren describes the scene in his book *Underground Jerusalem*, AH 1293 / AD 1876: p 167, and pp 185–189. This picture was taken from Warren's campsite. “Our way lay over some low swelling hills, on which the ruins of the sugar mills remain, and the aqueduct which brought water to work them from ‘Ain ed Duk. These mills appear to have been put up after the Moslem conquest, when the plain of Jericho was in a high state of cultivation; even as late as the 12th century it was accounted the garden of Palestine”: 186.","type":"Original albumen photographic print","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","dates":"AH 1284 / AD 1867","location":"London","place_of_production":"Palestine","method_for_datation":"Recorded dates of the survey.","method_for_provenance":"Palestine Exploration Fund project.","provenance":"Palestine, Reconnaissance Survey by Lieut. Charles Warren R.E. for the Palestine Exploration Fund","obtention":"Created for the PEF during Charles Warren’s Reconnaissance Survey of Palestine and Jerusalem, AH 1284 - 1288 / AD 1867–1871","bibliography":"Warren, C., *et al.* The Survey of Western Palestine-Jerusalem, London: Legare Street Press, 2022.","workshop":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Jericho","Mamluk","photography","aqueduct","sugar mill"],"materials":["Albumen","photographic paper"]},"de4d9eaf-e78d-5c74-9efd-dd68d0c7fae9":{"name":"Entrance of the Hammam of the Mouassine Mosque (Marrakech)","description":"The entrance to the *hammam* of the Mouassine Mosque in Marrakech is situated within an area of the city that dates back to antiquity. This area demonstrates the interconnection between water, buildings and the quality of life of the inhabitants of the medina. The Mouassine complex was constructed during the Saadian period in the 16th century. The architectural design of the building was conceived with the intention of creating a multifunctional civic foundation, thereby ensuring its versatility in terms of utilisation. The complex included a mosque, fountain, hammam, madrasa and public amenities. The entrance to the hammam is modest and integrated into the urban fabric, reflecting the traditional Moroccan approach to architecture where public buildings are an integral part of the city.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private Collection","author":"Yelyzaveta Basysta","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Marrakech.","Mosque","photography","water"]},"df3db103-55c2-57af-a18e-f9b924273ff5":{"name":"Soap box","alternate_name":"*kildence* , *sabunluk*","description":"Soap boxes such as this example were part of the AH 13th / AD 19th century Turkish dowry tradition. Known as *sabunluk*, *kildence* or *kildan*, they were offered to the bride as part of grooming trousseau which would include a personal toiletry set and refined objects that she would bring with her to the hamam.  \n  \nThis box is made of tinned copper. The sides are decorated with repoussé semi-circles running along the edges and encircling a row of diamond-shaped motifs finely engraved with a lotus-like pattern. Similar delicate vegetal engraving adorns the upper level which is indented on the top, most probably to leave a comfortable resting space for the knuckles during transportation. The rectangular handle is supported by two slightly leaning hinges. Two further hinges house a bird-shaped lock to safely protect the contents of the box.  \n  \nIt currently holds a silver pumice case and its bottom is pierced allowing it to serve as a sieve so that any residual moisture could drain off. The *kildence* could vary in size and contain a variety of other items such as *kese* (exfoliating washcloth), combs, mirrors, makeup, perfumes, etc.  \n  \nA treasured family item, the quality of the *kildence* matched the refinement of the set it was part of and would act, like every object in the dowry trousseau, as a statement on the social status of its holder.  \n  \nAs the traditions fade away and the utilitarian objects of the hamam turn into plastic, this carefully crafted item is a testimony to the refinement of the often overlooked material culture of the hamam tradition in Türkiye.","type":"Metalwork","holder":"Institute of the Arab World","dates":"AH 13th / AD 19th century","location":"Paris","dimensions":"Box height: 12cm, length: 20cm","method_for_datation":"Comparison with similar items.","method_for_provenance":"Comparison with similar items.","provenance":"Türkiye","obtention":"Gift, 2023.","bibliography":"Başkan A., ‘A Research on the Temporal Transformation of Objects in Turkish Bath Culture’, in","author":"Dounia Handis","keywords":["sabunluk","Türkiye","water","soap box","kildence","Ablution","Hammam"],"materials":["Box: partially tinned copper with embossed and perforated decoration Case: silver with embossed and decorative overlay"]},"dfc454bd-a4c8-5e09-bb84-93b4d6b1629f":{"name":"Basin","short_description":"A brass basin with splayed rim; raised, chased, and inlaid with silver and niello. The main decorative element on the exterior is a large band of flowing *Thuluth* (elaborate Arabic script) inscription against a floral background, broken by three circular medallions. Each medallion has an inner circle of *Nashki* (more standard Arabic script) bordered by a floral band. The large register is bordered top and bottom by narrow registers decorated with pinwheels and diamonds filled with a fleur-de-lis pattern. The top register has crowning element of upward pointing leaves. The exterior *Thuluth* inscription reads, \"The seat of power, the lord, the princely / the great, the conqueror, the defender of the faith, the frontier warrior / the protector of frontiers, the rendered victorious by God the \\[mamluk\\] of al-Malik al-Nasir.\" The *Nashki* inscription reads, \"The seat of power, the lord, the learned, the diligent, the defender of the faith, \\[mamluk of al-Malik\\] al-Nasir.\" The underside of the lip has a roughly engraved inscription. The edge of the rim is decorated with a running vine scroll. A wide register of script is on the interior of the lip broken by six medallions, each with a pinwheel surrounded by a floral border. The Arabic inscription on the interior of the lip reads, \"The seat of power / the lord, the / princely, the great, the lear / ned, the diligent the / conqueror, the defender of the faith / the master, \\[mamluk of al-Malik\\] al-Nasir.\" Below the remaining decorative register is an elaborate floral band with leaves pointing downward. On the interior floor is a large engraved circular medallion of fish with the same border of flowers and outward pointing petals.","type":"Metalwork","holder":"Saint Louis Art Museum","dates":"Hegira Mid 8th century / AD mid 14th century","location":"Saint Louis","dimensions":"Length: 23.5cm x Width: 55.6cm","method_for_datation":"The stately Arabic inscriptions encircling the exterior of the basin and its interior rim indicate it was created for a high-ranking officer of the Mamluk ruler al-Malik al-Nasir (ruled 1293–1341).","method_for_provenance":"Per inscription (see description)","provenance":"Northern Africa, Egypt, Africa","obtention":"Museum Purchase, 1927","keywords":["Northern","inlay","Basin","Egypt","brass","Africa","metalwork","silver","Egyptian","gold"],"materials":["Brass with silver and gold inlay"]},"dfeaa653-0f75-546d-8c39-7cac8ec05374":{"name":"Planispheric Astrolabe","description":"Astrolabes of this size were not precise enough for astronomical observations, but served well for telling time, and astrologers could use them to determine the position of a planet relative to the different astrological houses. The intricate calligraphic faceplate of this example is typical of Safavid‑period astrolabes; it reads: \"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate\" (bismallah al‑Rahman al‑Rahim).","type":"Metalwork","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"I. G. Sargis, New York(until 1963)","dates":"AH 1065 / AD 1654-5","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 21,6cm, width: 17,1cm, depth: 5,7cm","place_of_production":"Attributed to Iran, Mashhad","obtention":"Sold to the museum in 1963","bibliography":"Bowie, T. R., \"An Exhibition Prepared by Theodore Bowie.\" In *Islamic Art Across the World.*, Vol. no. 1970/3. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Art Museum, June 17 to Oct. 1, 1970.  \n  \nMayer, L. A., *Islamic Architects and Their Works.*, Geneva: Albert Kundig, 1956.  \n  \nRahim, H., *Inscription as Art in the World of Islam: Unity in Diversity: at the Emily Lowe Gallery.* , Hempstead, NY: Hofstra Museum, Hofstra University, 1996.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., P. P. Soucek, S. R. Canby, and N. Haidar, ed., Masterpieces from the Department of Islamic Art in The Metropolitan Museum of Art., 1st ed., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.  \n  \nSaliba, G., *Islamic Science and the Making of the European Renaissance.* , Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2011.  \n  \nEkhtiar, M., and C. Moore, ed. \"A Resource for Educators.\" In Art of the Islamic World., New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012.  \n  \nTokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. \"Masterpieces of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.\" In *Earth, Sea, and Sky: Nature in Western Art.* ,Tokyo: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, 2012.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451699","materials":["cast and hammered","Brass and steel","pierced and engraved"]},"e0cacb7c-8356-5070-a4ca-e40684822c68":{"name":"Solomon’s Pools","description":"The so-called Solomon's Pools at Artas near Bethlehem. These pools date from the Roman period and have a complex history of use, disuse and reuse lasting into the Mandate period. They were significantly refurbished in the Mamluk and early Ottoman periods. They were built to bring water into Jerusalem through a series of pipes and aqueducts, a process facilitated by the slightly higher ground at Artas relative to Jerusalem, and also for use in Artas and Bethlehem. They are fed by four nearby springs.","type":"Original photochrom print","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","dates":"AH 1297-1318 / AD 1880–1900","location":"London","place_of_production":"Zurich","method_for_datation":"Recorded dates of the Photoglob Co.","method_for_provenance":"PEF records","provenance":"Photochrom/Photoglob Co. Zurich","obtention":"Purchase","bibliography":"Schick, C., “Die Wasserversorgung von ser Stadt Jerusalem in gescheichtlicher und topographischer Darstellung mit Orignal karten und Plaenen”, In *Zeitschrift der deutschen Palaestina Vereins* 1: 132–76 (1878).  \n  \nAdams, M.J., Letteney, M., Peers, M.T.B., “Survey and excavation at Solomon's Pools, Palestine: 2018 preliminary report”, *Palestine Exploration Quarterly* 151 (1): 15–35 (2019).","workshop":"Photochrome/Photoglob Co. Zurich","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Bethlehem","Solomon’s Pools","Artas"],"materials":["Photo chrome print"]},"e0f43983-a8c9-5141-b857-a481b15f6d1d":{"name":"*Ashari Balam*","description":"The *ashari Balam* is the iconic boat of Basra, with a graceful shape and distinctive scroll-shaped stem head, pictured on many postcards and photographs of the British Mandate era (AH 1339-1351 / AD 1920-1932) that celebrated Basra’s reputation as “the Venice of the East”. The *ashari* may be either punted (propelled by pole), rowed, or sailed. It is not coated with tar, but caulked.  \n  \nThere are three main boat types known as “*ashari*” (named after the al-Ashar area of Basra): the open water *ashari*, often under sail, a working boat that carried cargo; the marsh *ashari*, which is wider and used for net fishing and cargo; and the canal *ashari*, mainly used for passenger transportation and leisure trips, comparable in its function to the Gondola of Venice. Some of the latter type were fitted with canopies or shaded booths.  \n  \nProduction continued into at least the AH 1400s / AD 1980s with a design that had changed little since the Ottoman era. The canal *ashari* can be considered as the last of the “gondolas” of Iraq, a category of boats that may have existed continuously since (at least) the early Islamic period: the historian al-Shabushti (AH 4th / AD 10th century) described how the people of Baghdad travelled in pleasure boats where they enjoyed playing music and games, eating and drinking. Even as far back as the 4th millennium BC (Uruk 3 period), a Sumerian boat with the characteristics of a gondola – a small but luxurious passenger craft – was depicted a cylinder seal impression found in the wetlands of Uqair in Diyala.  \n  \nSafina Projects has made extensive studies of these boat types, including models of several variants and full-sized reconstructions of the canal *ashari* and the open water *ashari*, which have been returned to use on Basra’s waterfront. The latter (pictured here) was built in AH 1444-43 / AD 2022-23 by Basra maritime historian Asaad Dawood in consultation with an experienced local boatbuilder, drawing on Rashad Salim’s research into archival imagery of the *ashari* and oral history interviews with former boatbuilders.","type":"Boat (scale model)","holder":"Open Museum Initiative for Water Cultures","owner":"Safina Projects CIC","initial_owner":"Safina Projects CIC","dates":"AH 1444/ AD 2022","location":"Basra","dimensions":"Length: 11m, beam length: 1.5m, minimum height: 0.6m, prow height: 1.15m","method_for_datation":"Production was supervised by current owner.","method_for_provenance":"Production was supervised by current owner.","provenance":"Basra, Iraq","obtention":"Made in workshop organised by Safina Projects.","bibliography":"Al-Behadli, J., 'The Ark for Iraq Programme: the Experience of Safina Projects in the Study of Traditional Boats and their Revitalisation', *Al-Turath al-Sha’bi*, (2024), 325 \\[Published in Arabic\\].  \n  \nRitter, H., 'Mesopotamische Studien', *Der Islam: Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Kultur des Islamischen Orients* (1919).","author":"Hannah Lewis","keywords":["boat","basketry","Watercraft","Transport"],"materials":["teak wood (Javanese import)","carpentry","caulking","Pine wood (Russian import)"]},"e1235680-19c3-5988-a988-34caaf7813e1":{"name":"Rosewater bottle","description":"This bottle, used for storing rosewater or perfumes, is decorated with floral motifs, geometric patterns, and pictorial scenes. Structurally, it consists of a base, a body and a mouth.  \n  \nThe base is slightly elevated and round in shape, decorated with twisted floral branches made of half palm fronds.  \n  \nThe body is spherical, slightly tapered upwards, and is divided into three round bands, the middle one being the largest. These bands are framed with decorative borders composed of twisted floral branches and segments of palm fronds. The middle band features intersecting circular shapes, adorned with pictorial scenes set against a background of plant decorations made of multi-petaled rosettes and bird illustrations. The surfaces of the shapes are decorated with images of women wearing various types of hats and Iranian garments. Some are shown standing in tilted positions as if dancing, others are sitting, and some appear in whimsical or clownish poses. The upper band is adorned with touching circular shapes featuring seated women, some with sorrowful expressions and others in dancing postures. The lower band also contains touching circular shapes, depicting people wearing various hats and a mix of Iranian and fantastical clothing.  \n  \nThe neck, shaped like a swan’s neck, begins and ends with a raised part decorated with zigzag patterns. The neck is decorated with oval shapes showing figures wearing various hats and Iranian garments – some standing, some sitting and some as mythical beings.  \nThe mouth, shaped like a teardrop, is adorned with the same pictorial scenes as those on the body and neck.  \n  \nSome Persian legends mention this vessel, known as “Ashkdan” or “Eshqdan” (meaning Vessel of Tears), suggesting that such bottles were used to collect women's tears during the long absence of their husbands. Upon their return, the amount of tears would be measured as an expression of love. In Shia mourning rituals, it is believed that tears are kept to commemorate martyrs, and these tears are thought to possess healing powers. However, the more accurate historical use of such bottles among the Persians was for applying perfume or rosewater to the hands and clothing.","type":"Ewer","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"AH 11th century / AD 17th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Diameter: 42cm, Height: 41cm","provenance":"Iran","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Copper","ewer","water","rosewater bottle"],"materials":["incising and engraving.","copper"]},"e144c07e-081a-52eb-91fc-9fd067a8b179":{"name":"*Motherhood*","type":"Sculpture","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"AH 1402–03 /AD 1982","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height: 80cm","place_of_production":"Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition, purchasing AD 2018","obtention":"Local acquisition program (purchased 2018).","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Teak Wood"]},"e1eb944d-493e-5695-ab8f-d78784aef708":{"name":"\"Elias and Khizr at the Fountain of Life\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi","description":"Alexander the Great figures prominently in Persian literature and histories, including in both the Shahnama and the Khamsa of Nizami. This scene, which occurs in both texts, depicts Alexander and the Prophet Khizr’s search for the Fountain of Life. Although they begin the journey together, they are separated and only Khizr is successful. Here, he appears with the Prophet Elias at the Fountain, while Alexander continues his search in the background.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"Cora Timken Burnett, Alpine, NJ","dates":"Late 9th century AH / Late 15th century AD","location":"New York","dimensions":"Overall: Height: 22.9 cm Width: 9 cm; Painting: Height: 15.5 cm Width: 14.9 cm","place_of_production":"Iran","obtention":"Bequest from Cora Timken Burnett in 1956","bibliography":"Ackerman, P. \"The Iranian Institute, New York.\" In *Guide to the Exhibition of Persian Art*. 2nd. ed. New York: Iranian Institute, no. 93, (1940).  \n  \nSwietochowski, M., and R. Ettinghausen. \"Islamic Painting.\" *Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin*, vol. 36, no. 2 (Autumn 1978).  \n  \nDenny, W.r B. \"Dating Ottoman Turkish Works in the Saz Style.\" in *Muqarnas* vol. 1 (1983).  \n  \nDaniel, Elton L., ed. *Encyclopaedia Iranica*, vol. XVI, (2017).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/451407","materials":["and gold on paper","Ink","Opaque watercolour"]},"e44f9b93-0fc9-58a0-8f0b-14d05df5157e":{"name":"Large dish with poly-lobed decoration.","description":"This dish is elegantly decorated with a large polylobed motif painted in black beneath a turquoise glaze.  \nThe side of the dish does not have the usual inscription of good omens, but a verse from the *Divan*of the Persian poet Hafez, which tells of the lament of an unhappy lover: \"I have washed \\[with tears\\] the courtyard of the home of my eyes, but why / since this house is not \\[even\\] worthy of imagining your form?\". The date is written at the end of the inscription: \"finished in the year 873\" (AD 1468).","short_description":"This dish belongs to a group of ceramics known as *kubachi* after the village in the Caucasus where they were found. They would have been hung on the walls of homes as decoration.","type":"Dish, ceramic","holder":"Museum of Civilisations | Museum of Oriental Art “Giuseppe Tucci”","owner":"Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente (Is.IAO).","dates":"Hegira 873 / AD 1468–9.","location":"Rome","dimensions":"Diameter 35.86cm.","method_for_datation":"Inscription with date.","method_for_provenance":"This piece belongs to a specific group of ceramics known as *kubachi* from the name of the village in Daghestan in the Caucasus where they were found hung on walls for decoration. Ceramics of this type are of exceptional interest as they bear witness to the intense commercial exchanges between Persia and Kubachi, a place known for its production of steel weapons that were particularly sought after by the Iranian market and exchanged for a large quantity of Persian ceramics of unknown origin.","provenance":"Iran.","obtention":"Is.IAO deposit.","bibliography":"Folsach, K. von, *Islamic Art: The David Collection*, Copenhagen, 1990.  \n  \nGrube, E.J*.,* “Notes on the Decorative Arts of the Timurid Period”, *Gururajamanjarika, Studi in Onore di Giuseppe Tucci*, Naples, 1974, pp.233–77.  \n  \nGrube, E.J*., Islamic Pottery from the Eight to the Fifteenth Century in the Keir Collection*, London, 1976.  \n  \nLane, A., *Later Islamic Pottery*, London, 1957.  \n  \nTorre, P., *Le Mille e una Notte: Ceramiche Persiane, Turche e Ispano-Moresche*, Faenza, 1990.","author":"Paola Torre","copy_editor":"Pier Paolo Racioppi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["plant decoration","calligraphy"],"materials":["Glazed ceramic."]},"e4921c14-8d40-54c3-8c3f-a824cbf0cac3":{"name":"Diwan Muhibbi","short_description":"This precious and richly decorated divan is a manuscript by the poet and Sultan, Süleyman I, whose pen name, Muhibbi, literally translates to “lover\" or God lover.\" The divan contains 213 folios with 614 poems written in *ta’liq* script. Each poem is framed by naturalistic, gilded floral illuminations. The leather binding is also decorated with gilded floral ornaments and bears the following inscription: “This is the Third Diwan from the speech of the sultan of sultans of the rime, from Ghazi Sultan Suleyman Khan may his rule last until Judgement Day”. Other known divans by Süleyman are held at the Süleymaniye Library in Istanbul (Inv. No. T 3873) and in the University of Istanbul.  \nThe calligrapher and illuminator can also be identified through a colophon which reads: “Haci Mehmmed has finished this whilst praying wholeheartedly for lasting conquests and victories at the last ten days of the month Rabi as-sani in the year 961 (March 25-April 4, 1154).” The illuminator, Kara Memi, worked in the court of Süleyman and is well-known for his innovative floral ornaments which replaced the Safavid tradition of book illumination. A unique example of Ottoman book decoration, each of Memi's folios has an individual, unrepeated design. Each realistically-depicted plant can be individually identified through their precise botanical rendering, giving the illuminations a nearly encyclopaedical character.  \nIn 1886, the divan was purchased from the art dealer Franz Bock by the founder and initial director of the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Hamburg, Justus Brinckmann.","type":"Book","holder":"MKG Museum for Applied Arts","dates":"Hegira 961-962 / AD 1554","location":"Hamburg","dimensions":"Height: 23.6cm, Length: 15.8cm; Pages: 213","method_for_datation":"Manuscript of Sultan Suleiman I.","method_for_provenance":"Purchased by Franz Bock (1823-1899), clergyman and art historian. He traveled to Syria and Egypt and owned a large textile collection which he started to sell in 1850 to major museums in Europe (Paris, Berlin and the South Kensinton Museum (now V&A, London).","provenance":"Turkey, Court workshop Istanbul","obtention":"Purchased in 1886.","bibliography":"Czygan, C., \"A Device of Communication: The Third Divan of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566) and its Political Context\", *Islamic Perspective Journal of the Islamic Studies and Humanities*, 15 (2016): 77-90.  \nCzygan, C., “Was Sultan Süleymān Colour-Blind? Sensuality, Power and the Unpublished Poems in the Third Dīvān (1554) of Sultan Süleymān I.” in Stephan Conermann and Christiane Czygan (eds), *An Iridescent Device: Premodern Ottoman Poetry*, Bonn: Bonn University Press 2018: 190 (translation); 183–206.  \nCzygan, C., \"Zur Ghazelkultur in der Zeit Sultan Süleymâns des Prächtigen: Der Herrscher als Liebender,\" in E. Ragagnin and J. Wilkens (eds), *Kutadgu Nom Bitig Festschrift für Jens Peter Laut zum 60 Geburtstag*, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag in Kommission, 2015.  \nHaase, P., \"Der dritte Divan Sultan Süleymans des Prächtigen,\" *Jahrbuch des Museums für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg*, 5 (1986): 27-39. Karolewski, J. and Köse, Y., \"Wunder der erschaffenen Dinge: Osmanische Manuskripte in Hamburger Sammlunge,\" *Manuscript Cultures*, 9 (2016): 175-190.  \nKohlhausen, H., *Islamische Kleinkunst, Führer durch das Hamburgische Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe*, vol. 12, Hamburg: Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, 1930.  \nSchimmel, A. et al., *Islamic Calligraphy*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992.  \nSchönberger, I. and Kalter, J., *Der lange Weg der Türken*, Stuttgart: Linden Museum, 2003.","copy_editor":"Caitlin Link","keywords":["Süleyman","Ottoman manuscripts"],"materials":["leather binding with triple-layered gold tooling","Coloured and gold ink on paper"]},"e498d8ba-123c-5475-862a-85cede317ae0":{"name":"Marble water jar","description":"This jar bears inscriptions in Greek, Armenian, and Ottoman Turkish reading:  \n\"A’ la Kayışdağı Suyu, \\[M.\\] 1868\" (\"Kayışdağı Water, \\[M.\\] 1868\").  \n  \nThe spout is attached to the jar's body. On the left side of the lower base, when viewed from the side where the spout is mounted, a piece of the marble base is broken off. The marble of the lower base has areas darkened with black patina, and surface erosion is visible.  \n  \nOn the outer surface of the jar’s body, there are traces of paint, as well as scratches and erosion on the marble surface. At the mouth of the jar, on the side where the spout is fixed, there are linear cracks, with the crack line visible on both the inner and outer surfaces.","type":"Water jar","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 47cm, diameter: 37cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Its date was determined by examining the inscriptions, which included the date of production.","method_for_provenance":"Its date was determined by reading the inscriptions and the date written on it.","provenance":"Istanbul","obtention":"Purchased from Istanbul *Cevahir Bedesten* ('Grand Bazaar').","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Greek","Armenian.","Jar","Water: Marble"],"materials":["Marble"]},"e500a55c-8788-5600-85fa-bfffc127c785":{"name":"Two-man plow (*qiraz*)","description":"The *qiraz* is used to divide fields into manageable, level plots and to create water channels and basins in freshly ploughed soil. The channels are connected to the local *falaj* system, after which seeds are sown and irrigation can commence. The shovel-like blade is moved back and forth by two men working together in a steady rhythm.","type":"Two-man plow (*qiraz*)","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"AH 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height: 4.5cm, length: 110cm, width: 33.7cm","place_of_production":"Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition","obtention":"Local acquisition.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Wood and iron"]},"e5089d3e-3231-5064-9958-45c0890fde1c":{"name":"Ewer.","alternate_name":"The Blacas Ewer.","description":"A ewer with missing foot and spout, inlaid with silver and copper. The delicate inlay decoration covering the body and neck is exceptionally fine. A remarkable range of figurative scenes of contemporary court life is depicted in a series of medallions. The medallions are surrounded by a geometric pattern alternating with bands of inscriptions and figures. Men have covered heads and wear tunics with straight sleeves. Their costumes reflect the Turkish origin of the Zangid dynasty. The princes have ornamental tiraz bands around the sleeves of their robes. Soldiers have swords with straight blades and round buckles. Two noble women are depicted: one is shown looking in a mirror accompanied by an attendant; another is riding on a camel in a camel litter with a servant. A lute-player has the bottom of her face veiled. Other medallions depict a hunting scene with a man shooting an arrow at his prey; another hunter with a cheetah on the back of his horse; musicians, dancers and drinking revellers. There is even a scene from the Persian epic poem the Shahnama representing Bahram Gur shooting an arrow while Azadeh plays the harp on the back of his horse. Given the outstanding quality of the decoration and the scenes of courtly life the ewer was probably intended for use at court. The patron may have been Badr al-Din Lu'lu', who ruled Mosul (AH 629–59 / AD 1232–59), or a member of his court. A number of objects inscribed with his name reveal that he commissioned a number of metalwork objects. Although the technique of inlaid metalwork originated in Iran, new shapes were introduced in Mosul often inspired by Byzantine forms. Ibn Said, a Spanish Muslim, travelled all over Syria, Mesopotamia and Iraq in AH 648 / AD 1250. In his book, Geography, he mentions inlaid brass vessels made in Mosul that were exported and presented to various rulers. Therefore, Mosul metalwork with its glittering inlay had clearly gained sufficient status to compete with gold and silver.","short_description":"The craftsman of this exceptional ewer has signed his work stating he is from Mosul. Made from brass inlaid with silver, it is covered with figures performing many different activities that include playing music, drinking and hunting.","type":"Metalwork, decoration object, silver","holder":"The British Museum.","dates":"Hegira 629 / AD 1232.","location":"London, England","dimensions":"Height 30.4 cm, width 22 cm, depth 21.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"The ewer is inscribed with the date 629 (1232).","method_for_provenance":"An inscription describes the craftsman as 'Shuja ibn Mana al-Mawsili' (Shuja, son of Mana of Mosul). Therefore he was from Mosul where there was an active metalwork industry in the early 7th century / 13th century.","provenance":"Mosul, Iraq.","obtention":"The ewer is named after the Duc de Blacas whose collection was acquired by the British Museum in 1866.","bibliography":"L'Orient de Saladin au temps des Ayyoubides; exhibition catalogue, Paris, 2001, cat. no. 122, p.146.  \n  \nRice, D., \"Inlaid Brasses from the Workshop of Ahmad al-Dhaki al-Mawsili\", Ars Orientalis, 3, 1957, p.284–326.  \n  \nWard, R., Islamic Metalwork, 1993, p.80–2.","author":"Emily Shovelton","copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["music","inlay","court life","women","zangids","hunting","water","engraving","Figurative representation","inscription","metalwork","figurative decoration","calligraphy"],"materials":["Brass engraved and inlaid with silver and copper."]},"e58c69db-bd74-5185-a678-96228b8d0ba3":{"name":"Water seller's jar","alternate_name":"Water jar","short_description":"The egg-shaped jar has a narrow neck the top of which is covered by a dome-shaped lid. There is a curved handle on each side of the neck base and a long, straight spout. The lower part of the jar is made of unglazed and undecorated earthenware, a common material for water vessels that enables water evaporation thus keeping the water inside cool. The upper part is made of copper alloy, engraved with decorative bands of intertwined floral motifs; knot work patterns; stylised four-legged animals amongst a vegetal design; and two calligraphic bands. The jar sits in a knotted rope net with handle for carriage on the water seller’s back.","type":"Jar","holder":"Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization","dates":"13th century AH / 19th century AD","location":"Sharjah","dimensions":"Height: 87.4cm, Diameter: 29cm","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","method_for_provenance":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Egypt","obtention":"Purchased","author":"Hazelle Page","keywords":["Water seller","Everyday life","Water jar","Egypt"],"materials":["Copper alloy","rope","Ceramic"]},"e644ef1f-80d7-52bf-aa24-7ee45fbf092e":{"name":"Ewer","description":"The handle is ornamented, while the body is flattened on the sides and decorated with engravings. The lateral surfaces feature geometric motifs within a border, while animal depictions are present in the center. The object stands on a base.","type":"Ewer","holder":"Şanlıurfa Museum Directorate","location":"Şanlıurfa","dimensions":"Height: 33.5cm, width: 16cm","place_of_production":"Şanlıurfa","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["bronze","ewer","water","calligraphy"],"materials":["cast","Bronze"]},"e68c9926-6b22-5aab-b71e-e3faba6e95e4":{"name":"Halabja, Iraq","description":"As demonstrated in this image, the city landscape of Halabja, in Iraq, features Kurdish individuals attired in traditional attire, namely knickers and turbans, traversing the city's souk. In the immediate foreground of the scene is depicted a pitcher of water, offered for the passers-by's use. On March 16, 1988, Halabja was the victim of a large-scale chemical attack by Saddam Hussein's army, which killed thousands and injured many more. The attacks destroyed the city, and parts of the city remained contaminated by the toxic gases for decades to come. Little remains of the city life seen in the image.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private Contribution","owner":"Private collection","dates":"AH 9 Rabi 1393 / 20 May 1973","place_of_production":"Halabja, Iraq","author":"Yelyzaveta Basysta","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["photography.","Iraq","water","Halabja"],"materials":["photography"]},"e6c5512c-0d14-5feb-be93-2db1988939f5":{"name":"*Bir Barruta*","description":"Sources attribute the digging of Bir Barruta to the Governor Harthama Ibn A‘yan, in AH 180 / AD 796. However it seems that the Bey Mohamed, son of Murad, carried out a renovation of the whole construction in 1101/1690, to which he added a marble fountain. Although it is not amongst the first wells to be dug out at the centre of the town, it is an object of special veneration for part of the population.  \n  \nAccording to legend, the wells are linked to those of Zemzem in Mecca. Another legend states that whoever drinks water from Barruta is sure to return to Kairouan. The room that houses the wells, reached via a staircase, is covered by a dome on squinches based on the Kairouanese dome type. It stands out for its profound bareness, and rests on four arches that lean against the walls. It is doubtless a contemporary of the dome covering the dome room in the Mausoleum of Abu Zama‘a al-Balaui, built at the time of Mohamed Bey. Both are the works of the master mason Mohamed al-Zakraui whose name features on a panel of fretted stucco. The room is occupied by a noria that is worked by a camel. This system of drawing water, which dates back to the Middle Ages, exists here as one of the last that work at the centre of Tunisian city life. Outside the building, standing up against the north wall, there is a fountain with a drinking trough and marble taps.","type":"Hydraulic system","author":"Mourad Rammah","keywords":["Tunisia.","water","hydraulic system"]},"e705767c-f39f-5e1f-b8fc-8f075dc24a4f":{"name":"Sphinx","description":"This sphinx was found in Rafiqa, Raqqa’s twin city, in AH 1343 / AD 1924 together with the cock (Isl 57) and the figure of a horseman in Syria’s National Museum. As ceramic sculptures, they are unique not only in Syria, but also in the rest of the Islamic world.  \n  \nThey are fountain figures, and all have pipes to carry water up to the figures’ heads. The North African historian al-Maqqari wrote that the Iberian Umayyad caliph Abd al-Rahman III had a fountain made with 12 figures: a lion with a gazelle, a crocodile, a serpent, an eagle, an elephant, a dove, a falcon, a peacock, a hen, a cock, a hawk and a vulture.","type":"Sculpture","holder":"The David Collection","owner":"The David Collection","dates":"AH 2nd half of the 6th / AD 2nd half of 12th century","location":"Copenhagen","dimensions":"Height: 37cm","place_of_production":"Raqqa (Syria)","bibliography":"Folsach, K., *et al.*, *Sultan, Shah and Great Mughal: the history and culture of the Islamic world*, Copenhagen: The National Museum, 1996: cat. no. 204.  \n  \nDaneshvari, A., *Of serpents and dragons in Islamic art: an iconographical study*, California: Mazda Publishers, 2011: 172, 110.  \n  \nFolsach, K., “Paradise on earth: water and the Islamic garden” in John Kuhlmann Madsen et al. (eds), *Water of life: essays from a symposium held on the occasion of Peder Mortensen's 80th birthday*, Copenhagen: Forlaget Orbis, 2016: 191, fig. 5.  \n  \nCanby, S., *et al.*, *Court and cosmos: the great age of the Seljuqs*, New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016: fig. 98, 243.  \n  \nEastmond, A., *Tamta's world: the life and encounters of a medieval noblewoman from the Middle East to Mongolia*, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017: 256, fig. 87.","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["ceramics","Fritware","zangids","Ayyubids","water","Sphinx","sculpture"],"materials":["turquoise","and manganese under a transparent glaze","cast","painted in blue","modeled and carved fritware"]},"e793a483-a6cd-52ff-b206-830563fa860a":{"name":"Civil engineering book about water infrastructre","description":"Ottoman Book on hydraulic engineering.  \n  \nA treatise on water engineering printed in Ottoman Turkish, bound in imperial (palace-style) binding.  \nPublished by the Selanik (Thessaloniki) Printing House in AH 1315 / AD 1897–1898.","type":"Book","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Length: 21cm, width: 13cm","place_of_production":"Greece","method_for_datation":"Its date was determined by examining the inscriptions, which included the date of production.","method_for_provenance":"Its date was determined by reading the inscriptions and the date written on it.","provenance":"Thessaloniki","obtention":"Purchased.","workshop":"Selanik (Thessaloniki) Printing House","binding_desc":"Imperial (palace-style) binding.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Paper"]},"e7f93cdc-ceb9-526b-ad8c-e090abeaf98e":{"name":"Large cooking pot","description":"This large ceramic pot was used for cooking, specifically baking. Trapezoidal in shape, it has a completely rounded base with no foot. The rim is widely everted and was used to hold a lid. The wall is decorated with a serrated cord. This vessel was made in Saudi Arabia and found at Al Huwaila baking. Trapezoidal in shape, it has a completely rounded base with no foot. The rim is widely everted and was used to hold a lid. The wall is decorated with a serrated cord. This vessel was made in Saudi Arabia and found at Al Huwaila.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH 12th–13th century / AD 18th–19th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 19.4cm, base diameter: 23.8cm, rim diameter: 1.6cm","place_of_production":"Arabian Peninsula","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Al Zubarah, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Hansman, J.,*Julfar: an Arabian port : its settlement and Far Eastern ceramic trade from the 14th to the 18th centuries*., London: Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 1985.  \n  \nKennet, D.,*Sasanian and Islamic Pottery from Ras al-Khaimah.: Classification, chronology and analysis of trade in the Western Indian Ocean*., BAR International Series, Oxford: Archaeopress, 2004  \n  \nQIAH, University of Copenhagen, Unpublished report Qatar Museums, 2013–2014.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","Basin","kitchenware"],"materials":["Earthenware"]},"e82e7a90-67b5-5656-a132-7a7975bceb31":{"name":"Midhat al-Sultan (ablutions room).","description":"The right–hand door of the building leads into a narrow hallway. On the right is a large archway opening onto the ablutions room. On the left, opposite the archway, the hallway wall is lined with arch-stones forming blind arcades. In the recess of each arcade is a square rosette of braided strap-work in black marble on a white background.  \nThe ablutions room consists of a courtyard surrounded by four single-arched galleries. One of these is the archway giving access to the courtyard from the hallway. Under the three remaining galleries narrow basins and benches have been provided for the faithful to perform their ablutions. The arches of layered black and white marble rest on columns with winding scroll capitals of the Hispano-Maghrebin type. The walls and spandrels of the arches have been ingeniously inlaid with decorative slabs of black on white marble.  \nIn the middle of the courtyard stands an octagonal marble dado. Each of its faces has an arch, either multifoil or recticurvilinear. In the centre remain the nozzles of the fountain which poured water into individual basins facing small stone benches.","short_description":"This Hafsid monument is one of the few surviving parts of a hot-water conveyance system, now lost. Although the National Institute of Art and Archaeology restored it in the 1960s, the building is not functional today. The ablutions room consists of a courtyard surrounded by four single-arched galleries. The arches are made of black and white marble voussoirs and spring from columns with Hispano-Maghrebin meanders and capitals.","dates":"Begun in hegira 852 / AD 1448, finished in 854 / 1450.","location":"Tunis","method_for_datation":"The poet al-Damamini evokes the beauty of Midhat al-Sultan in a famous poem. The historian Zarkachi comments on this poem in his book on Ibn Achamma edited by Mustapha Kaak.","bibliography":"Daoulatli, A., *Tunis* *sous les Hafsides, Tunis, 1976, pp.213–21.*  \nMarcais, G., *L'architecture musulmane d'Occident*, Paris, 1952, pp.22–4.  \n“Notes sur les coupoles de la Grande Zitouna de Tunis”, *Revue de l'Occident musulman et de la Mediterranee*, 1966, pp.95–105.","history":"Historical sources describe the inauguration of the building by the Sultan himself and explain the hot-water system, now defunct. According to an inscription, the wooden ceilings were restored in the 12th / 18th century. In 1380 / 1960 the National Institute of Archeology and Art began restoring the building, but it is not yet functional.","patrons":"The Hafsid sultan Abu Amr ‘Uthman.","architects":"Muhammad al-Kossentini.","author":"Jamila Binous","keywords":["religious architecture","Ablutions","Hispano-Maghrebin style"]},"e9446de8-0118-5c68-aa90-cc7965c9040a":{"name":"Nilometer.","alternate_name":"Al-Miqyas.","description":"The Nilometer (Kiosk of the Nile; known in Arabic as *al-Miqyas*) is considered among the enduring architectural foundations tied to the Egyptian culture and way of life. It is in fact unique in the Islamic world. Its importance goes back to a time when measuring the rise of the waters of the Nile was closely related to the levying of taxes on agricultural lands. Taxes were levied only when the waters of the Nile had risen to a certain designated level, which would irrigate the land during flood season.  \nThe Nilometer itself is the equivalent of a well whose walls are built from skilfully hewn stone blocks. The thickness of the walls increases the greater the depth. The well consists of three levels: the lowest level is a circular base, while the middle level is a square whose sides measure more than the diameter of the level below. The highest level is also square in shape, and bigger than the middle level. It is due to this design that the walls can bear the horizontal pressure of the earth that increases the greater the depth.  \nThe waters of the Nile would flow into the well by means of three tunnels, which discharged their waters into the well by means of three 'mouths' on the eastern side that are in the form of subterranean entrances in the wall. These openings are oriented towards pointed arches supported by compact decorated columns with globular bases. These arches are considered to be not only the oldest known examples in Islamic Egypt, but precede the European Gothic type by three centuries. We may also view similar examples on the arches of the Ibn Tulun Mosque in Cairo (AH 265 / AD 879).  \nA staircase curves around the inside walls of the well and extends all the way to the bottom. Adorning the upper reaches of the well on two sides, the northern and the eastern internal walls, are inscriptions in *kufic* script, which represent the oldest (dated) Arabic inscription in Egypt ever recorded. In the centre of the well stands the principal component of the monument, an octagonal marble pillar whose length extends to 16 cubits (10.50 m). It is engraved with measurements in cubits *(kirat)* and inches *(zira')*, which demarcate the water inundation levels.  \nAhmad ibn Tulun (r. AH 254–70 / AD 868–84) carried out restoration of al-Miqyas in AH 259 / AD 873 and replaced the two bands of ancient inscriptions with more contemporary ones on the south and west sides. He placed his name within the new inscription, but kept the original date of construction untouched. Throughout the ages the building has been subject to many restorations and renovations (Fatimid, Mamluk and Ottoman). It was renovated in the modern age in 1925 when the Mamluk dome crowning the outside of the building was replaced by a conical-shaped roof covered by lead panels.","short_description":"Set on Roda island in the Nile, the Nilometer is a unique structure in Islamic architecture. It gained its importance from being the means for calculating tax levies on agricultural lands according to the size of the Nile flood every year. Its design and the building materials used in its construction helped it to resist corrosion by water for over one thousand years.","dates":"Hegira 247 / AD 861.","location":"Cairo","method_for_datation":"Historians concur that al-Miqyas was built in the year 247 / 861 by order of the Abbassid Caliph al-Mutawakkil, although some scholars trace its foundation back to the Caliph al–Ma'mun (r. 169–217 / 786–833). However, the historian Ibn Khalkan (d. 681 / 1282) mentions that the name of the al-Mutawakkil and the year the Nilometer was constructed (247 / 861) was engraved within an inscription on the walls of the well, and that this inscription dated to the foundation of the monument. This inscription has now been lost and may have been removed when Ibn Tulun carried out his restoration of the building in the year 259 / 873.","bibliography":"Allen, T., *A Classical Revival in Islamic Architecture*, Weisbaden, 1986.  \nBehrens-Abouseif, D., *Islamic Architecture in Cairo: An Introduction,* London and New York, 1992.  \nCreswell, K. A. C., *Muslim Architecture of Egypt,* Vol. II, Oxford, 1940.  \nGhaleb Pasha, K.*, Le Mikyâs ou Nilomètre de l'Ile de Rodah*, Cairo, 1951.  \nHillenbrand, R., *Islamic Art and Architecture*, London, 1989.  \nIbn Khalkan, Abu al-Qasim Shams al-Din Ahmad (d. 681 / 1282), *Anba' al-Zaman \\[News of the Times\\],* Beirut, 1968.  \nPopper, W., *The Cairo Nilometer: Studies in Ibn Taghri Bardi's Chronicles of Egypt: I*, California, 1951.  \nShafi'i, F., *Al-Emara al-Arabia fi Misr al-Islamiya \\[Arab Architecture in Islamic Egypt\\],* Vol. I, Cairo, 1994.  \nWilliams, C., *Islamic Monuments in Cairo: A Practical Guide*, Cairo, 2002.","patrons":"Caliph Al-Mutawakkil Ala Allah, (r. AH 232–47 / AD 847–61).","architects":"Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Hasib supervised construction.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Tarek Torky","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["Well","conical surface","Nilometer","pointed arch","kufic script","civil architecture","hydrology","corbel"]},"e967434e-06ff-5cc3-88d8-9786fd216273":{"name":"Spout","description":"This bronze spout, dated to the AH 13th / AD 19th century Ottoman period, features a stylized lion’s head and was used as a fountain nozzle in the water pools of Alevi–Bektaşi lodges in Anatolia.  \n  \nIn Alevi–Bektaşi symbolism, the lion represents Ali, embodying courage, spiritual authority and protection. Such zoomorphic forms were integrated into ritual architecture to express sacred meaning while enhancing the aesthetic and symbolic character of lodge water features. The object’s date and typology were identified by experts from the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","type":"Spout","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 18cm, width: 16cm","place_of_production":"Anatolia","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Fountain.","bronze","spout","Ottoman","water"],"materials":["Bronze"]},"e99f19c5-2155-5385-857a-049be3d918d9":{"name":"\"Man's Fate or the Man Taking Refuge in a Well Inhabited by a Dragon\"","alternate_name":"Folio from a Kalila wa Dimna","description":"This manuscript contains seventy-eight paintings and many text folios telling the famous tales of the jackals Kalila and Dimna. Based on the book of ancient Indian animal fables, the Panchatantra written by Vidyapati (Bidpai), the stories spread all over the Middle East where they became wildly popular. This manuscript has a strong flavour of Mamluk Egypt in the figure styles and bold drawings, with hints of Ottoman tulips and Safavid turbans. However, the burnt orange palette and darkly-inked lines have led to an attribution to Sultanate Gujarat where it is suggested this manuscript was copied from an Egyptian original. Its life in India is also attested by a Devanagari inscription at the end, although the rest of the Arabic text is written in a strong, left-leaning naskh-like script.","type":"Folio","holder":"The Metropolitan Museum","initial_owner":"[Art market, India, until 1969]; Nasli M. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1971); Alice N. Heeramaneck, New York (until 1982)","dates":"AH second quarter of the 10th century / AD second quarter 16th century","location":"New York","dimensions":"Height: 31.8 cm, width: 22.6 cm","place_of_production":"Gujarat","provenance":"India","obtention":"Gift from Alice Heeramaneck (The Alice and Nasli Heeramaneck Collection), 1981","bibliography":"Atil, E., and Ibn al-Muqaffa. Kalila wa Dimna : fables from a fourteenth-century Arabic manuscript. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. Bodleian Library Kalila wa Dimna dated 1354 (Pococke 400)  \n  \nBrac de la Perrière, E., ed. \"Itineraries of Fables in the Arts and Literature of the Islamic World.\" In The Journeys of Kalila and Dimna., Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2022.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/453076","materials":["Ink and opaque watercolour on paper"]},"e9c86c1f-b67b-5be7-aa96-ac0a7c1a9e8c":{"name":"The water carrier","description":"Pictured here is a water carrier, an example of the poor work conditions experienced by many in 19th and early 20th century Lebanon.","type":"Photograph","holder":"Private collectioner Mohsen Yammine","dates":"Late 19th century – early 20th century","location":"Zgharta","author":"Hala Masri","copy_editor":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"ea3c2d2f-f5da-506a-90f2-dbad5e9cdca3":{"name":"Spout","description":"This stylised animal-figured spout was completed a fountain placed in a garden or indoor pool.","type":"Spout","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 7th-8th century / AD 13th-14th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Width: 30cm, height: 33cm","place_of_production":"Persia","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["bronze","spout","Seljuqs","water"],"materials":["Bronze"]},"ea99bbf2-1d63-5510-96b0-82bb57bbc44b":{"name":"Traditional clepsydra","alternate_name":"Water clock; irrigation time bowl;*Tanast*, *Tassa*, *Tighira*","description":"Locally known as *tanast*, *tassa* or *tighira*, the traditional clepsydra is a water clock used in the oases of southeastern Morocco, particularly in Tafilalet, to measure irrigation turns. Farmers rely on it to know exactly how long they can access water from canals, springs, or reservoirs to water their fields. It consists of a small perforated copper bowl that floats inside a larger bucket of water. As water slowly seeps into the bowl, it becomes heavier until it sinks, and the moment it sinks marks one fixed unit of irrigation time. By repeating this cycle communities could divide water fairly among rights-holders, according to customary law.  \nThe device embodies the principle of hydraulic justice—time, rather than volume, becomes the standard, allowing a constant and transparent distribution even when flow varies. Its durable copper construction, portability, and ease of calibration made it ideal for communal use beside canals and reservoirs.  \nBeyond its utilitarian value, the clepsydra reflects deep cultural meanings: the sanctity of water, the moral duty to share, and the sophisticated know-how of rural artisans who crafted reliable instruments without modern technology.  \n  \nThough many oases now use pumps and clocks, the Tanast remains a powerful symbol of Morocco’s living hydraulic heritage and community self-governance.","type":"Traditional time-measuring device for water distribution","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","owner":"Mohammed VI Museum of Water Civilisation","initial_owner":"Community water users in Tafilalet (traditional practice)","dates":"AH 16th / AD 20th century","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"12 × 28cm (bowl); 18cm × 42cm","place_of_production":"Tafilalet, Morocco","method_for_datation":"Based on curatorial documentation and typology of Tafilalet irrigation tools.","method_for_provenance":"Museum records (exhibition documentation).","provenance":"Collected as part of the museum’s permanent exhibition on traditional water management","obtention":"Museum acquisition for didactic display (details not available).","bibliography":"El Faïz, M., *L’eau et les hommes au Maghreb*, Rabat: L’Harmattan, 2002.","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Tafilalet","irrigation time","copperwork","clepsydra","community management","oases","water rights","tanast"],"materials":["handcrafted metalwork","copper bucket","Copper bowl with central perforation"]},"eae5c274-7b09-5dc1-a70e-37e8ae1488d8":{"name":"Vase neck","description":"Neck belonging to a vase of the type known as ‘Alhambra’. It has the typical flared shape of the necks of these vases, with a polygonal structure that opens upwards. The lip is thick and ends in a series of outward scrolls. The body is divided into alternating vertical bands of blue and light cream, the latter being approximately twice as thick, which have probably lost their original golden sheen. The lower part has two horizontal grooves that run around the entire perimeter of the piece. There is loss of enamel across the entire surface.  \n  \nRepresentative of Nasrid luxury, these vases are a very specific type of container, of which few examples remain. They are notable not only for their rich and luxurious decoration, but also for their monumental size, measuring around 130 cm in height and 60–70 cm in diameter. Given these characteristics, it is difficult to imagine that their function was primarily practical, despite the fact that some of these vases feature epigraphic decorations referring to water, as in the case of the Jarrón de Hornos, also in the National Archaeological Museum (Spain). One possibility that has been suggested is that they contained perfumed water or water to be distributed at certain ceremonies.","type":"Vessel (fragment)","holder":"National Archaeological Museum","owner":"Spanish State","initial_owner":"Private collection","dates":"AH Second half of the 8th century / AD second half of 14th century","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height: 39.5cm, base diameter: 23.5cm, top diameter: 36cm","place_of_production":"Al-Andalus","method_for_datation":"Acquisition report. Comparative study with other similar works.","method_for_provenance":"Acquisition report. Formal parallels, historical-artistic study.","provenance":"Realejo, Granada","obtention":"Acquired in 1871 by Manuel de Góngora y Martínez.","bibliography":"FRANCO MATA, A. ‘Un gollete de jarrón nazarí en el Museo Arqueológico Nacional’, en *El Punto de las Artes*. Madrid: Arte y Patrimonio, 2007: 15, 856.  \n  \nVVAA;, *Los jarrones de la Alhambra: simbología y poder*, Granada: Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife, 2006: 208-209.","workshop":"Unknown","author":"Paula Pagés Alonso","translator":"Dept. of Medieval Antiquities of the MAN","translation_copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["vase","Alhambra","neck","lustre"],"materials":["glaze. Modelling","Clay","pigments","Glazing","Lustre"]},"ec462a81-6875-5eb6-b57c-f7720a0cea4f":{"name":"Opening ceremony of a new aqueduct outside Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem","description":"Photograph showing officials taking part in one of the ceremonies relating to the opening of a newly restored aqueduct. Those taking part are lined up in front of the porch of the Al-Aksa mosque. Their identities (including the Pasha) are listed in the Schick document in the PEF archives PEF/DA/Schick/180. In front of them on the courtyard floor is the end of the pipe from the aqueduct.","type":"Original albumen photographic print","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Donated to the PEF by Baurath Conrad Schick, 1901","dates":"AH 1319 / AD 1901","location":"London","dimensions":"28 x 21.5cm","place_of_production":"Jerusalem","method_for_datation":"Accompanying documentation (See PEF-DA-SCHICK-80).","method_for_provenance":"In the accompanying documentation.","provenance":"Jerusalem and Beirut","obtention":"Donated to the PEF by Baurath Conrad Schick, 1901.","bibliography":"From the PEF archives PEF-DA-SCHICK-180 Reproduced in: Gibson, S. *Jerusalem in Original Photographs 1850–1920*. Stacey International, London; 2013: 126, plate 116.","workshop":"Maison Bonfils, Beirut","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Haram Al Sharif","Jerusalem","Al Aksa","Ottoman","aqueduct","ceremony"],"materials":["Albumen","photographic paper"]},"ec79305d-1c77-55eb-8818-f54d9755faff":{"name":"Intermediate hoe","description":"Used during seasonal and communal work, this intermediate hoe played a key role in maintaining irrigation canals and preparing agricultural land. It highlights collective water management traditions in southern Morocco.","type":"Agricultural tool","holder":"Mohammed VI Museum for the Civilisation of Water in Morocco","dates":"AH 14th / AD 20th century","location":"Marrakech","dimensions":"78cm × 25cm × 17cm","place_of_production":"Tiznit, Morocco","provenance":"Tiznit region, Morocco","obtention":"Institutional collection.","author":"Jihad Chitaouy","keywords":["hoe","agriculture","water"],"materials":["Wood","metal"]},"ecbfd555-c941-5154-8936-9832dbbd13cf":{"name":"Bowl","description":"The brass apodal bowl features an exterior decoration with a dense vegetal weave and large inscriptions in thuluth on a foliate background, interrupted by circular medallions with peonies.  \nThe inner base of the cup is decorated with a school of engraved fish following a circular pattern and a potentiated cross, the latter likely added when the object arrived in Europe.  \nThe inscription reads: \"The high, lordly, sovereign, wise, active, just, ordering, zealous, Treasure, Help, Support, Assisted, \\[official\\] of Al-Malik an Nasir, may his victory be glorious.\"  \nThe epigraph follows the typical formula of Mamluk protocol for high-ranking figures. Although neither his name nor his specific function are indicated, the inscription suggests that the owner was an official of Sultan al-Malik al-Nasir al-Din Muhammad ibn Qulawun. This is the sultan who owned the large Borgia Collection Basin, also in the museum's collections. From this, it can be deduced that the bowl was made by 1341, that is, during the sultan's lifetime, according to the customary formula used in the inscription, which ends with the phrase \"may his victory be glorious.\"  \nThe bowl, as also underscored by the decorative motif of engraved fish within, was used to hold drinking water or for ritual purposes.  \nThe bowl entered the museum collections thanks to Mario De Ciccio's donation to the Italian state in 1958, consisting of 1,300 pieces. These primarily consist of applied art objects from various periods and typologies, collected by the collector over a period of over 50 years, first in Palermo, his hometown, then in Naples, his adopted home since 1906, and also on the most highly regarded international art markets.","type":"Bowl","holder":"Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte","initial_owner":"Collezione Mario De Ciccio (until 1958)","dates":"AH First half of the 8th century / AD First half of the 14th century","location":"Naples","dimensions":"Height: 9cm, diameter: 13,6cm","place_of_production":"Syria or Egypt","obtention":"Donated to the museum in 1958.","bibliography":"Scerrato, U., *Arte islamica a Napoli: Opere delle raccolte pubbliche napoletane* , Naples: Istituto Universitario Orientale, 1967.  \n  \nVanoli, A., *Acqua, Islam e arte. Goccia a goccia dal cielo cade la vita*, Milan: Silvana Editoriale, 2019.","keywords":["bowl","Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte","collezione mario de ciccio"],"materials":["Brass with inlaid decorations in silver and gold"]},"ecc253f4-eace-5315-af2c-f64f071f89e0":{"name":"Flask","description":"Reddish clay vessel, flattened spherical in shape. It has two ribbon handles that extend from the middle of the vessel to its upper part. The two flattened sides are asymmetrical, one inverted truncated cone-shaped and the other convex with an incised decoration of several small concentric circles inserted in turn within a larger circle. The neck is not too high, cylindrical and slightly flared. The entire body is decorated with a schematic red design consisting of thick parallel brushstrokes in groups of three. The entire piece is fractured.  \n  \nHistorically, this type of container was very common not only during the medieval Islamic period, but also in different eras and cultures, even today. Its function, carrying small amounts of water for consumption, is essential for everyday work in rural areas. In addition, the use of unglazed pottery allows the flask to breathe, keeping the water cool. Even today, cork stoppers and ropes tied to the handles are generally used for transport.","type":"Vessel","holder":"National Archaeological Museum","owner":"Spanish State","initial_owner":"Private collection","dates":"AD 4th / AH10th century","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height: 21.5cm, depth: 17cm, diameter: 20cm","place_of_production":"Al-Andalus","method_for_datation":"Comparative study with other similar pieces.","method_for_provenance":"Formal parallels, historical-artistic study.","provenance":"Madinat al–Zahra, Córdoba, Spain","obtention":"Acquired in 1973 by the family of Julio Martínez Santa Olalla.","bibliography":"ROSELLÓ BORDOY, G., *El nombre de las cosas en Al-Andalus : una propuesta de terminología cerámica*, Palma de Mallorca: Museo de Mallorca, 1991: 87.  \n  \nVVAA, *Arte Islámico en Granada. Propuesta para un Museo de la Alhambra*, Granada: Comares, 1995.","workshop":"Unknown","author":"Paula Pagés Alonso","translator":"Dept. of Medieval Antiquities of the MAN","translation_copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Cordoba","water flask","caliphate"],"materials":["incision","pigments / moulding","firing","ceramics","hand painting"]},"edc12150-4ffc-56f2-b7b2-65c0bad3e1fc":{"name":"Bedouin women became excited and rushed the water, in doing so spilled it all. Beni Selah S. Palestine. July 1917","description":"Bedouin women collecting their rations from the cistern at Beni Selah. There is some chaos as they are clearly desperate for water. Allied troops attempt to control the situation. To the left are four Allied soldiers, one on horseback. To the right are five Allied soldiers, three on horseback. In the centre-right, the Bedouin women have knocked over a barbed-wire fence. In the background are domestic buildings.","type":"Original photographic print","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Captain Arthur Rhodes","dates":"AH 1335 / AD 1917","location":"London","dimensions":"28.8 x 8.8cm","place_of_production":"South Palestine","method_for_datation":"On captions beneath photograph.","method_for_provenance":"On captions beneath photograph","provenance":"South Palestine and New Zealand","obtention":"Donation through family.","workshop":"Beersheba Campaign","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["rationing","Beersheba campaign","soldiers","water shortages","WWI","bedouins"],"materials":["Panoramic photographic print"]},"edd94d46-2a69-592f-80d7-0c535b109eff":{"name":"Coffee","description":"Coffee is always served at the beginning of a visit and is repeatedly offered until guests politely signal that they have had enough by rocking their cup from side to side. In order to keep coffee hot and fresh for unexpected guests it goes through many stages. After roasting and grinding the coffee beans the grains are added to boiling water inside a large *dallah* (coffee pot) called a *khamra*. Next, the liquid is poured into a medium-sized coffee pot called a *taljeemah*. At this stage cardamom seeds, saffron and rose water may be added for flavour. From this jug, the coffee is poured into a serving *dallah* referred to as a *mezallah*, where the coffee is refined and filtered. The server must hold the *mezallah* with their left hand and distribute the *fanayeel* (coffee cups) using the right hand. The coffee should fill less than half of the cup.","type":"Coffee","holder":"Sharjah Heritage Museum","location":"Sharjah, United Arab Emirates","dimensions":"Varies and depends on the coffee bean. Length: 10mm, width: 7mm","provenance":"Arabian Peninsula","obtention":"Purchased","author":"Amanda Snyder","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["coffee beans","coffee","beans"]},"ede6db87-1998-5d51-a8e0-97a1ffe99c48":{"name":"Jug","description":"A ceramic jug with one handle, the body is decorated with diamond-shaped panels, in white and turquoise with a single white flower, superimposed on a blue ground.","type":"Jug","holder":"Benaki Museum","dates":"AH 957 / c. AD 1550","location":"Athens","dimensions":"Diameter of body 13.6 cm, height 18.6 cm","place_of_production":"Iznik","method_for_datation":"Stylistic analysis","provenance":"Turkey","obtention":"Donation","bibliography":"Carswell, J., Gibson, M. (ed.), and Moraitou , M., *Iznik Ceramics at the Benaki Museum*, London: Gingko, and Athens: Benaki Museum, 2023: cat. no. 5, p. 58.","author":"Mina Moraitou","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","materials":["Glazed ceramic"]},"efef0d6f-3f4f-5566-89c1-caa1ae554c20":{"name":"Spout (*Horhor lüle*)","description":"This bronze spout, known as a '*horhor lüle*' in traditional water terminology, dates to the AH 6th-7th / AD 12th–13th century Seljuq period and was used in street fountains where water flowed continuously without a stop mechanism. Its form features a stylised dragon figure, a powerful animal motif widely employed in Roman and Seljuq art as a symbol of strength, protection and divine force.  \n  \nIn belief systems of the era, objects decorated with such motifs were thought to transfer this protective power to their users and surroundings. As Islamic artistic conventions evolved, especially in the Ottoman period, figurative animal motifs were gradually replaced with vegetal and geometric designs due to religious preferences. This spout exemplifies both the aesthetic language and symbolic worldview of its time, embodying the transition from mythic animal imagery to the more abstract ornamentation of later periods.","type":"Spout","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 6th–7th century / AD 12th–13th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Height: 4.3cm, length: 14.3cm","place_of_production":"Anatolia","method_for_datation":"Date of production was determined by Islamic metal artefacts expert Güner Liman.","method_for_provenance":"Its date was determined by Islamic metal artefacts expert Güner Liman.","provenance":"Tokat","obtention":"Purchased from Istanbul *Cevahir Bedesten* ('Grand Bazaar').","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["bronze","spout","Seljuqs","water"],"materials":["Bronze"]},"f0e5d0e1-0d9f-5dac-9166-a688b53727f8":{"name":"Zaghwan aqueduct","description":"The hydraulic works are described in the general administration's 1883–1889 Public Works report as follows: \"89 km of brick canal between Zaghwan and Goulette were refurbished, 41 km of metal piping has replaced the huge aqueducts at Djouggar, Oued Miliane, Djedeida and the Aryanah plains\". Water supplies for Tunis and the beylical residences were thus assured. The piping was put into operation for the first time on 19 May 1862. You can still see the impressive row of columns and arches today.\n\nWater problems were one of the Tunisian governments' constant preoccupations. It was the custom for wealthy people to build public fountains called *sabils*. Rulers, however, were preoccupied with the organisation of large scale water conveyance. In 1859, just before the establishment of the French protectorate and on the advice of the French consul Léon Roches, Mohamed Bey tasked the engineer Pierre Colin with the restoration of the old Roman aqueduct running from Zaghwan to Carthage, and its Hafsid era diversion towards Tunis, which had been out of use and abandoned for a long time. The works were completed in 1862, during Mohamed Sadok Bey's reign.","type":"Hydraulic architecture","dates":"1852","location":"Zaghwan","author":"Saloua Zangar","translator":"Flaminia Baldwin"},"f290264c-83b5-5e47-b429-b0232354c1d8":{"name":"Water sharing of Figuig","alternate_name":"The Nouba System","description":"In Figuig, water is not shared by volume, but by time. Locals use a unit called a *nouba*, meaning a turn to use water, and a smaller unit called a *kharrouba*, which lasts 45 minutes. Each family or village owns specific turns, overseen by guardians known as *amnay*, who are responsible for enforcing the schedule, ensuring the fair distribution of water, and resolving conflicts.  \n  \nFiguig is made up of seven fortified villages, located on two types of land: the plateau, called the *jorf*, and the plain. Each village has its own water sources, canals, reservoirs, and irrigation systems, but they all follow the same general rules and customs.  \n  \nWater comes from springs and underground foggaras, flowing by gravity through canals (séguia) and reservoirs. It is then divided using devices like valves and small distribution boxes, allowing people to direct the water based on their needs. Figuig has around 200 storage basins and over 110km of canals, all managed by families and villages. Each branch of the network has modular valves that can open or close certain channels, or combine or split water flows. This flexibility allows the system to constantly adapt to weather conditions and the changing needs of users, which helps keep peace and balance in the community. While each group controls its own water, they all follow shared rules.  \n  \nUnlike many oases, Figuig still relies on its traditional, electricity-free methods — balancing private rights, community cooperation, and environmental sustainability. The water is free and shared according to a community calendar, which helps prevent overuse and maintains strong social bonds. In this way, Figuig preserves not only its water but also the social and cultural fabric that has sustained its community for centuries.","type":"Traditional Water Management System","dates":"Before AH 1st / AD 7th century","location":"Marrakech region","bibliography":"Madani, T., ‘Le partage de l’eau dans l’oasis de Figuig (Maroc oriental)’, in *Le partage de l’eau* , vol. 36(2 ; 2006) : 61–81.","history":"Figuig, an oasis town in southeastern Morocco, has a very old and unique system of managing water, passed down through generations. This system began in pre-Islamic times and became more organised during early Muslim dynasties. It was based on fairness and community sharing — very important principles in a dry area.","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Morocco","community management","Water sharing","Figuig","traditional irrigation","ancestral system"]},"f2ab9cfb-bbce-54c1-b8c6-caafd9c9b90a":{"name":"Saint Christophorus with the Infant Jesus","short_description":"According to Emperor Jahangir's (r. 1014-1037 / AD 1605-1627) inscription, the image of St. Christopher carrying the infant Jesus and accompanied by a dog was painted by the court painter Miskin (a pen name meaning \"the humble one\"). Miskin contributed to the codification of the Mughal style and played an increasingly important role in the illustration of the chronicles of the Mughal emperors. He is known for his keen observation of humans and animals. For this work, he probably drew inspiration from European engravings with Christian themes, which were brought to India by Jesuits at the end of the 16th century.  \n  \nThe border with the prominent hazelnut branch was originally part of a larger album project completed under the Persian artist Muhammad Baqir (active Hegira late 1160s-1204 / AD late 1750s-1790) between Hegira 1178 / AD 1765 and Hegira 1183 / AD 1770. Parts of the album with Mughal and Safavid miniatures and calligraphies were rebound for the Qajar ruler Fath ʿAli Shah (r. Hegira 1211-1250 / AD 1797-1834) in the Hegira year 1237 (AD 1822). The individual leaves of this album were sold at auction by Drouot in Paris on 23 June 1982. Other leaves that originally belonged to this convolute known as the Drouot or Baqir album are currently scattered. The leaf seen here has another miniature pasted on the reverse.","type":"Miniature painting","holder":"Museum Rietberg","initial_owner":"Shahram Pahlavi; 2002-2013: Mehdi Metghalchi, London; 2013-2014: Catharina Dohrn, Münsingen","dates":"Hegira around 1010 / around AD 1600 (miniature); Hegira ca. 1180-1185 / ca. AD 1765-1770 (border)","location":"Zurich","dimensions":"Overall dimensions 33.2 x 20.7cm","place_of_production":"Perhaps Agra (miniature), probably Mashhad (border)","method_for_datation":"By comparison with similar dated works by Miskin (miniature) and the borders of the so-calles St. Petersburg album and an album that was auctioned at Drouot's in Paris in 1982.","method_for_provenance":"Information of previous owners was given by donor.","provenance":"India and Iran","obtention":"Gift of Catharina Dohrn","bibliography":"Britschgi, Jorrit, “Der heilige Christophorus/Ein Bogenschütze”, *Jahresbericht 2014*, Zurich: Museum Rietberg, 2015: 30-34.  \nBrand, Michael, “Miskin”, in Milo C. Beach, Eberhard Fischer and B.N. Goswamy (eds), *Masters of Indian Painting 1100-1650*, Zurich: Artibus Asiae Publishers, 2011: 167-186.  \nLanger, Axel, “Stories from the Edge: The reconstruction of Islamic painting and calligraphy albums with the help of borders”, in Esther Tisa Francini, with the collaboration of Sarah Csernay (eds), *Pathways of Art: How Objects Get to the Museum*, exh. cat., Zurich: Scheidegger & Spiess, 2022: 297-310.","author":"Axel Langer","copy_editor":"Jonathan Turnbull","materials":["Opaque watercolour","ink and gold on paper"]},"f31eb58f-b7d0-56f8-b129-225b701d5561":{"name":"Ewer","description":"The wide base is decorated and fluted. A doughnut-shaped body rises from the base, with eight outward-pointing projections along its upper edge. The body narrows towards the top. The handle is attached to the body and the mouth with double rivets; a clasp at the very top of the handle secures the lid. The handle tapers towards the mouth with a serrated edge. The lid, shaped like a small minaret, incorporates a spout that extends from the body to its top; it is inclined outward, with its surface decorated with a diamond motif. Both the lid and neck are further adorned with fluted decoration.","type":"Ewer","holder":"Şanlıurfa Museum Directorate","location":"Şanlıurfa","dimensions":"Base diameter: 12.5cm, height: 50cm, body width: 24cm, lid height: 12cm","place_of_production":"Şanlıurfa","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","bronze","Copper","ewer"],"materials":["cast with relief decoration","Copper-bronze"]},"f3fb0c2b-053c-523b-8dfc-7d6b7a09af0d":{"name":"Opening ceremony of a new aqueduct outside Al Aksa Mosque in Jerusalem","description":"Photograph showing religious and other dignitaries taking part in one of the ceremonies relating to the opening of a newly restored aqueduct. The donor, Conrad Schick, gives more details in his accompanying letter, now also in the PEF archives (PEF-DA-SHICK-180).","type":"Original albumen photographic print","holder":"Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF)","owner":"Palestine Exploration Fund","initial_owner":"Donated to the PEF by Baurath Conrad Schick, 1901","dates":"AH 1319 / AD 1901","location":"London","dimensions":"28 x 21.5cm","place_of_production":"Jerusalem","method_for_datation":"Accompanying documentation (See PEF-DA-SCHICK-80)","method_for_provenance":"In the accompanying documentation","provenance":"Jerusalem and Beirut","obtention":"Donated to the PEF by Baurath Conrad Schick, 1901","bibliography":"From the PEF archives PEF-DA-SCHICK-180 Reproduced in: Gibson, S. *Jerusalem in Original Photographs 1850–1920*. Stacey International, London; 2013: 126, plate 116.","workshop":"Maison Bonfils, Beirut","author":"Felicity Cobbing","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["Haram Al Sharif","Jerusalem","Al Aksa","Ottoman","aqueduct","ceremony"],"materials":["Albumen","photographic paper"]},"f4487135-c3dd-52d4-aace-e368bdb407e4":{"name":"Aqueduct.","description":"The idea of building an aqueduct to carry water to the Citadel of Salah al-Din, known also as Citadel of the Mountain (*Qala'a al-Jabal),* goes back to the period of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (r. AH 564–89 / AD 1169–93) who erected Cairo's city wall, the beginning of which was close to Fustat. A canal to convey water was constructed on top of the wall; the water being carried up to it by means of a series of waterwheels from one of the wells. The water flowed through the canal to the citadel where it was used for drinking and irrigation of the surrounding fields.  \nDuring the Mamluk period the population of the citadel expanded, with many Mamluk citizens residing there and, as their numbers grew, so Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun was forced to consider another plan to increase water flow from the River Nile to the citadel.  \nIn AH 712 / AD 1312, al-Nasir Muhammad put into practice his plan and ordered the construction of a great tower to contain four waterwheels in the region of *Fum al-Khalij* (which is today known as Qasr al-Ayni Street), on the banks of the River Nile. These waterwheels were designed to raise water up to a canal system (an aqueduct) located on top of a series of raised arches that were supported by large stone piers. The structure was designed to form a slope in order that it connected with the aqueduct, which Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi had earlier masterminded. Al-Nasir Muhammad's aim was to provide the citadel with enough water to satisfy the thirst of residents, soldiers and beasts of burden; to irrigate the surrounding fields and to expand his planned construction works within the citadel, which included the Qasr al-Ablaq and the Mosque of al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun.  \nSultan Qaytbay (r. AH 872–901 / AD 1468–96) undertook major renovation works to the aqueduct in AH 885 / AD 1480. In AH 912 / AD 1506, Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri further restored some parts of the aqueduct, as well as renovating the waterwheel tower, at which time he placed his emblem on the tower. Al-Ghuri brought the water system up to date; the water now pooled in the square at the foot of the citadel, before being raised by waterwheels to water cisterns inside. The aqueduct was functional until the Ottoman period (AH 13th / AD 19th century). It fell into disuse during the French expedition against Egypt under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte (AH 1213–16 / AD 1798–1801), when French soldiers transformed some parts of the aqueduct into a fort by blocking up some of the arches and turning them into fortifications.  \nThe length of the remaining section of the aqueduct is about 3 km. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful examples of aqueduct architecture not only in Egypt but also in the entire Islamic world. In 2005 the High Council of Antiquities undertook the implementation of a plan to restore the waterwheel tower and the aqueduct walls.","short_description":"The greatest project designed to provide the Cairo Citadel with drinking water, the huge stone aqueduct extends about 3 km from the banks of the Nile towards the Citadel. Water was hauled up by four great waterwheels and poured into sedimentation cisterns. The cisterns were then opened so that the water flowed in a canal on the top of the aqueduct to the Citadel.","dates":"Hegira 712–914 / AD 1312–1508.","location":"Cairo","method_for_datation":"Dating of the aqueduct is supported by allusions made to its construction by al-Maqrizi in his book (see below), where he suggests that the aqueduct was built in 712 / 1312 during the reign of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun. Furthermore, there is a blazon on top of the waterwheel-tower that is specific to Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri, which may well indicate that he undertook restoration work on the aqueduct during his reign.","bibliography":"Creswell, K. A. C., *Muslim Architecture of Egypt,* Vol. II, Oxford, 1960.  \nAl-Maqrizi, *Al-mawā'iz wa'l-i'tibār bi-dhikr al-khiţaţ wa'l-āthār \\[Exhortations and Contemplation of the Recollection of Plans and Monuments\\],* 2 Vols, Cairo, 1853.  \nZaki, Abd al-Rahman, *Al-Azhar wa ma hawlahu min al-Athar \\[Al-Azhar and Surrounding Monuments\\],* Cairo, 1971.","patrons":"Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun who ruled three times (AH 693–4 / AD 1294–5; AH 698–708 / AD 1299–1309; AH 709–41 / AD 1309–40), and Sultan al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri (r. 906–22 / AD 1501–16).","linkcatalogs":"IAM_EG_EN_001","author":"Tarek Torky","copy_editor":"Majd Musa","translator":"Amal Sachedina (from the Arabic).","translation_copy_editor":"Mandi Gomez","keywords":["waterwheel","hydrological works.","aqueduct"]},"f4aca485-b1db-583e-b83d-c9c533f030c1":{"name":"Jug with a monochrome yellow glaze and three handles","description":"Discovered in a house during the 1959 excavations in Murwab, northwest Qatar, this partially reconstructed jug must have had a striking and shiny appearance.  \n  \nIt originally had three rounded handles on the shoulder, two of which are preserved, and is entirely covered with a monochrome yellow glaze. The small size of this jug and its decoration make it a delicate piece of tableware. It could have been a 'table vinegar jar' used to hold sweet and sour sauces that were very popular in the 9th century, as shown in ancient","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 17.6cm, body diameter: 16.4cm, rim diameter: 8.2cm","place_of_production":"Basra, Iraq","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", *Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies*, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), *Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique*, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), *Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974*, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","Transportation","Jar","storage"],"materials":["Glazed earthenware"]},"f4d003ac-43de-5b52-ab57-a2e3b9bf6a98":{"name":"*Khettaras*","alternate_name":"*Qanats*, *Foggara*, *Falaj*","description":"*Khettaras* are an old and clever way of bringing underground water to the surface without using machines or electricity. Found mostly in dry or semi-dry areas, they manage water sustainably. They work using gravity, so no energy is needed, making them perfect for desert regions. A *khettara* has a wellhead at the highest point, a gently sloping underground tunnel, and vertical shafts every 10 to 30 metres for ventilation and maintenance. Water flows naturally to the surface, entering irrigation canals, séguias, pools, or fountains, and is shared by communities according to traditional rules. Some *khettaras* are 10–15 kilometres long, showing the skill of their builders.  \nBeyond their design, *khettaras* shaped life in Morocco’s deserts. They allowed oases to grow, influenced farming, settlement, and local governance. Control over them was linked to political power. Over centuries, these systems helped shape not just the land but the way of life in Morocco’s driest regions.","type":"Hydraulic infrastructure / Irrigation system","dates":"AH 5th  / AD 11th century","location":"Marrakech region","bibliography":"El Faiz, M., \"Khettaras of Marrakech : A Heritage to Preserve\", in *Horizons Maghrébins, Mediterranean Landscapes and Gardens*, 45 (2001): 177-179.  \n  \nEl Hbil, A. *L'eau et le Maghreb : un aperc̜u sur le présent, l'héritage et l'avenir* , Milan: Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement, 1988: 131-143.  \n  \nGoblot, H., *Les Qanats; une technique d'acquisition de l'eau*, Aubervilliers: Editions EHESS, 1979.  \n  \nNahid, A., *Les khettaras du Haouz de Marrakech : passé, présent et futur*, Marrakech: University Cadi Ayyad, 2020: 61-69.","history":"*Khettaras* began in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) as *qanats*, an underground tunnel system that taps into groundwater from an aquifer and carries it across long distances to the surface. As Muslim empires expanded, this technique spread to North Africa, especially Morocco, during the Islamic conquests. They became more common in the 11th century under the Almoravid dynasty. The first *khettaras* in Morocco were built in the central Haouz region near Marrakech, a politically and economically important area that needed water for farming and its residents.  \nKhettaras brought water from underground aquifers to the fields without pumps. By 1987, over 650 existed in this region. Later, during the Saadian and Alaouite dynasties, *khettaras* spread further south, to oasis regions like Errachidia, Figuig, Tinghir, and Skoura, where they supported farming and palm trees.","author":"MUSEUM Staff","copy_editor":"Judy Harter","keywords":["hydraulic engineering","Morocco","khettara","community water sharing","desert agriculture","Oasis","underground water","séguia","irrigation canal"]},"f5030f3c-8af5-552d-8913-157bc3d6732c":{"name":"Marina Square, Reem Island","description":"This image of Marina Square on Reem Island (Abu Dhabi) reflects the transformation of modern Arab cities, where architecture and urban planning increasingly embrace blue spaces: areas designed around proximity to water. Alongside residential towers, these coastal developments integrate museums, cultural centres, promenades, and commercial hubs, merging urban living with leisure and cultural life. In many contemporary Arab cities, waterfront development symbolises progress, prosperity, and global connectivity, echoing the historic relationship between water and civilisation in the region. Just as ancient settlements flourished near rivers and coasts, today’s skylines continue to grow along the shores, redefining how water shapes identity, lifestyles, and the rhythms of urban experience.","type":"Photography","holder":"Private collection"},"f50d39b2-f8db-5777-9fdd-bfe1a5755107":{"name":"Sickle (*mijaz*)","description":"The sickle is a tool that has been employed worldwide for its utility: it is a manual agricultural tool that consists of a curved blade that is usually used for harvesting grain crops or cutting weeds used to feed livestock.","type":"Sickle (*mijaz*)","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 14th century / AD 20th century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height 3cm, length 36cm, width 3cm","place_of_production":"Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition","obtention":"Local acquisition.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Wood and iron"]},"f5e1356e-4954-59b0-9bd4-b25d1b12ff38":{"name":"Banknote","description":"The Iraqi banknote depicting Dukan Dam presents a visual articulation of state-led modernisation and hydraulic sovereignty. Constructed on the Great Zab River in the mid-twentieth century, the dam represents the strategic harnessing of water for irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power. Its inclusion in national currency frames large-scale water infrastructure as a symbol of economic progress, territorial integration, and technological advancement within modern Iraq.","type":"Banknote","holder":"Private collection","dates":"AH 1446 / AD 2025","place_of_production":"Iraq","author":"Yelyzaveta Basysta","keywords":["banknote","Iraq","water"]},"f5efa1b5-e76e-5603-80c4-2602ee925386":{"name":"Bag for hauling water with draft animals (*ad-dalū*)","description":"This huge leather bag (*ad-dalū*) is designed for lifting water by means of draft animals. An angled pathway allows the animals to walk uphill while lowering the bag into a well or reservoir, and downhill when pulling against the weight of the water-filled bag. A single *dalū* has a capacity of 10 to 40 litres.","type":"Bag for hauling water with draft animals (*ad-dalū*)","holder":"National Museum of Oman","owner":"National Museum of Oman","dates":"Hegira 15th century / AD 21st century","location":"Muscat","dimensions":"Height 110cm, width 71cm, diameter 16cm","place_of_production":"Northern Oman","provenance":"Local acquisition","obtention":"Local acquisition.","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["Goatskin bag","wood frame and palm fibre rope"]},"f60e24ce-c1de-5b4b-9219-cfb0c187f885":{"name":"Qanat (inside the Psychiatric Hospital).","description":"*Qanats* are underground drainage channels that collect aquifer water and bear it from considerable depths to within a few metres of ground level. The *qanats* discovered in Palermo are of the Arab-Persian type, but differ from their Eastern counterparts in that they are not fed by a real well, but by a transversal drainage gallery located upstream.  \nThis network of underground channels, which extends over tens of kilometres, ensured a continuous and spontaneous supply of water from the underground aquifer to the surface, making it possible to construct fishponds, fountains and public baths and to water the lush gardens described in medieval sources.","short_description":"In the ground beneath Palermo there is a network of drainage channels that carry aquifer water from significant depths up to ground level. These complex Arabo-Persian-inspired hydraulic engineering works are known as the *qanat*, and they guaranteed the continuous and spontaneous flow of water from underground aquifers to the surface.","dates":"12th century.","location":"Palermo","method_for_datation":"The discovery of ceramic fragments from the 12th and 13th centuries in two *qanats* in the central area of the Piana dei Colli (Castelforte and Scalea I) confirm their existence in Sicily from that time at least.","bibliography":"Todaro, P., *Guida di Palermo Sotterranea*, Palermo, 2002.  \n*Siculo-Norman Art: Islamic Culture in Medieval Sicily*, pp.103–104; pp.105–106.","linkcatalogs":"IAM_IT_EN_001","author":"Pier Paolo Racioppi","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["water"]},"f67cfcaf-ae72-562f-8eff-5a0f72c4615d":{"name":"Bowl with a lustreware decor","description":"This complete table bowl was discovered during the Murwab excavation by the Qatari-French Mission in 2009. This bowl has an open wall and was used to present food prepared at the table. It has a horizontal rim with a rounded end (16cm in diameter) and a flat annular base (8cm in diameter). The glaze is quite damaged and the painted decoration can only be seen in a few places with brown touches of lustreware.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"Hegira late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 3.1cm, diameter: 1.6cm","place_of_production":"Iraq or Iran","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","bowl","Tableware","Glaze"],"materials":["Glazed earthenware"]},"f85a3c6e-5d92-5e2a-9503-9f763a9619cb":{"name":"A set of two reverse-glass paintings","short_description":"The technique of reverse-glass, or *églomisé*, painting became popular in Iran in the early 19th century, possibly as a result of imports from Europe. In this technique, the paint is applied behind the glass in reverse order, with the highlights and details applied before the background colours. The technique had also been practised in China since the 18th century.  \nBoth the prince and the courtesan are depicted in bejewelled Qajar costume against European-inspired landscapes which are typical of Qajar paintings of the period. The paintings are not signed but have been compared to paintings by Mirza Baba, who may have been responsible for a cycle of reverse-glass paintings in the Marble Throne Hall of the Gulistan Palace in Tehran.  \nThe carved and richly painted frames, with their bird-and-dragon openwork scroll borders, are contemporary.","type":"Painting; reverse-glass painting; eglomisé; Qajar costume","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"Early 19th century","location":"London","dimensions":"Paintings: 55 x 36.5cm and 57.5 x 39cm; frames, max: 116 x 71cm and 118 x 73.5cm","method_for_datation":"Date and provenance are based on stylistic grounds.","provenance":"Iran","bibliography":"Diba L.S., and Ekhtiar, M. (eds), *Royal Persian Paintings. The Qajar Epoch, 1785–1925*, exhibition catalogue, New York: Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York, 1998: no.63, pp.212–3.","author":"Nahla Nassar","keywords":["wooden frames","painting","watercolour","Qajar","Iran"],"materials":["Watercolours on glass","in contemporary carved","executed in the reverse-glass or églomisé technique","painted and gilded wooden frames"]},"f8d95dbb-56af-5611-a814-9a73ceff888e":{"name":"\"The Beaker Water Clock\" from al-Jazari's \"Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices\"","description":"In the early thirteenth century, a scholar and engineer named Isma‘il Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari wrote a famous treatise called Kitab fi ma‛rifat al-hiyal al-handasiyya, or The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices. The text offered detailed descriptions of a series of elaborate machines designed to delight and impress the elites at the court where he served, in eastern Anatolia. Al-Jazari’s text and its illustrations belong to a long tradition of studies about these kinds of devices, including Greek compendia on mechanics and mathematics. This page belongs to a copy of the text that was produced in Mamluk Egypt in AH 755 / AD 1354, and was copied by Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Izmiri for a Mamluk ruler.","type":"Folio","holder":"Museum of Fine Arts","dates":"AH Safar 755 / AD February 1354","location":"Boston","dimensions":"40cm × 28cm","place_of_production":"Probably Cairo","obtention":"By 1912, Victor Goloubew, Paris;  \n1914, sold by Goloubew through M. Meyer-Riefstahl to the MFA.","catalogue_holding_link":"https://collections.mfa.org/objects/13822/aljazaris-book-of-knowledge-of-ingenious-mechanical-devic?ctx=a1bcc428-52d7-4bef-a282-3e8ca7e7796b&idx=0","keywords":["Technical manuscript.","water","miniature","folio"],"materials":["opaque watercolor","Gold","and ink on paper"]},"f8f46999-1429-5208-8d79-17b9a2715883":{"name":"Vessel with tap","description":"Made of copper using the forging technique, the vessel has a narrow, rounded mouth, a cylindrical, flattened shoulder, a wide belly, and a flat base. A copper pipe is fitted to the edge of the base. A single-spouted tap made of brass is soldered to the end of this pipe. The vessel consists of three sections, and the forging marks on the surface are distinct. Both interior and exterior are tin-plated, but have darkened over time due to oxidation. The lid is missing, and the rim shows nicks and cracks.","type":"Fountain","holder":"Konya Museum Directorate","location":"Konya","dimensions":"Height: 44cm, mouth diameter: 22.3cm, base diameter: 43cm","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["Ottomans","tap","fountain","Copper","water"],"materials":["forged","copper"]},"f99b0b36-e5fc-56c8-9a6f-400862cc44ab":{"name":"Glazed bowl with cobalt-blue decoration","description":"This large, straight-sided bowl has a continuous loop-and-circle design painted in cobalt blue on a white or cream opaque glaze. The shape and colour of the bowl are highly typical of early Abbasid decorated glazed wares and were originally inspired by AH 2nd-3d / AD 7th–8th-century Chinese ceramics.  \n  \nMuslim, Christian and Jewish merchants from the Gulf region, Iraq and Iran had trading posts in southern China and imported various products, including ceramics. These imported ceramics reached the great port of Basra (Iraq) by the middle of the 8th century. Famous potters' workshops in Susa (Iran) or Samarra (Iraq) produced their own designs for this type of ware. Their products were distributed throughout the Middle East and the Gulf, including Qatar.","type":"Container","holder":"National Museum of Qatar","owner":"National Museum of Qatar","initial_owner":"Qatar Museums","dates":"AH late 2nd to late 3rd century / AD late 8th to late 9th century","location":"Doha","dimensions":"Height: 14.2cm, body diameter: 16.6cm, base diameter: 15cm","place_of_production":"Iraq/Iran","method_for_datation":"Stratigraphy/scientific analysis.","method_for_provenance":"Stratigraphy/scientific and laboratory analysis.","provenance":"Murwab, Qatar","obtention":"Archaeological excavation.","bibliography":"Carvajal Lopez, J., Guerin, A., and Georgakopoulou, M., \"Petrographic analysis of ceramics of Murwab, an early islamic site in Qatar\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 51 (2022): 55–70.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Preliminary pottery study: Murwab horizon in progress, ninth century AD, Qatar\", in Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 40 (2010): 17–34.  \n  \nGuerin, A. and Na'imi, F., \"Territory and settlement patterns during the Abbasid period (ninth century AD): the village of Murwab (Qatar)\", Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 39 (2009): 181–196.  \n  \nHardy-Guilbert, Cl., \"Fouilles archéologiques a Murwab, Qatar\", in R. Boucharlat et J.-F. Salles (eds.), Arabie Orientale, Mésopotamie et Iran méridional: De l’Age du Fer au début de la période islamique, Paris: ERC 37, 1984: 169–188.  \n  \nKnuth, E., \"An Early Islamic fort and settlement at Murwab”, in F. Hojlund (ed.), Danish Archaeological Investigations in Qatar 1956–1974, Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press, 97 (2017): 83–98.","author":"Alexandrine Guerin","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["earthenware","bowl","blue cobalt glaze","Tableware"],"materials":["Glazed earthenware"]},"fa5c1124-b044-520c-9b3b-fc5775babc56":{"name":"Spa Glass","description":"The 'Collection of Ceramics, Glass and Porcelain' at the Museum of Applied Arts houses a large number of spa glasses from Central Europe. Initially, water at spa resorts was drawn using vessels made of natural materials, but with the development of industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, glass cups began to be produced. Glass was considered a very suitable material, as it preserved the qualitative properties of mineral water. Patients would wait in line, and following doctors' recommendations, pour precisely the prescribed number of millilitres of healing water into their cup.  \n  \nThis spa glass, from the Collection, features a depiction of the Church of St. George in Oplenac and represents a type of souvenir glass. It has a flat shape, made of moulded glass, with a hand-painted application and enamel detailing. It is dated to the 1930s, during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and was most likely produced by the Serbian Glass Factory in Paraćin. This is supported by stylistic features, as well as evidence from numerous factory catalogues of the period, in which spa glasses with painted motifs were part of the product range.  \nThe Cyrillic inscription on the application also points to a local and national identity, while the motif of Oplenac is associated with the Karađorđević dynasty, making this spa glass a piece of promotional memorabilia as well.","type":"Glass","holder":"Museum of Applied Art","owner":"Museum of Applied Art, Belgrade","dates":"Around 1930","location":"Belgrade","dimensions":"Height: 10cm","place_of_production":"Paraćin","method_for_datation":"By stylistic and comparative analysis with related material.","method_for_provenance":"Research and documentary evidence.","provenance":"Kingdom of Yugoslavia","obtention":"Given by Biljana Crvenković from Belgrade in 2023","workshop":"Serbian Glass Factory(?)","author":"Zeina Al Amad","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["Paraćin","Serbian Glass Factory","spa glass","glass"],"materials":["Molded glass","enamel","painted"]},"fa6093d9-67a1-536f-b0bb-38a5d07cb915":{"name":"Lion from a fountain.","description":"A sculpture such as this hollow lion – standing erect with its uplifted tasselled tail in the shape of a handle – is testament to the variety of Fatimid art. The open jaw of the lion once held a water pipe. The lion’s shape is based on a composition of very abstract forms. Thus its paws are flat, its ribs drawn out linearly, and the lines to describe both the extension of its ears and its bulging eyebrows are simple. The surface of its body along its back, chest and upper legs, is decorated with a spiral pattern that reinforces the sculpture’s stylised form. The engraved inscription found on both sides of the neck can be seen clearly and may date from the AH 7th / AD 13th century. It refers to bi-rasem al-amir Shams al-Din wali Misr, who was probably the governor of ‘Misr’ (Lower Egypt and Cairo).  \nA fully modelled sculpture of a living creature is of interest, as it does not conform to the specifications of Islamic dogma. However, such sculptures emerged from the Egyptian Court because, within its circles, the prohibition of the representation of living forms was not always enforced or adhered to, and also because the Fatimid Shi’ites adopted a liberal view. The Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo holds a sitting lion figure. The Berlin lion could have formed part of a sculptured fountain that featured a variety of figures. Thus, it would correspond to the lions of the well-known, bigger lion fountains of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Given its small size, the lion could have been part of a larger construction featuring a number of sculptures such as those represented in Iraqi manuscripts from the AH 7th / AD 13th century onwards. Bronze figures like this lion were widespread across the Mediterranean, and especially across Spain. One of these Spanish lions can be seen in the Louvre Museum in Paris. One can assume that most of these bronze lions did not survive the test of time and were melted down.","short_description":"This lively little lion with an open mouth and upturned tail was used as a fountain spigot during the Fatimid period in Egypt. It is made of cast bronze that has been decorated with scrolls on the back and the legs. Fountains with animal decoration were widespread in Mediterranean countries.","type":"Fountain, lion, metalwork","holder":"Museum of Islamic Art at the Pergamon Museum","dates":"Hegira 5th–6th century / AD 11th–12th century.","location":"Berlin","dimensions":"Height 11.5 cm, length 14.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"Similar figures, cast in bronze, were made especially in Fatimid Egypt. Both the design and the decoration of the lion fountain demonstrate parallels to similar pieces that were created during the Fatimid period. Additionally, it features an inscription that names an apparent governor of Egypt.","method_for_provenance":"The inscription appears to name a governor of Egypt. Furthermore the stylistic markings testify to having originated from the Egyptian Fatimid period.","provenance":"Egypt","obtention":"From a private art gallery in 1911.","bibliography":"Enderlein, V., *Islamische Kunst*, Dresden, 1990, pp.121–4.  \nEttinghausen, R. and Grabar, O., *The Art and Architecture of Islam 650–1250*, Harmondsworth, 1987, pp.197–200.  \n*Museum für Islamische Kunst*, Catalogue, Berlin 1979, no. 313.  \n*Museum für Islamische Kunst*, Catalogue, Stuttgart; Zürich, 1980, 52–3, no. 20.  \nWard, R., *Islamic Metalwork*, London, 1993, pp.60–9.","author":"Annette Hagedorn","translator":"Maria Vlotides","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["Fatimid","Bronze casting"],"materials":["engraved.","Bronze casting","hollow"]},"fb4ff4be-b094-5d1b-b95d-4c9739ad33d1":{"name":"Oil Lamp","description":"This bronze oil lamp, dated to the AH 7th-8th / AD 13th–14th century and attributed to the Great Seljuq cultural sphere in Persia, represents a refined example of medieval metalwork used for domestic illumination.  \n  \nShaped in the form of a small ewer, the lamp reflects the Seljuq aesthetic preference for elegant, functional household objects crafted with durable materials. Oil lamps of this type provided steady light in homes, workshops and religious settings, playing a central role in daily life before the widespread adoption of glass lamps and later mechanical lighting technologies. The dating and typological assessment of the piece were carried out by experts from the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","type":"Oil lamp","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 7th-8th century / AD 13th-14th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Body diameter: 11cm, height: 19.5cm","place_of_production":"Persia","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","keywords":["bronze","Seljuqs","water","oil lamp"],"materials":["Bronze"]},"fbb1ba22-98ad-5080-bfbe-53a4a9d43d9f":{"name":"Watermelon-shaped bottle","short_description":"Glass vessels in the shape of fruits were made in Syria-Mesopotamia and Egypt as early as the mid 2nd millennium BC. With the introduction of glass-blowing in the Roman period, they became much cheaper and, by the 2nd century AD, flasks and jars in the form of bunches of grapes or dates were popular all over the empire, persisting into the 6th and 7th centuries.  \nThe deliberately matt surface of this bottle gives an added dimension of naturalism. There are, however, no known parallels for its shape and size.","type":"Blown, tooled, wheel cut and polished glass","holder":"Khalili Family Trust – Nasser D. Khalili Collection of Islamic Art","dates":"5th–early 7th centuries AD","location":"London","dimensions":"35 x 20.2cm","method_for_datation":"There are no known parallels, but according to S. Goldstein, the thick walls and rim are reminiscent of Sasanian and early Islamic flasks, including some found at Jerash and Shiraz. The treatment of the surface and the cutting also suggest a late Sasanian date.","method_for_provenance":"By stylistic and technical comparisons","provenance":"Iran or Iraq","bibliography":"Goldstein, S.M., *et al.*, *Glass. From Sasanian Antecedents to European Imitations*, London: The Nasser D Khalili Collection of Islamic Art, volume 15, 2005: cat.42, pp.54–5.  \nRogers, J.M., *The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the Khalili Collection*, London: Thames & Hudson, 2010: no. 44, pp.54–5.","keywords":["Wheel-cut","glass-blowing","Blown glass","Sasanian art","Iraq","Iran","glass"],"materials":["tooled","Dark emerald-green glass","blown","wheel cut and polished"]},"fbcae9a7-567e-5281-9355-f85aa3d91744":{"name":"Ewer","short_description":"According to an inscription found on a large number of ewers of this type, this group can be assigned to a craftsman called Ahmad or a related workshop.  \nCharacteristic for this group of cast bronze ewers are the distinctive pear-shaped body on a splayed foot, a tall faceted neck, a spherical upper part with hinges for fastening the lid and a large beak-shaped spout. The composite shape results from a blending of forms originating in functionally different objects: oil lamps attached to a bulbous vase. Both parts are connected by a strongly curved handle of angular cross-section surmounted by a diamond-shaped thumb rest and leaf-shaped projection on the lower part.  \nIn total, 30 ewers of this type are known so far. Twelve of them bear an inscription “‘amal Ahmad” (the work of Ahmad), eponymous for this group. The ewer at hand belongs to the group with a band of two rows of cavities around the widest part of the body. Additionally, three triangle-shaped medallions with a tripartite vegetal ornamentation are engraved above the double row of cavities.  \nThe find context of the 15 pieces found in archaeological excavations point to a production in or near the Ferghana Valley. A hoard of bronzes found at Budrac – medieval Saghaniyan – in Southeastern Uzbekistan contained ewers of this type and a mortar signed by Ahmad. This was possibly the production site from which the ‘Ahmad ewers’ were distributed.","type":"Metalwork","holder":"University Museum of Islamic Art | The Bumiller Collection","dates":"Hegira 5th century / AD 11th century","location":"Bamberg","dimensions":"Height: 25.5cm, Width: 14.6cm, Weight: 0.85kg","method_for_datation":"By stylistic analysis and comparison with material found in excavations","provenance":"Central Asia / Southeast Usbekistan","obtention":"Purchased from Ibrahimi, Hamburg in 2013","bibliography":"Baer, Eva, *Metalwork in medieval Islamic art*, Albany: State University of New York Press, 1983: 93-94.  \nIlyasov, Jangar, “Bronze Ewers of Craftsman Ahmad”, in Matteo Compareti, Paola Raffetta and Gianroberto Scarcia (eds), *Eran ud Aneran. Studies presented to Boris Il’ic Marsak on the Occasion of his 70th Birthday*, Venzeia: Cafoscarina, 2006: 275-292.","author":"Verena Daiber","copy_editor":"Daniel de la Vega","keywords":["ewer","Ahmad ewer","metalwork"],"materials":["engraved","cast","Bronze","repoussé"]},"fc0f934c-a60f-5984-b826-24611c304045":{"name":"Fountain spout","description":"Small gilded bronze sculpture in the form of a hind. The figure is fragile and disproportionate. Almost all of the surface is covered with delicate oriental plant decoration (lotus flowers inscribed in circles) which make it look as if it is swathed in a rich fabric. Judging from the remains left in the grooves of the engraving and various parts of the body, the piece would have been completely gilded.  \nThe simple forms of the body, its facial characteristics and its legs, which end with discs and are extremely short in relation to its body, are reminiscent of representations of animals that appear in Fatimid ceramics.  \nThis sculpture undoubtedly served as a fountain spout because, apart from the legs, its body is hollow and there is a hole in its belly to allow water to pass through and cascade out of its mouth.  \nThe presence of water in Umayyad gardens was a sign of wealth, luxury and well-being. Fountains were an important aesthetic element in Islamic palaces in the West and in al-Andalus in particular. This hind would probably have been accompanied by other bronze animals.","short_description":"Its cloven hoofs, the base of its horns and its short pointed tail suggest that this animal is a fawn. It would undoubtedly have been used as a spout in a basin or fountain in a Córdoban palace, with the water entering through a duct beneath the belly and coming out through the mouth.","type":"Fountain, metalwork","holder":"National Archaeological Museum","dates":"Hegira 339–90 / AD 950–1000.","location":"Madrid","dimensions":"Height 32.3 cm, length 31.5 cm.","method_for_datation":"By stylistic analysis. Although the Madrid hind is smaller and less stylised, it is clearly similar to other pieces found in the 10th / 16th century among the ruins of the Madinat al-Zahra palace, one of which can be found in the Archaeological Museum of Córdoba. The second disappeared at the start of the 19th centuryfrom the Monastery of Guadalupe, where it was being stored, but has recently been recovered and has been in the Qatar National Museum since 1997.","method_for_provenance":"Some researchers believe that this piece could have been imported from Fatimid Egypt. However, its discovery in the province of Córdoba and the similarities to the deer of Córdoba and Qatar suggest that the three sculptures were produced, if not in the same workshop, at least in the same geographical area of al-Andalus, where metalwork workshops developed.","provenance":"Córdoba, Spain.","obtention":"The hind was bought by the National Archaeological Museum on 3 February 1940.","bibliography":"Camps Cazorla, E., “Ciervo Califal de Bronce”, in *Adquisiciones del Museo Arqueológico Nacional (1940–1945)*, Madrid, 1947.  \nCamps Cazorla, E., “Un Nuevo Ciervo Califal de Bronce”, in *Archivo Español de Arte, Madrid, 1943, pp.212–22.*  \n*El Esplendor de los Omeyas Cordobeses*, Exhibition catalogue, Granada, 2001.  \nGómez Moreno, M., *El Arte Árabe Español Hasta los Almohades. Arte Mozárabe*, Ars Hispaniae, Vol. III, Madrid, 1951, p.336.  \nZozaya, J., “Importaciones Casuales en al-Andalus”, in *Actas del IV Congreso de Arqueología Medieval Española*, Vol. I, Alicante, 1993, p.125.","author":"Margarita Sánchez Llorente","copy_editor":"Rosalía Aller","translator":"Laurence Nunny","translation_copy_editor":"Monica Allen","keywords":["floral decoration","fountain","garden","water","palace"],"materials":["engraved and gilded.","lost-wax casting","Bronze"]},"fcd8d02e-bbbb-5ff5-aa2f-64ac381a7cbf":{"name":"Rope","description":"A thick braided rope made of animal hide, tied at one end to a bucket with a strong knot and extended into the well to draw water. The rope must be durable enough to bear the weight of the filled bucket. It is plaited using several leather strips, a technique that provides strength and sustainability. The rope passes through a wooden or stone pulley to protect it from friction against the edge of the well and to facilitate pulling the bucket. This type of leather rope embodies an aspect of traditional life in desert environments, where leather was a primary material due to the scarcity of alternatives. It also reflects the craftsmanship involved in utilising available natural resources.","type":"Rope","holder":"Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum FBQ Museum","dates":"Late AH 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Ash-Shahaniyah, Qatar","dimensions":"Width: 2.25cm, Length: 80m","provenance":"The Arabian Peninsula","copy_editor":"Zeina Al Amad","keywords":["leather","wells","water","Arabian Peninsula","Rope"],"materials":["leather","Braiding"]},"fd4b59a9-ae59-534d-a8b4-6d56ba4420f8":{"name":"Sa'di, Abu 'Abd-Allah Musharrif ad-Din b. Muslih (ad-Din), *Bustan* (Fruit Garden)","short_description":"Sa'di, Abu 'Abd-Allah Musharrif ad-Din b. Muslih (ad-Din) (died 691 AH/ 1292 AD), wrote the *Bustan* (‘Fruit Garden’), which was his first published work. It contains ethical anecdotes incorporating the accounts of the author’s travels and his manifold experiences, and would later become one of his major works. This copy was written in *nasta’liq* script in Tabriz around 937-47 AH / c. 1530-40 AD. The manuscript contains five nearly full-page paintings. The paintings are reminiscent of the style of the Timurid school of Herat. In 1677, it was acquired in Constantinople for 36 gold ducats.","type":"Manuscript","holder":"Austrian National Library (ANL)","dates":"c. 937-47 AH / 1530-40 AD","location":"Vienna","dimensions":"250 x 175 mm (c. 150 x 100 mm), 76 folios.","method_for_provenance":"On fol. 1a, inscription by Peter Lambeck: *Bostan, seu Hortus Scheichi Saadi, celebris Poetae ac doctoris Persici. Liber moralis. 36 auriis*.","provenance":"Tabriz","obtention":"Acquired for the Austrian National Library for 36 gold ducats in 1677 in Constantinople by Peter Lambeck.","bibliography":"Duda, Dorothea, *Islamische Handschriften I. Persische Handschriften, Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek*, vol. 4, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1983: 37-40.","binding_desc":"The luxuriously painted lacquer binding has a leather spine and leather edges. On the front cover, a group of people are depicted within a lush garden of flowering shrubs spread across the black background. A prince is sitting behind a spread-out red cloth with plates of food and a jug in the centre. He is holding a golden wine bowl while a kneeling courtier on the left serves a plate of pomegranates. In a semicircle around and above them, various figures sit or stand with drinking vessels or pomegranates in their hands. Below them, on the right, is a (poorly conserved) seated group; on the left are three musicians with a tambourine, a flute, and a lute. All figures wear the Safavid staff turban and a long two-piece robe covered with gold patterns in bright saffron, orange, and red colour as well as in dark green and blue.  \nOn the back cover, a courtly hunting scene is depicted within dense foliage and clouds at the top, including archers on horseback chasing lions, panthers, gazelles, and hares, as well as one falconer at the top right. It is a dynamic composition with five riders approaching from different sides, the movement of the horses and gestures of the figures are animated and varied. Fine mother-of-pearl dust is mixed into the colours that comprise the clouds, stones, and rocks. Related lacquer bindings can be found in the British Library (Or. 1374) and in the British Museum (no. 1948 12-11027-8).","catalogue_holding_link":"https://onb.digital/result/10E18DB3","author":"Theresa Zischkin","copy_editor":"Sophie-Anne Mullen","keywords":["Bustan","painting","Yusuf","Zulaikha","Safavid"],"materials":["Ink","opaque watercolour and gold on paper. Calligraphic nasta'liq script of 16 lines."]},"fd6a5a94-fc7a-51b0-bb4a-c9c81f9f84c3":{"name":"Basin","description":"Ablution basin of Süleymaniye Workmanship.  \nInscribed in Ottoman Turkish with the text:  \n  \n\"Sâhibi İmam-ı Evvel Hazret-i Şehriyârî Hâfız Ahmed Kâmilî Efendi, H. 1226.\"  \n  \n\"Belonging to His Eminence Hâfız Ahmed Kâmilî Efendi, the İmam-ı Evvel Hazret-i Şehriyârî \\[Chief Imam to the Sultan\\], Year \\[Hijri\\] 1226.\"  \n  \nThe phrase \"İmam-ı Evvel Hazret-i Şehriyârî\" signifies the Chief Imam of the Sultan.  \n  \nHâfız Ahmed Kâmilî Efendi served as the Chief Imam to Sultan Mahmud II.","type":"Basin","holder":"İstanbul Su Müzesi / Istanbul Water Museum","dates":"Hegira 13th century / AD 19th century","location":"Istanbul","dimensions":"Diameter: 63cm, depth: 12.5cm","place_of_production":"Istanbul","method_for_datation":"Determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","method_for_provenance":"It was determined by the experts of the Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.","provenance":"Süleymaniye  \"Süleymaniye is a district within Istanbul’s Fatih area, part of the historic “Sur içi.” It was known for artisans producing copper and brass works, marked with Ottoman Turkish inscriptions. These marks and craftsmanship identify pieces as “Süleymaniye work.”\"","obtention":"Purchased.","author":"Ercan Topçu","copy_editor":"Alvaro Miranda","materials":["brass"]},"fe669a8f-cbb8-5366-9aa0-68b03247a027":{"name":"Tumbler","description":"Cylindrical, red tumbler whose walls on the outside are covered with red translucent paint. The painted decoration consists of the yellow coat of arms of the Principality of Serbia with crossed green oak branches. The opposite side of the tumbler displays a painted cornucopia, covered with a wide ribbon and a Cyrillic inscription, Споменъ (Memento).  \nDuring the 19th century, along with the establishment of its state, Serbia sought to align with developed countries through modernization. One important component of this process was industrial production, and amidst challenges posed by the trade lobby and competing imports from Austro-Hungary one of the first steps made included establishment of the Glass Manufacture of Avram Petronijević. The owner himself had a flair for creating new processes and was very persistent, obtaining the exclusive right of production from the state, along with some benefits, including the ability to use raw materials from the environment where the factory was built and a twelve year tax exemption. The Manufacture did not operate for very long (1846-1852), but its work represented a significant shift, marking the beginning of Serbian industrialization. The largest number of the items preserved from this Manufacture originate from the period around 1850, consisting largely of glasses of simple shape and massive look, decorated with the heraldic motifs of the Principality of Serbia, including this tumbler from the Museum of Applied Arts collection. Whether painted with red or yellow translucent colours, they bear the image of the state coat of arms as decoration and a heraldic inscription in Cyrillic.","type":"Glass","holder":"Museum of Applied Art","dates":"1850s","location":"Belgrade","dimensions":"Height: 13cm, Diameter (upper rim): 8.2cm, Diameter (base): 7.6cm","method_for_datation":"By stylistic analysis, material and technique, and comparative method using other objects made in the same period in the same place.","method_for_provenance":"By stylistic analysis and historical documentation","provenance":"Principality of Serbia, Jagodina","obtention":"Purchased in 1955","bibliography":"Djurić, J., *Staklo u Srbiji XIX veka* (Glass in Serbia in the 19th Century), exhibition catalogue, Belgrade: Muzej primenjene umetnosti (Museum of Applied Art), 1985.","workshop":"Manufacture of Avram Petronijević","author":"Biljana Crvenković","copy_editor":"Valerie Pulsifer","keywords":["Serbia","Painted glass","Manufacture","coat of arms","Mould-blown"],"materials":["Mould -blown glass with painted decoration"]}}