Publication Date
1165- 1180
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;it;Mon01;1;ar
Library Location
Palermo, Italy
Date
1165- 1180
Notes
The palace is rectangular in shape, composed of three floors, and its total height is 25-70 metres. It faced towards the east. In the middle of its short sides there are two protrusions, on which two towers are built. The upper frame of the building is decorated with Arabic inscriptions, while its inner edges are rich in architectural decoration, surrounding the entire building. I cut holes in the frame, changing its shape, and it became discontinuous. In the middle of the ground floor is the Al-Bahra Hall, and on either side of it are two rooms smaller than the hall. As for the second floor, due to the height of the entrance and the Al-Bahra Hall, it is limited to the two side rooms connected by a long corridor from the western end. The hall on the third floor was open due to the presence of a pool to collect rainwater. As for the Al-Bahra hall on the ground floor, it is square in shape, with an opening toward the facade and a large semi-oval arch, in which are inscribed mosaic inscriptions in Arabic naskh script, praising the Norman Sultan, the patron of the building. As for the remaining three sides, they contain a wide cavity of the muqarnas type: it is the most important section of the building that was designated for ceremonies, parties, and banquets, due to the presence of mosaics on the walls and on the capitals of the columns that represent hunting scenes and plants. It is as if this section of the building is an extension of the garden to the interior of the palace, as we find in the western cavity on the axis of the gate water plants, through which water flows to pour on an inclined surface with zigzag and serrated sides, and collects in a basin, and there is a base in the center of this basin that reaches the surface of the water. This palace was built in the middle of the large Norman hunting garden, and was intended for resting places; It has stunning natural features: fruit trees, palm trees, basins and waterfalls. Work on its construction began during the reign of Gugliemo I, and was finally completed during the reign of Gugliemo II (560-575 / 1165-1180) and it is now used as a museum of Islamic art.
Sample Text
Pier Paolo Racioppi "Tziza" in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;it;Mon01;1;ar
