University of Cambridge

Graduate Student, Architecture

Graduate

King's College

Thesis Title: Religio-Political Authority and the Formation of Islamic Architecture

About

RELIGIO-POLITICAL AUTHORITY AND THE FORMATION OF ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE
HEBA MOHAMED HOSAM AL DIN MOSTAFA
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
KING’S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

SUMMARY
This research interrogates the development of the spaces and locales of authority in early Islam as arenas for the negotiation of religio-political authority. This includes the early mosque and the Dar al-Imara as well as other locales related to the promotion of authority, specifically the harams of Mecca, Madina and Jerusalem. It will show how together these spaces and sites contributed to a cross-cultural initiative geared towards creating a narrative for the legitimacy of the Ummayad rulers as God’s caliphs.  Like other studies, this research addresses Late Antique and Ancient Near Eastern traditions however it also engages closely with the pre-Islamic cultures of the Arabian Peninsula. Within this context the relationship between the pre-Islamic Meccan house of assembly (Dar al-Nadwa), the haram, the Ka’ba and other select sites are examined. Furthermore, the series of Qur’anic narratives that situate the mediation of divine authority within architectural space, such as the mihrab Da’ud, are examined. This in turn allows for a reinterpretation of the Prophet’s mosque in Madina not only as a mosque space but also as a space of authority and a haram, taking into consideration Muhammad’s authority as Prophet, leader, military commander and judge.
The approach mobilizes interpretative models that rely on a closer reading of early Umayyad poetry and history, centering upon the interaction of the repertoire of imagery and concepts related to the caliph as Khalifat Allah. In tandem with recent archaeological and epistemological developments in the field, this reading has led to reinterpretations related to early Islamic deployment of specific architectural elements with respect to their responsiveness to constructs of authority. These include the mihrab, the dome and the notion of the Qubbat al-Khadra’aa as a dome of heaven. The study concludes with a reinterpretation of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem as a locale of religio-political authority.