Publication Date
Fatimid era/Norman era
Publication Place
-
Sicilian Regional Museum, Apatlis Palace
Subject
White marble engraved with the image of a snake descending onto another stone.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 32 سم؛ العرض: 185 سم/ الارتفاع: 32سم؛ العرض: 192 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
5104 - 5105
Record ID
object;ISL;it;Mus01_A;44;ar
Library Location
Sicilian Regional Museum, Apatlis Palace
Date
Fatimid era/Norman era
Notes
Two pieces of marble bearing Arabic inscriptions in Naskh script. They were located in the cave of the Palatina Dome Church in Palermo, and it is possible that they were originally in another building. The inscription says: “Come near, and accept the magic of this place after you have embraced and contemplated the beauty of the things it contains. To God belongs power and permanence, and upon creation is ordained annihilation, and of this we have an example in His Prophet.” The destination is the Holy Kaaba, around which the believers circumambulate and kiss the Black Stone in one of its corners. This is a belief similar to the Norman belief in sanctifying the Sultan and giving him divine authority. In fact, the writing was in one of the halls of the Royal Palace in Palermo. (Its documented presence in the second half of the nineteenth century in the cave of the Palatina Dome suggests that it was originally in the palace itself). It is possible that Rogero placed it during his stay there in order to combine the palace and worship, using the connection that was known in the Fatimid era.
Sample Text
Rita Bernini “Two pieces of marble, with some inscriptions” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;it;Mus01_A;44;ar
