Back to the 8th and 9th century
10th
century
4
- The Foundation
of Fatimid al-Qahira
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The Great Mosque of Mahdiyya, Tunisia: (ca. 920) built in the Fatimid new capital, al-Mahdiyya, near Qayrawan, it displays Fatimid monumental additions to a modified hypostyle plan. | |
| Al-Qahira (Cairo): The new royal city of Egypt established north of Fustat by the Fatimids upon their conquest of the country in 969. It had a regular plan running parallel to the Khalij (Canal of the Nile) with a main north-south thoroughfare. | ||
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Plan of the Fatimid City with the two palaces and Khitat (after Ravaisse). | |
| Majlis: A T-shaped architectural unit with a large central hall flanked by two smaller spaces. The three spaces are fronted with a portico (riwaq) which opens onto the courtyard via three doors. The type is believed to have been imported from Samarra to Egypt by Ibn Tulun. | ||
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Shadirwan or Salsabil: A slanted, pebbled or chevroned slab on the wall upon whose surface the water gurgles down to a channel whence it is collected in a central fountain. | |
| Fatimid (and pseudo-Fatimid) Palaces: | ||
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The
Eastern Palace:
(969-72) A huge enclosure with several monumental gates that contained
a number of halls set within garden-courtyards.
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The
Western Palace:
(975-96) Built by al-`Aziz, al-Mu`izz's son, as the more private
caliphal palace across from the Eastern Palace. The two palaces
were separated by an open parade ground called Bayn al-Qasrayn (Between
the Two Palaces).
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Carved wood panel | |
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Carved wood panel | |
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Double-arched window | |
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Remains of an iwan with a shadirwan in its center | |
| La Zisa Palace, Palermo, Sicily: Built by the Norman king Roger II between 1154-66, it represents the most complete example of a garden pavilion/throne hall built by Muslim craftsmen after the Fatimid model. | ||
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Main Facade of the Palace | |
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General View from the West | |
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Main Hall with Shadirwan and water channel | |
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La Cuba Palace, Palermo, Sicily: Attributed to Roger II or his successors and dated to 1180, this palace-pavilion sits within a pool. It too echoes the development in reception hall arrangement in the Fatimid realm.
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19th c. Reconstruction of the Palace | |
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| The Shi`ites: from shi`a (supporters), who recognized `Ali as the only legitimate imam (political and religious leader) after the Prophet. They developed into several branches which differed primarily in the number of imams they recognized after `Ali. Most important are: | ||
| The Twelvers Imamis: Who constitute the majority of Shi`ites, and recognize twelve descendants of `Ali as imams. | ||
| The Isma`ilis: recognize the first six imams as the Twelvers, but differ with them about the seventh, Isma`il, hence their name. | ||
| The Fatimids: An Isma`ili dynasty whose founder claimed descent from Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet and wife of `Ali, and established a caliphate in Ifriqiya (Tunisia), which was later expanded to include Egypt and southern Syria. | ||
| Al-Mu`izz li-Din Allah: (953-75) The fourth Fatimid caliph and the first in Egypt. | ||
| Jawhar al-Siqilli: The Fatimid general who conquered Egypt and founded al-Qahira. | ||
Forward to the 10th century