Palaces, Pavilions, and Gardens: ideas of Paradise in Islamic Arts, 2 Essays, 300 words for each.
Palaces, Pavilions, and Gardens: ideas of Paradise in Islamic Arts, 2 Essays, 300 words for each.
Write 2 essays, answering the questions in
essays A and B below.
• Each of your two essays must be a minimum of three paragraphs (about
300 words). Longer essays are welcome!
ESSAY A: Khirbat al-Mafjar. 300 words minimum. Discuss fully the palace and baths of Khirbat al-Mafjar in Palestine: its architecture, plan, hydraulic technology, landscape setting, rooms and spaces and their function, decoration, domes, patron, historical and cultural context. What purpose did the palace have? In relation to the majlis? How are we to interpret the meaning of its decoration, including floor mosaics, sculptures, and stucco dome? Are there similar themes in other Islamic palaces of the same period? Does Khirbat al-Mafjar show continuity with texts or ancient palaces we have studied in class? Use appropriate Islamic vocabulary terms and incorporate ideas from your required readings to support your essay.
ESSAY B: Alhambra. 300 words minimum. The Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain, is the best-preserved example of a medieval Islamic palace. Discuss it fully: architecture, plan, hydraulic technology, landscape setting, rooms and spaces and their function, decoration, domes, patron, historical and cultural context. Make sure you address the role of water, texts (poetry and blessings), domes, and views, all of which express important symbolic values. Overall, how are we to interpret the meaning of the decoration in the palace? How does the Alhambra compare to the earlier Muslim palaces of the Round City of Baghdad, Samara, and Madinat al-Zahra? Use appropriate Islamic vocabulary terms and incorporate ideas from your required readings to support your essay.
Copying or using ideas from any sources without citing them is plagiarism. All of your sources must be cited using parenthetical citation, for example: (Ruggles, Chapter 1) or (Gittings, Lecture Title).
I will also upload the articles need to be read from textbook.
