Prisse d'Avennes.......Islamic Art in Cairo (by House of Books)

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E. Prisse d'Avennes

Islamic Art in Cairo

With the compliments of

Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E.

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E. Prisse d'Avennes

I s l a m i c A r t i n C a i r ofrom the 7th to the 18th centuries

Introduction by

George T. Scanlon

Captions byYasmeen Siddiqui

From The LibraryIsmail Serageldln

Of!

A Zei touna BookThe American University in Cairo Press


Plates reproduced courtesy of the Rare Books and Special Collections Library of the American University in Cairo.

First published in Egypt in 1999 by

The American University in Cairo Press

113 Sharia Kasr al Aini

Cairo, Egypt.

Copyright 1999 Zeitouna.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher.

Dar el Kutub No. 15561/98

ISBN 477 424 515 6


CONTENTS

Introduction viiPlates (1-200) 1Supplementary Plates (I-XXXIV) 201List of Plates 226



INTRODUCTIONby George T. Scanlon

France perfected the art of the dessinateur in the early 19th century, relating it to the newer crafts oflithography, colored printing from metal or stone plates, and eventually photography. This art can be relishedin the thousands of drawings assembled in the Description d'Egypte, Napoleon's eternal gift to the civilizationof the Nile Valley. Emile Prisse d'Avennes was the contingent heir of this legacy; indeed he may be deemed itspinnacle in that color reproduction often enhanced his purely linear talents. It would be a courageousEgyptologist at the very end of the twentieth century who would eschew the use of the two volumes ofillustrations in his Atlas de I'art Egyptien because many are of buildings or decoration which have disappeared.The very same reasons obtain for his equally monumental L'art arabe d'apres les monuments du Kaire, in threevolumes, the subject of this new updated edition.

There can be little doubt that Prisse's strength and reputation as a dessinateur were based on his thoroughtraining as architect-engineer-surveyor (in this sense his modern congeners would be Lutyens and Wright,whose drawings and sketches have become collectables) and his strength of personality, the almost totalsubjection of his life to his work. This latter facet is almost brutally suggested in the face painted in 1844 byDeveria. The determination to achieve his two-fold objective of recording the Pharaonic and Islamic legacies ofEgypt is apparent in the visage. The parallel dedication toward publication of the immense body of materials isequally apparent in the dates of the publication of his masterworks: the Atlas was published serially between1858 and 1877, L'art arabe between 1867 and 1879. An earlier volume of character sketching appeared inLondon in 1848 as an Oriental Album, whose drawings have appealed to social historians and art historians ofnineteenth-century Egypt until the present day. And beyond all these are the finished drawings and etchings,the sketches and notes, memorabilia and correspondence which comprise the Prisse d'Avennes archive in theBibliotheque National in Paris. (For all his valor and dedication, Prisse was not above a corrosive commentaryon contemporary Frenchmen in Egypt and his viceroyal patrons, as well as giving a savor of a repressed libido:his Petite memoires secretes saw the light of print in Paris in 1930.)

He arrived in Egypt in 1827 and worked under the patronage of Muhammad Ali and his heir apparent,Ibrahim Pasha, at various tasks related to his architectural and engineering skills and was at one time theofficial tutor to the royal children. During this period he was seized by the idea of recording the architecturaland artistic legacy of Egypt from the earliest period to right before that of an unsympathetic (to the past)

vn



eupeptic modernization. In 1839 he took off for Luxor as his base of operations (indeed he lived in the backrooms of an incompletely excavated temple), making recording forays throughout Upper Egypt and into Nubiaand the Eastern Desert, a by-product being the splendid drawings of the Oriental Album. By 1843 he believedhe had enough data to contemplate publication, and returned to Europe. There was evidence of no small pridein having amended and added to the immense recording of the dessinateurs of the Description. We, his debtors,should also note that he had but two assistants as compared to the numbers of experts deployed by Napoleon.

But he was still unsatisfied with his trove. Some of his drawings needed a refinement of detail, othersevidenced the need for a fresh approach, still others dictated a survey of monuments requiring inclusion if theones he had drawn were to yield their incontrovertible value and uniqueness. He knew, too, that with theappointment of Mariette as head of the new Egyptian Museum and director of the powerful Antiquities Servicea new rigor had enspirited archaeology and recording. He returned to Cairo in 1858 and managed to fit himselfinto this new world of permits and reports. He devoted the first year to the Islamic monuments and the nextyear and a half to Upper Egypt and Nubia. In less primitive conditions than obtained in the earlier period, hecorrected his previous work and recorded pertinent aspects of what had been uncovered in the interval. Andthis time he included a photographer in his team so as to gauge better the degree of correction necessary for amore perfect publication. Without being fully aware of the effect, Prisse commenced the evolution of theextinction of the dessinateur.

L'art arabe is the perfect pendant to those sections of the Description devoted to the Islamic art andarchitecture of Egypt. Its 200 plates, when conjoined to their parallel pictorial treatment in the Description,exert a powerful effect on the reader and scholar. If Art, in the noumenal sense, is the depiction of, thencollection of, details so as to create a sense of tradition then these volumes are a visual celebration of such Art.When coupled with a volume like Owen Jones' Grammar of Ornament they become witnesses to theomnivorous appetite for the older traditions in the latter half of the nineteenth century. They provide the 'innerlife' to the pictorial records of such Orientalist artists as David Roberts, Lord Leighton, and John FrederickLewis in that they, the dessinateurs, recapitulate more exactly what was demonstrable to the reader and scholarand artist and architect in the painted scene, correcting what was imprecise or merely 'impressionistic' in theoil or watercolor. Without them, there could have been no 'Oriental Rococo,' 'Saracenic Eclectic,' or the motleytrends of Ottoman and/or Mughal imitations. With them in hand, the decorator did not have to travel to trawlthemes. Men as different as Fortuny and Oscar Wilde were utterly charmed by them.

Is there a demand for a new edition? By scholars and students of Islamic art and architecture, yes. It wasadmitted by his contemporaries and assistants that Prisse spoke Arabic far better than most of the expatriates

vin



in Cairo. (In addition, he had no trouble going anywhere in Egypt as he dressed in the style of an Egyptian Turkand called himself 'Idriss Effendi,' a close approximation of his name.) Nevertheless he made a fair number ofmistakes in his transliterations and was probably misled by the locals as to names and dates attributed tovarious monuments. These have been corrected as nearly as possible in this edition (do not forget that some ofthe monuments have been destroyed) with a proper correlation of plate number and correct historical data. Thesubjects are now intelligently identified with reasonable subscriptions. If any errors attend after suchperspicuity, they are a very small price to pay for the accuracy and variety of the drawings. (For instance, themany drawings of the eaves and side attachments of lambrequins or of stone dome decoration attest to his arthistorical sense of development and variation.)

One aspect of his endeavors remains paramount to this day: his drawings and notes about buildings thathave disappeared. Creswell depended on him for his own assays of the development of architectural anddecorative principles. One need only cite the excellent portrayal of a stone doorway in the palace of theAyyubid sultan, Najm al-Din Malik al-Salih, on Roda Island (Pi. I), which has now gone. The incipient moldedbull's eye is sketched in the stone around the rectangular window. This is forty years before the fulfillment ofthe 'idea' in the buildings of the Qalawaun period. And the waxy-leaved capitals of the engaged colonettesforming the sides of the portal point toward the 'lotus' capitals of the fifteenth century (e. g., the capitals of theMaqaad of Mamay of 1496). One looks, too, at the ground plan of the Mosque of Malika Safiya (Pi. II andwrongly ascribed to a sixteenth-century Ottoman governor, Da'ud Pasha) and one wonders if it did have anoctagonal fountain in the courtyard and if there were three grand sets of rounded steps originally. Or one looksat PI. XVIII (tomb complex of Abdallah al-Manufi, who died in 1348): today only the sky-lighted dome remains.Because of Prisse we know there was a second dome and a liwan to the complex and the remains of a separatedomed mausoleum slightly to the south with a set of three lights above a keel-arched mihrab similar to those inthe aforementioned liwan.

For the present-day reader and/or scholar, one major problem remains to be faced with Prisse's work on thescore of the Islamic art and architecture of Cairo: why so much extraneous material? Why are we givendrawings of Andalusian textiles (some misdated into the bargain)? Why an Ottoman quiver and bow case ofappliqued leather? Or a piece of paper applique design of the late Mughal period? There are seven platesdevoted to the minbar at Qus and still others to the later minbars of al-Salih Tala'i and Qaysun while there areprecious few examples of Mamluke ceramics and enameled glass. And it is difficult to explain his comparativeobsession with the decoration of the Burdayni Mosque, unless it was easier of access than other monuments.One wonders about the ten plates devoted to an eighteenth-century Maghribi Quran; was he under obligation

IX



to the Cairene shaykh who owned it? Since all of these drawings are of superior quality and have proven usefulto scholars working outside the distinct field of Egyptian Islamic art, would it be better to have excluded them?If Prisse understood these as contributing to his two broad fields of endeavor, Egyptian Islamic architecture andarchitectural decoration, he left the relationships unexplained. And one must not forget that a dessinateur wasdetermined to get the bulk of his material into print notwithstanding our modern niceties of categorization.

And publishers could and did add graphic work from other hands to enhance what they thought was the'picturesque' quality of a work. Prisse found this out when he looked at the narrative sections (provided by theEgyptologist James Augustus St. John) of the Oriental Album of 1848: therein PL 25 ('Nubian Females') isfollowed in the text by an etching 'Minar at Natens,' which is of the complex at Natanz in Iran; and PL 28('Abyssinian Priest and Warrior') by an etching of 'Pavilion near Kashan'! Thus, if the aforementioned readerand scholar is also interested in Iranian Islamic art and architecture, would they be better served if the etchingswere excised?

Enfin, Prisse was perhaps not well served by the publishing norms of his own day or by his manic drive toget his work before the public. Other imperfections have been noted above, some of which have been correctedor made more felicitous in this edition.

Nevertheless, in bulk this was an impressive body of work, of such scope and quality that we still turn to ittoday as much to resolve lacunae occasioned by what has been lost in the interval as to admire its professionalquality. At some point in the very near future Emile Prisse d'Avennes will be 'scanned' and rendered into aquotidian CD-Rom; in the meantime let us look once more at a supreme dessinateur at work and for thosepassionate about the Islamic legacy of Egyptmay they admire and stand grateful.

X


THE PLATES


Islamic Art in Cairo Architecture

Gypsum and ash pillarsaccentuate the domedmihrab. The mosque,inspired by the greatmosque of Samarra in thepatron's homeland,accommodated aburgeoning population oftroops. The decayingornament in the arch'ssoffit no longer exists.

Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun, interior of the maqsura, 9th century

1



Prostrating men providescale and accentuat thearcade's massiveness.Arches vary little; theyrest on bnck pillars with arectangular plan.Unobstructed interiorwindows and lacedexterior windows forminteresting contrasts,capturing the movementof air and light.

Mosque of Ahmad ilon Tulun, arcade and interior windows, 9th century

2



Prisse contrasts theinterior arched spandrelswith the decorated archesof the courtyard, whichdisplay a broad frieze ofstucco rosettes. Stucco-work frames the windowsdistributed around thewhole building. Accordingto Pn'sse, these helpeddisburse fragrances ofambergris into thecongregation.

Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun, details, 9th century

3



Students congregate around columns,highlighting the mosque's function. Prisse'sfocus on the structure as one adjusted andrenovated through various epochs providesinsight into the evolution of Cairo and theposition of theological, scholarly activity inthe cityscape.

Al-Azhar mosque, main courtyard, 10th-18th centuries

4



Little beyond Prisse'sdetails, elevation, and planhave survived except "theplanks [on which ImamHusayn's body wasbathed] embedded abovethe middle arch of themaqsura [traditionallyengraved andornamented], which havenever bome inscriptions."

Tala'i Abu Reziq mosque, elevation and details, 12th century

5



Radwan Katkhuda's 18th-century additionto the Citadel provided a stage for thedecisive event orchestrated under thepretense of a feast in 1 8 1 1 . Muhammad AliPasha invited all the Mamlukes (elite slave-soldiers) in Egypt to the fortress and hadthem massacred.

Bab al-Azab, maingate of the Citadel, 18th century

6



Prisse intended to conveythe nature of princelydwellings in this periodwhen peace was fragileand the state apparatusvulnerable to sedition.The palace's positionbetween the citadel andthe city provided astrategic buffer.

Entrance to the palace of Sultan Bay/bars, 13th century

7



Although the mosquewas already in ruins bythe time of Napoleon'sexpedition, Prisse,inspired by the remnants,proposed layout schemesand parallels the finedecoration with that of itscontemporary, Granada'sAlhambra.

Al-Zahir mosque, plan, elevation, & details, 13th century

8



Sultan Selim added the16th-century tekiya to a14th-century mosque tohouse Mawali Sufis. Thestructure's silhouette isdelineated by the dome,which rests on a cubicalbase. The large circularinterior was used bywhirling dervishes.

Tekiyat al-Shaykh Hasan Sadaqa, 16th century

9



The mosque, patronizedby a former slave ofQalawaun, is the oldeststanding khanqa in Cairo,te minaret once toweredover surroundingstructures. The complex'swaqf document hassurvived and offersinsights into the daily lifeof 14th-century Sufis.

Baybarsiya mosque, minaret, 14th century

10



The mosque's portal isremarkable as anarchitectural system. Theartist has explored it as afunctioning independentfeature and as part of thebuilding. Columns framinginset arches supportintricate cascadingmuqamas that seeminglysupport a fluted half-dome.

Mosque of Sultan Hasan, portal, 14th century

11



Popular tradition makesthis door part of a qadi'shouse. Ornament wasused to forge a spandrel-like structure; thisarchitectonic device istraced by knots.Domestic architectureprovides insight intopopular designs similar toheraldic symbols inimperial architecture.

Door of a house on Sha'arawi Street, 14th century

12



This mihrab, adornedwith carved and piercedbosses and arabesques, isset behind an archsupported by columnsand capped by a window.It has no precedent inCairo, although it may inPersia as the patronmarried a Mongolprincess.

Mosque of Muhammad ibn Qalawaun, view of the mihrab, 14th century

13



Muqamas adorning themosque's minaret elevateit into the cityscape. Theminaret positions thecomplex on a mainavenue of medieval Cairo.Recessed panels, tracedby a knotted motif andfalse columns, distinguishthe octagonal trunk

Mosque of Muhammad ibn Qalawaun, view of the minaret, 14th century

14



The plate capturesintricate details of theminaret: laced, carved-stucco arabesques andcalligraphic inscriptionsthat draw connectionswith designs visible in theinterior, specificallyaround the mihrab.

Mosque of Muhammad ibn Qalawaun, details of the minaret, 14th century

15



The mausoleum'ssymmetrical floor designsand intricate woodworkground the gaze, whilethe floor and squarepillars, like a swath oflight, draw the eyesupward. The octagonaldrum, composed of twopairs of piers alternatingwith two pairs ofcolumns, reflects a debtto the Dome of the Rock.

Mausoleum of Sultan Qalawaun, 14th century

16



Sultan al-Nasir Faraj builtthis khanqa and doublemausoleum to fulfill hisfather, Sultan Barquq'swish. Structural symmetry,an anomaly in Mamlukearchitecture, was possiblebecause of available spaceand a lack of legalrestrictions on building inthe cemetery.

Mausoleum complex of Sultan Barquq, plan &> section, 14th century

17



The northern mausoleum,intended for Barquq andhis son Faraj, is enteredthrough wooden latticescreens, in front of whichsits an intricately carvedQuran stand. Carvedwood is set againstaustere stone.

Mausoleum complex of Sultan Barquq, door to the tomb, 14th century

18



At this point Cairoarchitectural programswere guided by interest infundamental Mamlukearchitectural forms.Balance was conferred onan angular, seeminglyasymmetrical complex bydetails such as theintricate carvings on theminaret and dome.

Religious-funerary complex o/Qaitbay, 15th century

19



Symmetry is not found inthe mosque layout but inthe overall impact of itsdecoration. A lofty portaladorned with polychromedadoes, columnedrecesses, and intricatestucco carving, frames thedoor that leads to thetomb. A continuous bandof calligraphy integratesthe designs.

Mosque ofQaitbay, elevation of one side, 15th century

20



The massive horseshoearch framing the mihrabsuggests an unlikelyairiness in this medium-sized mosque. The qiblawall is austere, placingemphasis on itscalligraphy.

Mosque ofQaitbay, elevation of the mihrab side, 15th century

21



The elegantly carvedminaret of Qaitba/scomplex displays anaesthetic more concernedwith cylindricalmovements than mostMamluke minarets, whichrelied more heavily oncubical base forms.Columns, used to furtherelevate the structure, addlightness to its form.

Mosque ofQaitbay, ensemble & details of the minaret, 15th century

22


Architecture

This sabil on Saliba Streetdates to 1479. A trilobedarch surmounts the portaland an unusual medalliondesign surmounts theiron-grated front windowsthat characterize sabils. Aband of calligraphy,indicated in both details,hints at the building'sdesign program.

Sabil Qaitbay, near Rumayleh, parts of the facade, 15th century

23




This comparative examination of theminaret of Turab al-lmam mosque and theminaret of the Qalmi mosque reveals thatboth were based on an octagonal plan andboth had similar muqamas designs.

Minarets of Turab al-lmam mosque, 15th century, and Qalmi mosque, 16th century

24



Contrasting minarets,cubical and cylindricalboth have trilobed arches,muqarnas, and alternatingvertical and horizontalvoussoirs. The Nasiriyaminaret exploitsalternating voussoirdesigns featured in theportal frame, whereas theal-Burdayni mosquedisplays intricate carvings.

Minarets o/Qaniboy al-Rammah at Nasiriya mosque, 15th century & al-Burdayni mosque, 17th century

25



This view highlights themausoleum's dome andmosque's minaret, whichcrown the mercantilearea below. The double-bulbed minaret, not partof the original structure,was inspired by minaretsfrom the mosques ofQanibay al-Rammah aswell as al-Ghuri at al-Azhar.

Mosque and mausoleum of Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri, 16th century

26



This depiction alludes to a larger complex.The artist has articulated the dome'sdouble-leaf cresting, three arched panelssurmounted by windows in the form ofthree oculi, and the shoulder that decoratesthe transition zone.

Mausoleum of Emir Tarabay al-Sharifi, 16th century

27



Prisse focused on thistomb because to his mindthe adjoining mosquebore no distinguishingfeatures, whereas thetomb abidedwholeheartedly withprevailing Mamlukeconventions. Bichromemasonry work integratedthe tomb with the wholecomplex.

Mausoleum ofEmirMahmudJanum, 16th century

28



Prisse discusses thisessentially Mamlukedesign as an anomaly.Although Emir Khayr-Bekbetrayed Sultan al-Ghuriand cooperated with theOttomans, for which hewas favored with thegovernorship of Egypt,opportunism did notoverride his aestheticsensibilities.

Dome and minaret of Khayr-Bek, 16th century

29



Prisse's elevations andplan of the mosque ofSinan Pasha convey theOttoman impact onEgyptian architecture. Hederides self-consciousdesigns that boastmagnificence, highlightingthe structure's squatnessand the lack ofrelationship betweenprayer hall and sahn.

Mosque of Sinan Pasha, elevation &> plan, 16th century

30



Prisse, intngued by socialhistory, has captured theheart of Bayt al-Emirthe courtyard. Heexamines degrees ofprivacy through emphasison several key features:the central grid window,evocative of a sabilfacade; the arch-lined hallabove; and themashrabiya coverings.

Bayt al-Emir, courtyard, 17th century

31



As pointed out by Prisse,harem entrances,although elegantlyadorned by carvedgeometric designs andmuqamas, are quitemodest so as not toinvite strangers into thisprivate space. Thisdepiction includes aguard, presumably aeunuch to protect theinhabitants.

Bayt al-Emir; outer door to the harem, 17th century

32



Shown in elevation,details, and a plan, themosque appears to reviveMamluke building designsof the Qaitbay period.The absence of theOttoman-style cascadingdomes and austerefacades hints at thepatron's Egyptian roots.

Mosque ofShaykh al-Burdayni, elevation, details, &> plan, 17th century.

33



This mosque shows how various edificeswere grouped around tombs. The facadeshows a small room where travelers andpassers-by could stay or rest Next to thetomb, crowned by a pyramidal dome, is asabil-kuttaba school and cistern.

Funerary mosque nearKiman al-Jiyushi, 18th century

34



This tomb in the southerncemetery (Qarafa) isdefined by its elegantcolumns and light domewhich effects airiness andmodesty. The canopieddome is typical of tombsthat from the Mamlukeperiod onward could bepurchased ready-designed.

Tombofan emir in the Qarafa cemetery, 18th century

35



Typical of its genre andtime, this sabil adheres toPrisse's formulaic modelfor sabil layout. The sabil,an institution integral tothe community as asource of water, juts intothe street, revealing itspresence to the passerby.

Sabil Ahmad Husayn Marjush, 18th century

36



In 1729, Abdal-RahmanKatkhuda built a zawiyahousing for Sufison twolevels above a few shops.This was but one of hiscontributions to Cairo'scityscape. Prisse drawsparallels between itsdecoration and that ofEuropean Renaissancestyles.

Zawiyat Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda, 18th century

37



This delightful rendition ofthe door to Hammam al-Talat located in themedieval Jewish quarterreveals an originalapproach to design. Astone chain, chiseled outof limestone, seems tohave included a hook-likefixture for a hanging lamp.

Door of the bath Hammam al-Talat, 18th century

38



With Prisse's focus ondetails at multiple depths,the complexities ofdomesticity emerge.Private and public spaceare explored with socialconstructs that positionpeople in the building:male servants busythemselves on theground, a female servantlooks on from above,while cloistered ladies arepresumably hiddenbehind the mashrabiya.

Bayt al-Shalabi, courtyard, 18th century

39



Although Prisse attributesstylistic significance todomes, he treats themrandomly and not asreflective of transfers andadaptations of buildingtechnology. These fourdesigns, though essentiallylinear, embody dense,fleshy arabesques typicalof later Mamluke domes.1I) Emir Ganim al-Bahlawan(l5IO);(2) Emir Khayr-Bek(1502);(3) Emir Sulayman (1544);(4) Emir Qanibay al-Sayfi(1503).

Domes (1-4)

40



Tractable limestone, usedespecially in domes, lendsitself to the artisan'shands. The elaborate ribdesigns found in early(top right) domes arecontrasted with lighterinterlaced star patternswhich were first featuredin Sultan Barsbay'smausoleum in thenorthern cemetery.(5) Emir Azrumuk(1503-5);(6)Taghri Bardi (1440);(7) Sultan Barsbay forEmir Ganibak (1432); and(8) Sultan Barsbay formembers of the courtinthehawsh (1432).

Domes (5-8)

41



Stone as opposed tobrick is the underlyingtheme in this set ofdomes. The central domedisplays an interpretationof functional brick ribsinto architectonic stoneones. Furtherdevelopments, particularlyzigzagged designs, lightensolid stone ribs withchanges of direction atvertical joints.(9) Sultan Barsbay,Khanqa mausoleum(1432);(10) Emir Qurqmas(1506);( 1 1 ) Emir Inal al-Yusufi(1392-93);(12) Emir Ganibak at themadrasa (1426-27); and(13) Khanqa of Faraj ibnBarquq(l4l I).

Domes (9-13)

42



Columns and pillars servea universal function butbear variedornamentation. Oftenremoved from onebuilding to be used inanother, they could be akey medium fortransmitting designs, anattractive idea whenmaterials like marble werenot available locally.

Columns & pillars, ensemble &> details

43



Three distinct patternstaken from Samarra arecombined and mixed,providing schemes ofornament that framearches and decoratesoffits. Central arepointed leaves, some ofwhich blossom into atrefoil, and short thickundulated stems whichconverge at the top.

Mosque of Ahmad ibn Tulun, ornamental details, 9th century

44



Fragments of the dome'sexterior ornamentationpier frieze and windowshow harmony preservedby the more or lesssymmetrical arabesqueframe, although allwindows are varied.

Tekiyat al-Shaykh Hasan Sadaqajragments of dome decoration, 14th century

45



Prisse and his team ofartists reconstructed avariety of windowdecorations from theQaysun mosque. Alldepict ogee arches withsmall plaster columns,with identical bases andcapitals. These windows,according to Prisse, arethe work of foreignarchitects.

Qaysun mosque, interior window decorations, 14th century

46



Despite its decay, inPrisse's time this exhibitedremnants of two differentilluminated designs. Thevine leaves emerging fromthe vase appear to havebeen gilded. Elsewherethe leaves were palegreen, vine branches darkgreen, and grapes blue.

Bayt al-Emir, crowning of the bath door, 17th century

47


Islamic Art in Cairo Ornaments & Mosaics

These wall mosaics seemto endlessly repeatthemselves, suggestingeternity. By the 13thcentury, Mamluke Cairowas a significant centerfor craftsmen from Mosul;specializing in inlay, theytook an independentpath, completelyabandoning figural images.

Wall mosaics, 12th & 14th centuries

48



The minbar, gift ofQaitbay, is revealed in allits details. Zigzag carvedcolumns raise a peculiarlancet arch that seems tochallenge gravity, creatingan ornamental frame forthe amalgam of carvings.

Funerary mosque of Sultan Barquq, details of the minbar, 14th century

49



Mosaic paneling on thetomb of Barsbayillustrates the use ofmarble's rich grain fortextural enhancementNaturalistic centers areframed by brilliantlyconstructed geometricframes. The unified pieceweaves together symbolsof human effort nature,and God.

Tomb of Barsbay, mosaic paneling

50



Wall mosaics dating tothe 15th and 16thcenturies displaygeometric patterns, anaesthetic analogy withIslam's emphasis onrepetitive ritual. Six-pointed star patterns canserve as eitherindependent motifs orvisual links.

Wall mosaics, 15th 6- 16th centuries

51



Prisse discusses howIslamic geometric patternsevolved out of practicalexperiments with Platonicideas of perfectproportions grounded inEuclidean geometry.

Mosaicsjragments of various walls &> floors, 15th-16th centuries

52


Islamic Art in Cairo Ornaments &> Mosaics

This marble panel in al-Ghuri's mausoleum,located across from hismadrasa-mosquecomplex, marks the nearend of the Mamlukedynasty. The mausoleumis a significant legacy of al-Ghuri, although after hedied fighting the OttomanTurks outside Aleppo, hisbody was never found.

Mausoleum of Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri, marble panel, 16th century

53



A more detailed look atthe panels in SultanQansuh al-Ghuri'smausoleum uncoverssymbols like the oil lampand flowering bushevoking images ofparadise. The treatment ofmarble integratescalligraphy and arabesques,emphasizing theircommon aesthetic basis.

Mausoleum of Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri, details of panels, 16th century

54


Islamic Art in Cairo Ornaments 6- Mosaics

Mausoleum of Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri, details of panels, 16th century

The marble panels ofSultan Qansuh al-Ghuri'smausoleum stretch fromthe marble wainscoting tojust below the base of thedome. The overall lookbears similarities tobrocade.

55



Floor mosaic fragmentslaid out in the durkahembrace predominantsquare and circle patternssymbolic of earthlyelements and the arcticpoints of the compass.The arrangement isgrounded by the lowerpanel's isometrictessellation design. ADurkah, a recessed areain the mandara, nevercarpeted, was used todeposit shoes.

Floor mosaicsjragmentsfrom the plan of a durkah, 16th-18th centuries

56



Fragments of delicatestucco relief inlaid onwhite marble contrastsharply with thegeometric patterns oftenemployed over vastsurfaces. This design issimilar to pietra-dura,popularcontemporaneously inFlorentine and MughalIndian objects andarchitectural decoration.

Stucco inlaid on white marble, 16th-18th centuries

57



These examples of inlaidstucco on stone illustratehow spinning motifsfound within circles,rectangles, and octagonscan be varied. Inverse andreciprocal design patternsare integral to theevolution of Islamicgeometric ornamentation.

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Islamic Art in Cairo O r n a m e n t s & Mosaics

Prisse, an admirer ofMamluke forms, exploresthe mosque of Shaykh al-Burdayni, where prevailingOttoman architecturaltraditions had beenrejected in favor ofrevived lavish Mamlukestyles, epitomized here bya high marble dado.

Mosque of al-Burdayni, interior of the main hall, 17th century

59



Platonic metaphysics, asinterpreted in wallmosaics, relies onoctagons manipulatedinto distinct designs thatpivot around highlystylized Kufi Quranicinscriptions.

Mosque ofal-Burdayni, details of wall mosaics, 17th century

60



Friezes and hangingsillustrate how overlappedhexagons forgeinterweaving paths thatcan frame small,economical pieces of rawmaterial, a critical factor inareas where wood in longstraight pieces was scarceand marble a luxury.

Mosque ofal-Burdayni, details of wall mosaics, 17th century

61



Revived Mamluketraditions of decorationare captured in themihrab mosaic in al-Burdayni's mosque. Prisseparallels the texture ofthe mihrab area,composed of whitemarble and mother ofpearl, with richglimmering fabric.

Mosque of al-Burdayni, the mihrab mosaic, 17th century

62


Islamic Art in Cairo O r n a m e n t s dy Mosaics

This gloriously carvedmarbleattributed byPrisse to an unknownQawam al-Din and nowkept at the IslamicMuseum in Cairowaslocated in the madrasa ofEmir Sarghitmish (1356).The Persian character ofthe marble's low reliefand fluid Quranicinscription would haveprovided a familiarenvironment for itsPersian students, whostudied the Hanafi rite.

Madrasa & mausoleum of Emir Sarghitmish, details of the tomb, 14th century

63


Islamic Art in Cairo Ornaments 6- Mosaics

The peculiarly delicatedecoration of the whitemarble floor, evocative offiligree designs, is anunusual transfer ofdecoration frommetalwork to flooring.Although Prisse suggeststhe structure is a tokenmonument of the struggleagainst the Crusaders, itseems to reflect typicallyPersian designs.

Madrasa & mausoleum ofEmirSarghitmish, white marble floors, 14th century

64



The marble frieze androsette revealquintessential Mamlukepatterns. A hexagon isencompassed by circlesbut the usually linearpattern is elaborated inintricately carved leafyarabesques.

MadYasa mausoleum ofEmirSarghitmish, marble frieze and rosette, 14th century

65



This highly unusual marblepanel bears an extremelystylized vegetal designthat supports birds andgrapes all within a gracefularabesque frame. Thismerger of Arab andPersian motifs raisesquestions about thepatron's ethnic affiliations.

Madrasa &> mausoleum of Emir Sarghitmish, marble panel, 14th century

66


Islamic Art in Cairo Ornamen t s & Mosaics

Carved marbledecoration surmountingthe arched entrance to atomb is reflective ofchanging times. It wasbuilt during the Ottomanperiod, its designs similarto those of the Qawamal-Din complex. Thespandrel is adorned withmarble sculpted indecorative arabesquesand medallions toestablish a balance.

Entrance to an 18th-century tomb near Sula^man Pasha

67


Islamic Art in Cairo Ceil ings

The wooden ceiling andfrieze display richlypainted designsremarkable in form aswell as illumination.Mamluke geometricpatterns are framed by aTurkish-style floralarabesque. Prissedisregarded perspective inthis depiction of theceiling and muqamasedfrieze.

Mosque of al-Burdayni, ceiling and frieze, 17th century

68



This section of the ceilingdisplays an approach thatrequired luxurious rawmaterials and supremecraftsmanship. Prisse isamazed by the decorativescheme, which is drawnand colored in the samestyle as a manuscriptfrontispiece.

Mosque of al-Burdayni, details of the great ceiling, 17th century

69



The friezes and hangingsin the small rooms of al-Bundayni's mosqueincorporate octagon-based designs moldedaround a floral motif. Thisunravels giving way tostems that are interlacedwith mirror-imagecounterparts. Arrowsdirect the eye toalternating rimmedflorettes.

Mosque ofal-Burdayni, ceiling arabesques, 17th century

70


Islamic Art in Cairo Ceilings

Arabesques on theceilings of the small roomsin al-Burdayni's mosqueresemble bouquet designsfound in ancient EgyptianTheban tomb paintings,but reject the centralankh-shaped staff, symbolof life, in favor of aseemingly unending mazeof leafy vines.

Mosque ojal-Burdayni, arabesques on the ceilings, 17th century

71



The scarcity of wood inEgypt is one reason forthe restriction of its useto specialized ornamentalarchitectural features. Theceilings of Bayt al-Shalabireveal the flexible qualityof wood as a mediumthat can be lightly etchedor subtly carved, polished,or painted.

Bayt al-Shalabi, ceilings, 18th century

72



This unknown ceilingdisplays a carpet-likemotif of interlinkinghexagons framed by threeplanes of arabesques. Tofix the ceiling-planks tothe joists, small tongueswere attached. Thesefixtures assumed differentshapes, and wereadorned with painted orgilded arabesques.

Mauresque ceiling, 18th century

73



Ceilings composed ofdodecagonal stars offeranother example ofgeometry's role in woodcarving. Various designsemerge from thewoodwork Aspects ofthe formation arearticulated by coloring indifferent segments ofcarved floral patterns.

Examples of ceilings with dodecagonal stars

74



These ceilings, featuringoctagonal stars, serve tocontrast the impact ofvirtually unadulteratedcarved wood with that ofa painted carved woodsurface. The ornate upperceiling panel, framed by alayer of carved leaves andnubs, displays an aestheticquite unlike the austereone below.

Examples of ceiling with octagonal stars

75


Islamic Art in Cairo Woodwork

The congregationalmosque of Qus featureda magnificent minbar thatis said to have beenconstructed by order ofEmir Tala'i Abu RezikQus, a town in UpperEgypt, served for sometime as a seat of theAbbasid caliphate.

Mosque of Qus, ensemble &> details of the minbar, 12th century

76



The minbar in themosque of Qus adheredto Xtyyubid forms anddesigns. Unlike laterminbars, it has no sidedoor. Moreover, ascaptured in this sectionand detail, the minbar'scarvings arecharacteristically Syrian.

Mosque of Qus, detail of the minbar, 12th century

77



Small, delicately carvedgeometric patterns in thisassemblage of minbardecorations are similar tothose found in the minbarof the al-Salih Tala'imosque, established inCairo by the samepatron. The designs typifyprevailing Syrian-influenced aestheticsensibilities.

Mosque ofQus, detail of the minbar, 12th century

78



The arabesques illustratedin these details ofwoodwork are controlledby underlying geometricformations. The six-pointed star plays acritical role in thecomposition, serving as avisual anchor for thearabesques.

Mosque o/Qus, details ofofminbar woodwork, 12th century

79



Prisse's presumedarrangement of design forthe door of the minbar ofthe mosque of Qusprovides an example of amotif that lacks the six-pointed star. Instead, apattern is formed byrepeating and rotating ahexagonal emblem.

Mosque o/Qus, door of the minbar, reconstruction, 12th century

80



The beauty of the carvedgeometric-patternedminbar, captured in thisarbitrary assemblage ofdecoration, came to be astandard feature inmosques. This type ofdesign is clearly distinctfrom the later style ofminbar composed ofcriss-crossed rods andspindles of turned wood.

Mosque ofQus, arbitrary assemblage of details from the minbar, 12th century

81



These details of theminbar relay the majestyof the piece's design. It isintriguing that this minbarwas eventually movedfrom Upper Egypt to themosque of Ibn Tulun,given that another couldsurely have beencommissioned in Cairo.

Mosque o/Qus, details of the minbar, arbitrary coloring, 12th century

82



Details of beams and friezes from a muristan, or hospital, display animals, fantasticaland realistic, perched in elaborate arabesques. This belies the common assertionthat artisans had abandoned animistic designs. Prisse interprets the designs asindicative of tolerance for such images in all but religious places.

Muristan o/Qalawaun, details of beams andfriezes, 13th century

83



Carvings on the innerdoor of the muristan aresimilar to Persian Tirazornamental bandscommonly found on thearms of costumes. Menseated in the lotusposition, centaurs withbows aimed backwards insteppe-warrior fashionpoised for the 'Parthianshot' and dancing gazelleshint at a Persianprecedent.

Muristan ofQalawaun, carvings on main interior door, 13th century

84



Emir al-Nafsi Qaysuncame to Cairo a free manand sold himself to Sultanal-Nasir Muhammad, whoused this opportunity toprotect himself againstmore entrenchedMamlukes who might tryto usurp his throne.Details in al-Nafsi'sminbar combine angularpatterns with arabesques.

Mosque of al-Nafsi Qaysun, ornamental details of the minbar, 14th century

85



These details of themihrab woodwork bearstriking similarities todesigns featured in theminbar area. By forging aclose association betweenqibla and pulpit, thedesigner may have beenattempting to elevate thepatron's position inpopular consciousness.

Mosque ofal-Nafsi Qaysun, details of mihrab woodwork, 14th century

86



Details of the minbardemonstrate how purelyornamental features canmirror functionalarchitectural devices. Thesuspended lamp is framedby a graceful horseshoearch that is supported bysturdy columns andsurrounded byarabesques.

Mosque ofal-Nafsi Qaysun, details of minbar decoration, 14th century

87



Given the eclectic arrayof designs incorporatedinto the mosque of al-Nafsi Qaysun, its minbarstands out for itsconservatism. The NorthAfrican influence evidentin the angular geometryof this decorative motifraises questions about theimpact of migration onlocal designs.

Mosque ofal-Nafsi Qaysun, minbar, 14th century

88



This elevation of theminbar displays clearparallels to the decorativeprogram of the mosqueas a whole. The gate isframed by muqamasesand the balcony featuresa lancet arch. The wholestructure is surmountedby a carved onion dome.

Mosque ofQaitbay, elevation of the minbar door and side view, 15th century

89



Details from the minbar of the mosque ofal-Salih Tala'i ibn Rezik are unified byspiraling arabesques. The mosque wasdesigned to house Husayn's head, whichhad come into the patron's possession afterAscalon fell to the Crusaders, but Caliph al-Faiz demanded the relic remain in his care.

Mosque of al-Salih Tala'i, details of the minbar, 13th century

90



These details are quite similar to those ofits contemporary in Qus. Emir Sayf al-DinBektimur Gukandar, who commissioned theminbar, had his name inscribed with a notethat he had paid for it from his own pocket

Mosque ofal-Salih Tala'i, details of the minbar,13th century

91



Articulated geometricpatterns in thisassemblage of details ofthe minbar hint at theartist's reluctance to relyon drawings ormathematics. Prissesuggests that perhaps thepatron, renowned for hisintellect, encouragedartisans to follow theirown inclinations.

Mosque ofal-Salih Tala'i, assemblage of details from the minbar, 13th century

92



The practical effects ofornamentframing, filling,and linkingare capturedin these carved woodenleaves and edging. Prisseencouraged artists on histeam to interpret colorschemes liberally, in orderto articulate how varied aseemingly simple designcan be.

Tomb of Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri, carved wooden leaves on a cabinet, 16th century

93



These niches andassembled woodenbonders provided ampleopportunity for designersto play with a variety ofmotifs. The role ofornament as anexpression of pleasure inconstructing an object isapparent Numerouspatterns are developed,all of which heighten theviewer's sensoryexperience.

Niches and assembled wooden borders

94


Islamic Art in Cairo Doors

Although al-Salih Tala'iwas denied the privilegeof guarding Husayn'shead, these details fromthe front and back of themain door arereminiscent of a Persian'talar' motif, a permanentreminder of thestructure's originalfunction as a reliquary.

Mosque of al-Salih Tala'ijmnt &> back of main door, 12th century

95



The inner door in SultanBarquq's mosque tells ofa time when luxurymaterials were scarce.Frugal approaches thatmaximized effectpermitted a sparing use ofbronze as can be seenwith this central bronzemedallion framed byquarter medallions at thecomers.

Madrasa of Sultan Barquq, interior door, 14th century

96



A bronze-framed woodendoor from Sidi Yusefhouse is contrasted witha bronze-faced door fromBarquq's mosque. Thedoor from Barquq'smosque is a strikinganomalyby his reign,doors were generally nolonger totally faced withbronze.

Sidi Yusef house, interior door, 18th century (left) & mosque ofBarquq, bronze door, 14th century (right)

97



Similar to that of Barquq,the outside door of al-Yusufi mosque employs amotif commonly found incontemporary leatherbookbinding. Although inthis period doors wereconsistently decoratedwith a simple circle andframe arrangement in thiscase the central panel isenhanced by calligraphy.

Mosque ofYlgaial-Yusufi, exterior door, 14th century

98



Both leaves display anapproach to design thatfundamentally relies ondepth and shadow in away reminiscent of stonecarvings. This structuremarks the end of thefyyubid building program.

Tomb ofSalih Najm al-Din, leaves of a chest and a window shutter, 13th century

99



The materials used tocreate the main door oftheSidi YusefYlmasmosque are difficutt toidentify from this drawing.The surfaces,unobstructed by bossesand knobs, suggest thatthe medium is wood.Similarities betweendoors and book covers ofthe time are striking.

Mosque ofSidi YusefYlmas, main door, 14th century

100


Arab Art in Cairo Doors

Geometric designscaptured by thewoodcarver weresubsequently embellishedby the painter. Thesurfaces would have beenenhanced by a finishingvarnish of egg whites.

Mosque o/Qaitboy, decoration on doors & cabinets, 15th century

101



This door features anenclosing frame andfloating quarter-medallioncomer designs. Anattempt has been madeto capture the door'sthree dimensionality withemphasis on its fixtures.The two handles show amatching motif in adifferent medium.

Tomb of Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri, inner door, 16th century

102



Typical of its time, thissmall door and its detailsare carved. Later doorswere decorated withbronze on wood. Cast-iron fixtures align thedesign and add to thecomplexity of the image.

Bayt al-Emir, ensemble & details of a small door, 16th century

103



In a manner that Prissedeems to be reminiscentof true Arab art, theleaves from the SulaymanPasha mosque in theCitadel show clear linesand obvious geometricdevices. Sulayman Pashabuilt his mosque to anOttoman plan and aMamluke decorativescheme.

Sulayman Pasha mosque, leaves of a shutter &> a cabinet, 16th century

104



This door, decorated withcast iron applique, wasdestroyed in a riot duringBonaparte's time in Cairo.Luckily, a handy draftsmanwas able to restore itThe design displays aCentral Asian aesthetic.

Sabil Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda, door, 18th century

105



This detail depicts aportion of the structurerestored by the needlesand files of Muslimartisans. According toPrisse, the originalstructure was the conceptof a Christian architect.

Al-Khanqa mosque, details of a door, 18th century

106



Door knockers andhandles, associated withvarious periods andplaces, touch on waysordinary folk couldembellish their otherwiseplain homes.

Door knockers & handles, various periods

107


Islamic Art in Cairo Faience

Although disputablebecause they closelyresemble 18th-centuryOttoman tilework, Prisseasserts that these walltiles were laid in themihrab of the Shaykhunmosque when it waserected. The mosque as awhole displays aninconsistent wall tileprogram, a point thatbecomes very clear whenthey are contrasted withthose in plate 128.

Shaykhun mosque, mihrab wall tiles, 14th century

108



Prisse ascribes anAndalusian origin to thesewall tile designs thatresemble 'zillij1 patternsintroduced to Andalusiaby North AfricanAlmohads, they areformed by cutting smallmonochrome tiles andarranging them intopolychrome designs.

Shaykhun mosque, mihrab wall tiles, 14th century

109



Prisse encouraged histeam of artists to takeliberties with the coloringof designs, as they didwith these wall tileborders. The result leavesthe viewer free to eitherenjoy the adulteratedimage or decipher thedesign's origin andsignificance.

Wall tiles, borders, 16th century

110



The panel is from thedivan of a Khurshid pashain Ezbekiyah. Tile-workfeaturing holy places wastypical of palace artthroughout the Ottomanworld. Similar panels arefound in Sabil Katkhudaand various Cairo tekiyas.

Wall tiles, panel depicting the Ka'aba and its surroundings, 16th century

111



Tile art not only providesinsight into thetechnology available toartisans, but also revealspreferred raw materials.This example showsdesigns and perhapsluster painting techniques,involving fine ceramicsand glazes, that aretypically Persian.

Wall tiles of a kiosk, 16th century

112



The wall tiles from MahuBek's kiosk display crudedesigns more similar tothose of textiles than tile-work. The garish colorschosen by the artistaccentuate their humblequality.

Wall tiles, Mahu Bek kiosk, 16th century

113



Qus was the seat of the Abbasid caliphateduring the Mamluke period. In later periods,the city maintained its allure. Hence, thisremarkable tiled tympanum in the city'scongregational mosque. Prisse speculatesthat the tiles were manufactured in Syria.

Mosque of Qus, tiled tympanum, 16th century

114



Prisse, in awe of the tile-work decoration inthe mosque of Qus, included this sectionof the frieze with remarkable kuficcharacters from the Fatiha, the opening surain the Quran. The common occurrence ofthis sura makes it useful for comparingcalligraphy.

Mosque of Qus, tile-work decoration, 16th century

115



Wall tiles found in thepalace of Ismail Bekexemplify the assimilationof Iznik tile technology inCairo. These tiles aremade from a coarse-grained potter's clay. Toeliminate surface flaws,they were coated withoff-white slip and fired athigh temperatures.

Palace of Ismail Bek, wall tiles, 16th century

116



The wall tiles from theRadwan palace displaydelicate designs that theartist has chosen torender in muted colour.Like the tiles in IsmailBek's palace, these tilesfeature designs paintedunder a fired transparentlead glaze.

Radwan Palace, wall tiles, 17th century

117



Iznik tiles could bedecorated either withskillful free brush strokesor, as in these wall tiles,with stenciled designs.Three shades of bluewere commonly used, aswell as turquoise, purple,green in the contours,and occasionally black fordefinition.

Radwan Palace, wall tiles, 17th century

118



The Mamluke mosque ofAqsunqur (1347) wasredecorated in 1652 bythe janissary Ibrahim AghaMustahfizan when he buitthis mausoleum next to itsentrance, adorning itextensively with blue andgreen tiles along the qiblaand in the mausoleum.

Mosque of Aqsunqur, wall tiles, 17th century

119



Remarkably similar to thetiles in plate I 19 above,only subtle differences inthe treatment of theborders and the extent towhich the arabesquesflower, distinguish thetwo.

Mosque o/Aqsunqur, wall tiles, 17th century

120



Naturalistic cedar treesare combined witharchitectural motifsahanging lamp set incolumned archesin thistiled pseudo-mihrab.Architectonic tile-workdesigns featureprominently in thismosque.

Mosque ofAqsunqur, tiled pseudo-mihrab, 17th century

121



The artist has takenliberties with contrast inthis depiction of what areactually described as blueon blue monochromatictiles. Tiny leaves andflowers with spiralingbranches such as thesehave been erroneouslynamed Golden HornWares. Although foundthere, the style originatedin Central Asia.

Mosque ofAqsunqur, tiled panel, 17th century

122



The tekiya located inMuski, the Europeanquarter in Prisse's time, iscoated from one end tothe other in tiles like theones shown here. Thetiles were acquired fromsources throughout Cairo,producing an irregulardesign program.

Tekiya of the Dervishes, wall tiles, 17th century

123



These wall tiles resembleCuerda Seca (or DryCord) tiles. Thetechnique, known sincethe I Ith century butpopularized in 17th-century Ottoman Egypt,uses outlines ofmanganese and greasemixture filled with whiteand colored glazes.

Tekiya of the Dervishes, wall tiles, 17th century

124



The most remarkable aspect of this designis the naskh calligraphy, set apart by itsframe. The lines of the script are offset bysurrounding arabesques.

Tekiya of the Dervishes, glazed tile tympanum and borders of an arcade, 17th century

125



Bayt al-Emir belonged toa high-rankinggovernment official, so itis likely that details suchas those shown herewere of high quality. Theintricate patterns,although not especiallyinnovative, reveal thepatron's refined tastes.

Bayt al-Emir, wall tiles, 17th century

126



Prisse describes theseglazed tiles as 'double-patterned' because thepattern can be viewedeither from the base ofthe chevron or from itsmid-point Thus, heexplains, two designsemerge from one.

Glazed tiles, 18th century

127



This section of wall tiles,added in the course of18th-century renovationsto the 14th-centurymosque, disregarded theoriginal design program,which had been guidedby 'zillij' designs (plates108 and 109).

Shaykhun mosque, wall tiles, 18th century

128



Fine examples of comer-pieces that decorate thethree main windows ofthe ground floor in themagnificently adornedsabil of Abd al-RahmanKatkhuda. Iznik tile designsare fully realized in thesedepictions of roses,carnations, and hyacinths.

Sabil Abd al-Rahman Katkhuda, wall tiles, 18th century

129



Prisse reproduced theseleaves and floralornaments painted on tilefrom a pseudo-mihrab infull size to show thebrilliance, beauty, andboldness of their design.

Studies of leaves andfloral ornaments painted on tile

130



Prisse included this ovaltile panel to demonstratehow tiles were used todress whitewashed walls.Bitterly disappointed bythe quality of itscraftsmanship, he assessesthe panel as being "of aclumsy, probably Turkishstyledrawn from AsiaMinor."

Oval panel in tile

131



According to Prisse, thesewall tiles were found in ahanout, a small edificewrth basins where thedead were bathed andwrapped in shroudsbefore being taken to thecemetery. The tiles wereof fine quality materialsand design.

Wall tilesfmm a hanout

132



Prisse included this plateas a testimony to thedecay of artistry andworkmanship under theOttomans. This crown ofa minbar door executedin painted marble is inPrisse's view a failedattempt at simulating atile covering.

Sulayman Pasha mosque, crown of the minbar door, 16th century

133


Islamic Art in Cairo Mashrabiya & Lattice Work

Described as resemblingan "aviary affixed to awall" the interiormashrabiya in Bayt al-Emirillustrates thecomplementary naturesof wood and greenery.Climbing plants aroundthe window neutralize theglare of the sun andsprout flowers, whichbrighten the view frominside the harem.

Bayt al-Emir, interior mashrabiya, 18th century

134


Islamic Art in Cairo Mashrabiya &> Lattice Work

The carved-woodlatticework, commonlyreferred to as mashrabiya,is composed of smallpieces of wood that areturned in various formsand fixed together,without glue or nails,simply by being insertedinto each other.

Mashrabiya, ensemble & details

135


Islamic Art in Cairo Mashrabiya &> Lattice Work

These sections andfragments of mashrabiyadisplay an array ofdesigns. By the lateMamluke period, thetechnique was found inmodest dwellings. Fromthe Ottoman conquest ofEgypt until the reign ofMuhammad Ali,mashrabiya was regularlyused in domesticarchitecture.

Mashrabiya, sections and fragments

138


Islamic Art in Cairo Inter iors

This rendition of anupstairs salon in the SidiYusef Adami house offersa sense of propriety andproportion. To providesecluded women withcomfort, polytexturedsurfaces were used tocreate an airyenvironment

Sidi Yusef Adami house, upstairs salon

139


Islamic Art in Cairo In ter iors

The room for the wetnurse shows how roomswere oriented aroundcourtyards. Here, thevarious rooms positionedaround the lush courtyardwere used in particularseasons, depending onwhether sun or breezewere desired.

Sidi YusefAdami house, wet nurse's chamber

140



The ground-floor mandara, or reception room, in Sidi YusefAdami's house is, according to architectural convention,central to the larger salamlik The paved courtyard is adornedwith a fountain and surrounded by iwans, which are raisedabove floor level and furnished with carpets and divans.

Sidi Yusef Adami house, mandara

141



This room shows therelationship betweenpeople and structure. Amihrab set in an elevatediwan provides the idealplace for religious study.Small niches used to storecandlesticks are alsoillustrated.

Husni Ahmad al-Burdayni house, 17th century

142


Islamic Art in Cairo Glasswork

The lamp displays primarydesigns based onhorizontal bands. Theband of calligraphy tracedwith enamel is a renditionof the first phrase fromthe 24th sura of theQuran, "Allah is the lightof heavens and earth."

Madrasa of Sultan Barquq, lamp in enameled glass, 14th century

143



Prisse regards this shamsaas indicative of theassimilation of Byzantinegilding and enamelingpractices in Egypt. Theplasterwork was removedand presumably lost in alate 19th-centuryrenovation.

Sayyida Zaynab mosque, shamsa or stained glass window with perforated plaster, 14th century

144



This shamsa wasshattered while beingtransported to the 1867Paris Exposition. Uponheanng that the ownerwas disposing of thepieces, Pnsse acquiredthem and reconstructedthe window.

Madrasa ofBarquq, shamsa or stained glass window with perforated plaster, 14th century

145



This 16th-century vesselof glazed glass belongedin Prisse's time to aprivate collection. He wasconvinced that it wasmade in Egypt. Its "mildand harmonious" coloringresembles many lampsmade in Mansura, a townin the Delta renownedfor rts glassware.

Vase in glazed glass, 16th century

146


Islamic Art in Cairo Carpets & Tapestries

A 12th-century tapestry,found in a church whereit enveloped the relics ofa saint, displays a datetree between twostanding Cerberuses thatto Prisse, resemble "blindand lifeless poodles." Thedesign is pre-lslamic butthe textile is Islamic.

Tapestry, 12th century

147


Islamic Art in Cairo Carpets

Islamic Art in Cairo Carpets &> Tapestries

Prisse attributes thisfragment of a tapestry tothe 14th-centuryHispano-Mauresqueworkshops in Andalusia.In designs from Andalusia,horizontal bands wereused to break up patternsbased on stars juxtaposedwith rosettes.

Fragment of a tapestry, conserved in the cathedral ofNivelles, Belgium, 14th century

149



This carpet achieved famebecause rt was used byVenetian painter ParisBordone as a model,placed at the feet of theDoge in his paintingFisherman of the AdriaticBearing the Ring of StMark.

Small velvety ushak carpet, 16th century

150


Islamic Art in Cairo Carpets 6- Tapestries

The motif of three rowsof peacocks with closedtails in an arabesqueframe was a conventionprevalent in 14th-centurytextiles like this onefound in the UtrechtMuseum. In thischaracteristicarrangement, the tonesand the style of fabric aresimilar to those of theNivelles textile.

Textile, conserved at the Utrecht Museum, 14th century

151



The covering of thisquiver and bow case,crimson velvet adornedwith arabesques, typifiesOttoman textiles thatusually bore talismansQuranic verses, piousinvocations, or magicalsquares containingnumbers and alphabetsfor divine protection.

Quiver and bow case, 16th century

152



This large, velvety carpetwas styled aftercontemporarybookbinding decoration.The medallion or 'starushak' designs relied on apalette of deep reds andblues, out of whichrealistic and abstractedblossom motifs could beworked in up to ninecolors.

Large velvety carpet, 18th century

153



Haita tapestries, like this 18th-century example, were used inwinter to cover marble surfaces in the salamlik This hartaincludes a motif of arches articulated by ivy leaves, a visualsubstitute for architectural features that would have beenobscured by the tapestry.

Haita tapestry for covering wall panels, 18th century

154


Islamic Art in Cairo Arms & Armor

The arms and armor ofTumanbay, last Mamlukesultan, all bear his name.The objects, made fromPersian Khurasan steelinlaid with gold, andDamascus steel burnishedand inlaid with gold, wereacquired by theOttomans.

Arms of Tumanbay, ensemble &> details, 16th century

155


Islamic Art in Cairo Arms & Armor

This plate armor for ahorse's head, made ofsteel inlaid with gold,dates to the Ottomanperiod. Prisse regards it asa clumsy piece of workand describes it as beingthe antithesis ofTumanbay's equipment

Armor for a horse's head

156


Islamic Art in Cairo Secular dy Re l ig ious F u r n i s h i n g s

This chest, found inBayeux Cathedral inNormandy, contains thechasuble, stole, andmaniple of SaintRegnobert. Kuficinscriptions reveal itsoriental origin. Prisseexpounds on routes theobject may have traveledbetween Egypt andFrance.

Ivory Chest with silver appliques, Bayeux Cathedral, 12th century

157


Islamic Art in Cairo Secular & Religious Furnish ings

Probably commissionedby one of Sultan Baybars'eunuchs in Damascus, themain center for Mamlukemetal work. It adheres toMediterranean (Greco-Roman) tradition asopposed to the equallypopular Sassanian design.

Gilded bronze lamp, tomb of Sultan Baybars, 13th century

158


Islamic Art in Cairo Secular & Religious F u r n i s h i n g s

A type of inlaid basincalled sidriya, found inmedieval Arab palaces.Demand for them wassignificant enough towarrant local production.The majority of metalworkers in medievalEgypt were Copts.

Ornamental details/rom an inlaid basin, or sidriya

159


Islamic Art in Cairo Secular Rel igious Furn i sh ings

Although small copper trays, like this 15th-century model, are usually thought to bemade by Arabs from Egypt Prisse assertsthat this one originated in a large villagenear Venice where Muslim captives andworkers continued to practice their craft.

Small copper tray, 15th century

160


Islamic Art in Cairo Secular & Re l ig ious Fu rn i sh ings

This 16th-century brasstray engraved in points isin line with prevailingPersian designs. Althoughdesigns were transportedfrom one place toanother, Arab Egyptiandesigns adhered quiterigidly to geometricoutlines.

Brass tray, 16th century

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Islamic Art in Cairo Secular Rel igious F u r n i s h i n g s

Prisse speculates that this16th-century tinnedcopper tray, found on ashelf in the tomb ofSultan Baybars, was leftby a traveler andcomments on theevolution of buildings andtheir contents. The trayfeatures an Arabic legend,engraved in its center.

Tinned copper tray, 16th century

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Islamic Art in Cairo Secular &> Religious Furnishings

The inlay/damascenefeatured in this bronzetray is formed by setting agold or silver thread in afurrow. It can either befiled down, or as in thiscase, left in relief. Theother method for inlay isexecuted by applying goldor silver leaf betweenraised metal lines.

Inlaid bronze tray

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Islamic Art in Cairo Secular &> Religious Fu rn i sh ings

The quality of these metalhand mirrors is poorerthan those found inancient Egypt but theirsmall backs are curious.Their cosmologicaldesigns often featurehunters and fantasticalcreatures, and the textfocuses on wishes ofgood fortune.

Metal hand mirrors, back

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Islamic Art in Cairo Secular & Religious Furn ish ings

Ornamental details,particularly the lotusflower, reveal the vessel'sorigin and age. Inspired byChinese motifs and set inthe frame of threeoverlapping three-leafclovers, this lotus motiffirst appeared in Egyptduring Qalawaun's reign.

Tinned copper vase, ornamental details

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These objects areornamented and inscribedwith inlaid silver and gold.The candlestick inspiredby a Western model,could balance the tray,possibly inlaid withmother of pearl.

Candlestick and alcarraza trayJurnishings oj Sultan Qalawaun, 13th century

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Islamic Art in Cairo Secular & Religious Furn ish ings

The sidriya reveals howinlay was used even forornamenting utensils. Along and beautiful legendis engraved on the bulgein Naskhi script. Frolickingducks adorn thearabesques that surroundQalawaun's silver-inlaidcoat of arms.

Basin, or sidriya, furnishings of Sultan Qalawaun, 13th century

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A typically Mamluke inlaid box and tray ofSultan Qalawaun; a central star or rosette isencircled by complex interlacing patternsthat include stylized birds. The lions withhuman heads along the base represent thepatron's royal status.

Inlaid chest and trayjurnishings of Sultan Qalawaun, 13th century

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Islamic Art in Cairo Secular & Religious Furnishings

These candlesticks adhered to a rigid canon.The overall height needed to equal thebase's diameter. In contrast tocontemporary Persian examples, the sideswere very straight Naskhi script and theappropriate blazon were essential designcomponents.

Candlesticfesjurnishings of Sultan Qalawaun, 13th century

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The writing case of BahriSultan Sha'aban provideswonderful insight into theritual of a royal audience.It would be carriedceremoniously in theprocession whichfollowed the katib (thesuttan's secretary) by hisfavorite palace emir.

Writing case of Bahri Sultan Sha'aban, details, 14th century

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Islamic Art in Cairo Secular & Religious Furnishings

The writing case of BahriSuttan Sha'aban is quitelarge and artisticallydesigned. Prisse dissectedthe object to explore itsfacets. Designs aredominated by birds andarabesques.

Writing case of Bahri Sultan Sha'aban, details, 14th century

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Islamic Art in Cairo Secular &> Religious Furn ish ings

Prisse chose to includethese two copper sidriyasto convey varying degreesof richness. Neither isparticularly precious butthey provide a reminderof daily life. They weredesigned to containsherbets and otherrefreshments.

Copper basins, or sidnyas

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Prisse d'Avennes.......Islamic Art in Cairo (by House of Books)