Publication Date
About 719/1320
Publication Place
-
Museum of Islamic Art
Subject
Cedar and poplar wood, carved and assembled from individual pieces, partly painted in red, blue and green.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الارتفاع: 190سم؛ العرض: 355سم؛ العمق: 355 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
I. 5/78
Record ID
object;ISL;de;Mus01;17;ar
Library Location
Museum of Islamic Art
Date
About 719/1320
Notes
This dome, which is currently located in Berlin, was in one of the towers of the Partal Palace, called the Ladies Tower, and was built on top of many stucco decorations. From the windows of this tower, built by the ruler Muhammad III (701 - 708/1302 - 1308), a descendant of the Nasrid dynasty, it was possible to see the surroundings of the city of Granada, and at the same time the complex of palaces and the many sections of the Alhambra that no longer exist. As for the slogan of the Nasrid ruler, “There is no victory except from God,” it played an important role in the decoration of this dome, and it can be considered a declaration of Islam, which was facing the threat of reconquest wars at that time. The square shape of the dome turns into an octagonal shape and then turns into a trapezoidal shape with sixteen sides. On each side of the square there is a triangle, and these triangles are decorated with overlapping geometric shapes in addition to floral decoration. There is a very small hole in the middle of each triangle. The octagonal shape consists of panels equipped with small arches written in symmetrical calligraphy on a red background, with pine cones, small shells, and arabesque decoration. The Nasrid slogan, “There is no victory except from God,” is repeated on the square wooden frames surrounding the sixteen-sided figure, surrounded by small muqarnas arches. The trapezoidal shape with sixteen sides has interwoven shapes characteristic of the Islamic world. The Beni Nasr logo is repeated on many small polygons or stars. The horizontal end consists of a sixteen-sided upper plate that also has interlaced decorations. The field of decoration is highlighted by the contrast between the harshness of the flat geometric braided bands and the exquisite surfaces of the carving. Wooden ceilings and wooden domes of this type are a special feature of Islamic architecture in Morocco. There are many examples, not only in the Alhambra, but also in many other buildings in Spain and North Africa.
Sample Text
Jens Kröger “Dome of the Alhambra” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;de;Mus01;17;ar
