Publication Date
765 AH / 1363 AD
Publication Place
-
Museum of Islamic Art
Subject
Silver plated copper.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
الطول: 34 سم
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
15133
Record ID
object;ISL;eg;Mus01;11;ar
Library Location
Museum of Islamic Art
Date
765 AH / 1363 AD
Notes
The piece is a key consisting of a circular ring with a diameter of 36 cm connected to a movable beveled cube that is in turn connected to the key handle. This handle consists of three small rectangular blocks separated by two almond blocks. As for the body of the key, it takes the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped whose cross-sectional dimensions are small in relation to its length, which is 13 cm. The body of the key ends with four protrusions. The key is decorated with a number of inscriptions with religious, political, and recording connotations. Several inscriptions appear on the three ribbed blocks of the key handle. The inscriptions on the four free sides of the first block read: “Muhammad is the Messenger of God whom He sent with guidance and the religion of truth to make it prevail over all religions.” The inscriptions on the free sides of the second block read: “The command belongs to God. There is no god but God - Shaaban bin Hussein - in the year seven hundred and sixty-five.” The inscriptions on the free sides of the third block read: “From what was done for the Sacred House of God in the days of our Lord, Sultan Al-Malik Al-Ashraf.” Thus, the writings explicitly refer to the owner of the key, the Mamluk Sultan Al-Ashraf Shaaban bin Hussein, who assumed the sultanate on Tuesday the fifteenth of Shaban in the year 764 AH / 1362 AD when he was twelve years old and remained sultan over Egypt and the Levant until he died in the year 778 AH / 1376 AD. The key bears the date of its manufacture, which is the year 765 AH / 1363 AD. On the body of the key appear inscriptions in the Mamluk Naskh script distributed on its four free sides bearing the following Qur’anic texts: “Indeed, We have given you a clear victory so that God may forgive you your past and future sins, and complete His blessings upon you, and guide you to a straight path, and grant you a mighty victory. “Indeed, the first House appointed for the people is the one in Bakkah, blessed and a guidance for the worlds - in it are clear signs, the place of Abraham, and whoever enters it is safe - and God has the duty of people to make a pilgrimage to the House, whoever is able to find a way to it, and whoever disbelieves, then God is of no need of the worlds” (Surat Al Imran, verses 96 and 97). It is noted that the Qur’anic verses written on the body of the key are compatible with the purpose of the key, and confirm the obligation of Hajj for Muslims. The verses also refer to the city of Mecca as “Bakkah,” which is one of the many names given to Mecca that also include “Umm al-Qura,” “The Faithful Country,” and “The Sacred House.” These verses also refer to the position of our Prophet Abraham. According to Imam al-Bukhari, what is meant by the Maqam Ibrahim is the stone on which Abraham stood when the building was raised. The shrine of Abraham is located next to the Kaaba. It is surmounted by a wooden dome decorated from the inside with gilded decorations, and the shrine rests on stone columns with four iron windows sandwiched between them. Egypt used to send the keys of the Kaaba with the kiswa every year to the Holy Kaaba. Since these keys were given as gifts every year, the keys kept by museums are few and date back to the Mamluk and Ottoman eras. The Topkapi Saray Museum in Istanbul holds most of the keys to the Kaaba, while the Islamic Museum in Cairo keeps only one of these keys.
Sample Text
Salah Sayour “Key of the Kaaba” in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;eg;Mus01;11;ar
