Author
Abdul Baqi bin Al-Hassan bin Ismail Al-Dimashqi.
Author Original
عبد الباقي بن الحسن بن إسماعيل الدمشقي
Publication Date
Around the year 424 / 1033.
Publication Place
-
Islamic Museum, Al-Haram Al-Sharif
Subject
Wood made by cutting and drilling.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الطول: 183 سم؛ العرض: 18.5 سم؛ السمك: 20 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
12 ص/ 21
Record ID
object;ISL;pa;Mus01;7;ar
Library Location
Islamic Museum, Al-Haram Al-Sharif
Date
Around the year 424 / 1033.
Notes
The piece is a wooden pillar of the Dome of the Rock that was replaced during restoration work that took place around 1960. This pillar was made of cedar wood, which was most likely imported from Lebanon. The pillar contains an inscription written in the wooded Fatimid Kufic script, and is located within a rectangular frame that begins and ends with a pointed apse intended to decorate and highlight the written text. The text includes the name of the craftsman who made the pillar and contributed to the restoration work of the Dome of the Rock in the Fatimid era, the time of Caliph al-Zahir Bi Amr Allah (reigned in the period 411-427 / 1021-1036). It is likely that this craftsman decorated other pieces inside the Dome of the Rock. The inscription reads: “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, the work of Abd al-Baqi bin al-Hasan bin Ismail al-Dimashqi, may God help him.” Although we do not know this skilled craftsman, the fact that his name contains the title “Al-Dimashqi” indicates the continued flow of Damascus craftsmen to Jerusalem during the Fatimid era. Damascus, which was famous, and is still famous, for wood carving, provided Jerusalem with skilled craftsmen during the construction of the Dome of the Rock at the end of the first century AH / seventh century AD. The piece does not contain any other decorations, and it has maintained its splendor without being damaged, which indicates the high professionalism in treating the wood before installing it in the Dome of the Rock.
Sample Text
Nazmi Al-Ju'beh “Wooden Support” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;pa;Mus01;7;ar
