Publication Date
439/ 1048
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;33;ar
Library Location
Bab al-Saghir Cemetery, Damascus, Syria
Date
439/ 1048
Notes
This coffin is considered one of the few remains dating back to the Fatimid period in Damascus, the northernmost border reached by the Fatimid state, which was headquartered in Cairo (third to fifth century / ninth to early eleventh century). The coffin is found in the soil in the middle of the Bab al-Saghir cemetery, located southwest of the Old City of Damascus, in the northern part of the Al-Midan suburb. The dimensions of the stone sarcophagus are 2.39 x 0.98 x 0.85 m, and it is located in the basement of the Ottoman building that was built after the earthquake in 1173 / 1759. The sarcophagus, consisting of a single piece of stone, is covered on all four sides with inscriptions from the Qur’an in Kufi calligraphy (Ayat Al-Kursi), and a funerary inscription for an unknown person, Fatima bint Ahmad Al-Sabti, who died in 439 / 1048. According to local tradition, this tomb belongs to Fatima, Ali's granddaughter and Sakina's sister. Although this is impossible because she died in Mecca in the year 117/735, and the inscription on the tomb gives the date of Rajab 439/January 1048, Fatima, Husayn, and the title of al-Sabti are important names in the Shiite sect, so it is possible that the Fatima mentioned on this tomb belonged to a large Shiite family. Surrounding the large letters composing the inscription are decorations of arabesques and lobed leaves, a traditional development of inscriptions. Fatimiyah on stone, known as leafy Kufi. To emphasize the writing, the letters were colored black, a style that first appeared in the 5th / 11th century. The inscriptions were executed in different styles, with the Qur’anic inscription being designed in an elegant, flowery way, while the funerary inscription shows a more strict and angular design. The inscription on the wooden Sakina sarcophagus, dating back to the end of the 5th / 11th century, located next to the sarcophagus of Fatima, is considered one of the rarest Fatimid inscriptions in Damascus. It is among the oldest writings preserved to this day, and is considered a valuable source for the study of Syrian writing and the development of Arabic calligraphy in general. The two coffins bear witness to the elegance and mastery of artistic works during the Fatimid period compared to the later Zengid inscriptions of the sixth century / late twelfth century, which appear generally more austere. Analysis of the inscriptions and decorations on both coffins indicates that funerary decorations are independent in terms of art history from any decorative arts in Egypt and Iran, and that they developed their own style and models. However, Fatimid decorations in Egypt, Syria and Iran belong to the same common source, which is Abbasid decorations and writings. Which was adopted and transmitted in all parts of the Islamic world.
Sample Text
Verena Daiber "Coffin of Fatima" in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;33;ar
