Author
Saeed Al-Maqdisi bin Abdullah.
Author Original
سعيد المقدسي بن عبد الله
Publication Date
545/ 1-1150
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;3;ar
Library Location
Near Antioch Gate, Aleppo, Syria
Date
545/ 1-1150
Notes
Nur al-Din Mahmoud ibn Zengi built the Shuaibiya madrasa and the adjacent Qastal in 545/50-1151. As was the custom at the time, the schools were built within an ancient mosque linked to the legends surrounding the first Arab conquest of Aleppo, and here the mosque was also known as the Tuta Mosque, perhaps because of a mulberry tree that once grew in its corner. Functionally, the madrasa and the adjacent qastal define the western edge of the Nur al-Din Water Project, but from an artistic point of view, the madrasa represents one of the most important examples of decorative inscriptions and floral stone inscriptions. Nur al-Din dedicated the madrasa to the teacher Sheikh Shuaib bin al-Hussein bin Ahmed al-Andalusi, a follower of the Shafi’i school of thought who arrived in the area originally from Muslim Spain, and thus the madrasa was named after him. One of the features of the madrasa is the decorative cornice that still exists today. Made using artistic stone cutting techniques, it tops the facade and looks like a classic portico. Three inscriptions appear on the façade, the main of which runs around the entire length of the cornice. It is beautifully executed in stone engraving with floral, floral, and beaded patterns, in addition to a lush inscription in Attabaki Kufic calligraphy. These inscriptions mention verses from the Qur’an that were used on religious buildings. The second inscription is a signature, as a medallion engraved in the clasp of the arch of the facade bears the name of the architect Saeed al-Maqdisi, and his name indicates that he is from the Holy House. The third inscription is very important, although only some parts of it remain. It mentions the name of the companion and second caliph, Omar ibn al-Khattab, which indicates an intentional connection to the early Islamic period. It also contains the date of the construction of the madrasa, which is 545. (1150). Although the shape of the cornice appears classical, and is completely different from the muqarnas vaults that would be included in Syrian architecture during the 6th / 12th century, it is not an imitation of a classical form, but rather an elaborate new composition carved with high-level epigraphic and vegetal decoration, and it is one of the finest remaining examples of its kind.
Sample Text
Zena Takieddine, Samer Abd al-Ghafour “The Shuaibiya School” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;sy;Mon01;3;ar
