The Atabegs and Ayyubids / Religious Life

‘Islamic religious art is most eloquently expressed in mosque architecture.’

Damascus’s role as a starting point for the yearly pilgrimage, or hajj, adds to the city’s religious character. During the Ayyubid period, a suburb known as al-Maydan grew around the hajj road and became an important centre for the production of religious art. Islamic religious art in the Atabeg and Ayyubid periods is most eloquently expressed in mosque architecture and illuminated Qur’ans. Masonry and woodwork on minarets, mihrabs, maqsuras and minbars exemplify this pre-eminence.

NameDynastyDetailsJustification
Mihrab of the Madrasa al-HalawiyyaMadrasa, Hegira 543 / AD 1149; mihrab, AH 643 / AD 1245Zangid/Atabeg and AyyubidAleppo, SyriaMihrab or prayer niche indicating the direction of prayer; the Halawiyya Madrasa in Aleppo.
NameDynastyDetailsJustification
Mihrab of the Madrasa al-HalawiyyaMadrasa, Hegira 543 / AD 1149; mihrab, AH 643 / AD 1245Zangid/Atabeg and AyyubidAleppo, SyriaQu'ranic inscription in symmetrical triangular formations which flank the mihrab of the Halawiyya Madrasa.
Two wooden columnsHegira 7th century / AD 13th centuryAyyubidMuseum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey
Woodcarving is a prominent feature of Islamic art in the Levant.
Panel from a cenotaphHegira 613 / AD 1216AyyubidVictoria and Albert Museum
London, England, United Kingdom
Woodcarving is a prominent feature of Islamic art in the Levant.
Incense burnerHegira mid- to late 7th century / AD 13th centuryAyyubidNational Museums of Scotland (NMS)
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
An incense burner executed in a Syrian or Mesopotamian workshop and commissioned by one of the region's thriving Christian communities for religious use.
NameDynastyDetailsJustification
Incense burnerHegira mid- to late 7th century / AD 13th centuryAyyubidNational Museums of Scotland (NMS)
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
The representations on this incense burner depict saints taking part in a religious ceremony.