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English version of Galland's French translation
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Photograph of a woman standing telling a story in Cairo.
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This abstract chess set was also uncovered in Nishapur. The pieces are made of fritware, also called stone-paste. They are created from a process by which ground glass is added to clay to lower its firing temperature, the pottery is then glazed. This technique approximated Chinese porcelain, for which the Islamic World did not possess the technique.
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Carved Ivory pyxis created in the Madinat al-Zahra workshops in Umayyad Spain for Prince al-Mughira. The Intricately detailed and inscribed container has been the subject of rigorous scholarly debate and interpretation.
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Turkish shadow play characters Hajivat (left) and Kargöz (right) are depicted in these shadow puppets. These are predecessors to earlier Egyptian shadow puppets.
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In the image, an Indonesian wayang kulit shadow play is performed behind a screen lit by an oil lamp. This traditional form is likely a precursor to Egyptian shadow theater.
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These are carved ivory chess pieces that were said to have been gifted to Charlemagne by an Islamic caliph. However, the overtly figural representations of humans and animals mean the set likely originates from Europe.
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This image is from a folio from the "Book of Games" from the Court of Alfonso X. The manuscript depicts people of various races and religions participating in chess games.
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This is a painting by Nakkas Osman portraying the circumcision ceremony of Prince Mehmed in 1582. It is Turkish word featured in the Imperial Festival Book.
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This shows fragments of a wall painting from the Fatimid period that were a part of a wrestling painting. This also included Abbasid elements.
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This is a ceramic bowl with a wrestling scene from the Fatimid period. It has Abbasid and Hellenistic elements that combine different periods into one and still show the popularity of wrestling in the Islamic world.
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This is a fragment of a drawing of a wrestling match from Cairo, Egypt. It is from the Fatimid Period and shows the skillful technique used in the leisure activity.
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This leather shadow puppet is from the Menzaleh group of shadow puppets, possibly originating from Mamluk Cairo. It features distinct stylistic characteristics including large eyes and geometric patterns.
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This image comes from a manuscript folio in Shah Tahmasp's Shamenah and depicts the wise vizir of the King mastering the game of chess, defeating the Indian envoy and securing their tribute to the Persians.
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This is a close up of the main frieze on the bottle with Polo Players
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The photo shows a modern-day coffee shop in Istanbul, Turkey. Federal Coffee Company is an Australian coffee roasters and café promoting the same socialization and discourse that took place in the around five centuries ago.
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In the piece, Princes Mustafa and Mehmed are driven to the Topkapi Palace for their circumcision ceremonies. The princes are surrounded by a crowd processing alongside as the princes await their circumcision. This piece is found in the Surname-i Vehbi.
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Statue of the caliph from Khirbat al-Mafjar. Used to compare the similarities of the red pigment left behind.
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Façade of the Umayyad Palace of Mshatta. Used to further compare the similarities of the ornaments.
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Medallions formed out of stucco in an Umayyad palace. Used to compare the similarities in the ornaments.
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This is a tree mosaic from the Dome of the Rock. This is used to identify what natural vegetal ornaments look like.
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This is a carving called the "Tree of Life" at the Sasanian rock reliefs at Taq-i Bustan in Iran. It features a staggered floral pattern which is typical of Sasanian design, also seen in the Green and Red Woven Tapestry Fragment. This pattern is apparent in carvings as well as textiles, supporting the theme that people reinterpret niche patterns across different periods of time. This also supports the idea of incorporating floral ornament as a reference to gardens and nature.
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This is a Mamluk glass footed bowl.
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This is a Mamluk glass mosque lamp in the mausoleum of Amir Aydakin al-'Ala'i al-Bunduqdar. Aydakin was the bow keeper for the sultan.
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The earliest dated Islamic textiles, held in museums in Europe and the U.S.