Publication Date
Sixth century AH / twelfth century AD
Publication Place
-
Museum of Civilizations / Museum of Oriental Arts
Subject
Marble/etched base with light relief
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الطول: 70 سم، العرض: 12 سم، الارتفاع: 31 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
IsIAO 7833
Record ID
object;EPM;it;Mus22;1;ar
Library Location
Museum of Civilizations / Museum of Oriental Arts
Date
Sixth century AH / twelfth century AD
Notes
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The sight of God: There is no god but Him, and the angels are with Him... This phrase is inscribed in a light relief on the tombstone that was placed not far from the famous minaret of the sacred Ghaznavid shrine of Bahram Shah. This inscription on the tomb that follows the basmala contains a Qur’anic verse (verse 18 of Surat Al Imran) which is truncated in the middle of the word that refers to the angels. A number of burial tombstones date back to the ages. Ghazni, Ghurid and Timurid have been documented by the Italian archaeological mission in the north, east and west of the Ghazni citadel. Those from the Ghaznavid period, such as this stele, are composed of elements with a low base, intermediate elements that taper towards the top, and distinguish the stele, often within some kind of frame and capital crest, which is often coupled with inscriptions. The stones are made of white marble from local quarries in Ghazni. Features of the inscriptions of Ghaznavid shrines can include the basmala, the shahada (testimony of faith), the name of the deceased with his lineage, surname, and date of death, as well as some Qur’anic verses and supplications for the deceased. The inscriptions are usually in Arabic, but Persian is also used, as well as a combination of both languages. The style in which the inscriptions are written on the shrines varies, and the current example has a leaf inscription, which is a type of writing that was widespread in the Ghaznavid state since the beginning of the twelfth century, and which is characterized by angular letters with a forked end, leaves, spirals, and clusters. The evidence of Ghaznavid burials constitutes a special part of Islamic art, which is believed to be of Turkish origin and was brought by the Ghaznavids to Ghazna. But the oldest tombstones were found in Siraf (a port on the western coast of Iran), which date back to the beginning of the second half of the tenth century. Other examples have been found in Anatolia, Bahrain, India and Pakistan.
Sample Text
Michael Jung "Tombstone" in Explore Islamic Art Collections. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;it;Mus22;1;ar
