Publication Date
10th / 16th century
Publication Place
-
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Subject
Iznik white clay ceramics with a painting of the Kaaba under a glaze.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 62 سم؛ العرض: 34 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
827
Record ID
object;ISL;tr;Mus01;33;ar
Library Location
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Date
10th / 16th century
Notes
Blue, green and red pigments were used on a white background. The single-tile ceramic piece is framed by a black-coloured border in the form of a series of drawings on a blue background. There is another border decorated with blue palmettes that end at the top of the ceramic panel, taking the form of a mihrab. The two corners of the mihrab are decorated with split and interlaced palmettes on a blue background. In the center of the mihrab, also on a blue background, there is a drawing of a pediment of identical design decorated with arabesques, and below it is an inscription of three lines written in black Naskh script. The inscription consists of verse 96 and part of verse 97 of Surat Al Imran (No. 3): “Indeed, the first House established for mankind is the one in Mecca; blessed and a guidance for the worlds. {96} In it are clear signs, a place of Abraham and whoever entered him were safe.” Under this text there is a drawing of the Grand Mosque within a blue and green rectangle. In the middle of the Grand Mosque, you can see the Kaaba, distinguished by a courtyard with porticoes. The various buildings, gates, shrines, and waterways within the corridors are all identified and known by their names. The holy places and cities (Mecca and Medina) have been presented in books since the early times of Islam, and are supported by drawings. There are detailed drawings of these places in the Hajj certificates issued especially in the Ayyubid era, and they occupy an important place in the museum’s collection. These documents begin with the Caliph’s motto, which was issued during his reign, and display painted paintings of Mount Arafat, Muzdalifah, the Noble Sanctuary, Medina, and Jerusalem as well. In Ottoman art, there are similar images of holy places painted for Hajj certificates. Since the beginning of the 10th / 16th century, images of the Grand Mosque in Mecca have been found painted on ceramic tiles in some mosques.
Sample Text
Cihat Soyhan “Glazed ceramic plate with the image of the Kaaba” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;tr;Mus01;33;ar
