IngentaConnect A New Saljuq Inscription in the Masjid al-Aqsa, Jerusalem

Author: Salameh, Khader

Source: Levant, Volume 41, Number 1, Spring 2009 , pp. 107-117(11)

Abstract:

This article presents a newly discovered Arabic inscription from the Saljuq period in the Masjid al-Aqsa. It is the first inscription in Jerusalem from the quarter century of Saljuq rule at the end of the 11th century. The inscription is located in the small room along the east side of the Masjid al-Aqsa known today as the Maqam or Mihrab of Zakariah, located in various places over the centuries. The inscription, briefly exposed during renovations in 2007, was placed in the south wall of the room above the mihrab. Traces of mosaic were also found within the frame of the mihrab niche. The monumental dedicatory inscription consists of three lines within a frame and a fourth line below. The right half of the inscription is well preserved, but the left half is badly eroded. The inscription is dated to 476/1083-84 or 477/1084-85 and lists three individuals, the Abbasid caliph Abu Qasim al-Muqtadi, the brother of the Saljuq sultan Taj al-Din Tutush, and the wizir Nizam al-Mulk.

Keywords: JERUSALEM; AL-MASJID AL-AQSA; SALJUQ HISTORY; ARABIC INSCRIPTION; ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1179/175638009X427620

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