In various parts of the Islamic world over the past decades virulent attacks have targeted Islamic funeral and sacral architecture. Rather than being random acts of vandalism, these are associated with the idea of performing one's religious duty as attested to in the Salafi/Wahhabi tradition and texts. Graves, shrines and tombs are regarded by some Muslims as having the potential to tempt a believer to polytheism. Hence the duty to level the graves to the ground (taswiyat al-qubur). In illuminating the ideology behind these acts, this book explains the current destruction of graves in the Islamic world and traces the ideological sources of iconoclasm in their historical perspective, from medieval theological and legal debates to contemporary Islamist movements including ISIS.

Originally published in 1963, this book sets out to show that dramatic elements in the imagery of medieval churches, whether stained glass, wall paintings or sculpture, were intended to convey the same traditional themes of religious thinking as plays of the same period. The text shows how these two forms of popular instruction developed side by side and how a study of church imagery can close gaps in our knowledge of ways in which plays were composed, staged and dressed. Conversely, observations are also made regarding the ways in which stage directions in play texts can be used to explain curious features in the decoration of churches. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in medieval drama and religious iconography.

Originally published in 1927, this book presents an accessible guide to Gothic foliage sculpture, aimed at visitors to ancient English churches. Exploring the development of a specifically English tradition in this area, the text begins with an exploration of pre-Conquest and Anglo-Saxon work before moving chronologically through the medieval period to the Tudor flower. Numerous illustrative figures are also included. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in church sculpture and the English Gothic tradition.

A tutor of mathematics at Cambridge, William Whewell (1794 1866) mostly published on mechanics. He became professor of mineralogy in 1828, Knightbridge professor of moral philosophy in 1838, and master of Trinity College in 1841. This work is unusual among his writings for its focus on architecture, yet the emphasis placed on terminology is consistent with his other publications, such as An Essay on Mineralogical Classification and Nomenclature (1828). Architectural Notes is significant for offering a detailed theoretical analysis of the origins of Gothic architecture, especially of the mechanical principles underlying it, notably the pointed arch. The discussion of German churches, despite the book's title, is of secondary concern, although guidance is given for recording Gothic buildings. This first edition was published anonymously in 1830. The second (1835) and third (1842) editions bore Whewell's name and were partially revised to reflect recent research on the origin of the pointed arch.

Originally published in 1940, this book contains a series of vignettes based around visits to British churches. Written in the shadow of the Second World War, the text was partly intended to console readers; providing them with solace in the beauty of the surrounding ecclesiastical architecture. Containing numerous illustrative figures, this is a highly readable book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in British churches and travel writing.

Originally published in 1938, this book provides a highly informative guide to the medieval church architecture of France. Aimed at the general reader, the object of the book is to stimulate interest, rather than offering advanced instruction. Keeping this object in view, plans, sections and diagrams are kept to a minimum, in favour of numerous photographs exemplifying key aspects of architectural style. This is a highly accessible and well-presented text that will be of value to anyone with an interest in ecclesiastical buildings and the medieval period.

This book explores the intersection between two key developments of the fourth through seventh centuries CE: the construction of monumental churches and the veneration of saints. While Christian sacred topography is usually interpreted in narrowly religious terms as points of contact with holy places and people, this book considers church buildings as spatial environments in which a range of social 'work' happened. It draws on approaches developed in the fields of anthropology, ritual studies, and social geography to examine, for example, how church buildings facilitated commemoration of the community's dead, establishment of a shared historical past, and communication with the divine. Surveying evidence for the introduction of saints into liturgical performance and the architectural and decorative programs of churches, this analysis explains how saints helped to bolster the boundaries of church space, reinforce local social and religious hierarchies, and negotiate the community's place within larger regional and cosmic networks.

Includes 100 illustrations of magnificent and historic synagogues on New York's Lower East Side.
It has often been said that nowhere in the United States can one find a greater collection of magnificent and historic synagogues than on New York's Lower East Side. As the ultimate destination for millions of immigrant eastern European Jews during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it became the new homeland and hoped-for goldene medinah (promised land) for immigrants fleeing persecution, poverty, and oppression, while struggling to live a new and productive life. Yet to many visitors and students today these synagogues are shrouded in mystery, as
documentary information on them tends to be dispersed and difficult to find.
With The Synagogues of New York's Lower East Side, Gerard R. Wolfe fills that void, giving readers unparalleled access to the story of how the Jewish community took root on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Using archival photographs taken by Jo Renee Fine and contemporary shots taken by Norman Borden alongside his text,
Wolfe focuses on the synagogues built or acquired by eastern European Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants during the great era of mass immigration, painting vivid portraits of the individual congregations and the new and vital culture that was emerging. For many, the Lower East Side became the portal to America and the stepping-stone to
a new and better life. Today, the synagogues in which these immigrants worshiped remain as a poignant visual reminder of what had become the largest Jewish community in the world.
Originally published in 1978, The Synagogues of New York's Lower East Side became the authoritative study of the subject. Now completely revised and updated with new text, photographs, and maps, along with an invaluable glossary, Wolfe's book is an essential and accessible source for those who want to understand the
varied and rich history of New York's Lower East Side and its Jewish population. Its readable and illuminating view into the diversity of synagogues--large and small, past and present--and their people makes this book ideal for teachers, students, museum educators, and general readers alike.

Architecture and sculpture in English churches changed and developed markedly between the eleventh and sixteenth centuries, partly due to the invading French influence on the existing Anglo-Saxon buildings. In this 1927 book, the different categories and forms of foliage sculpture and decoration are subdivided roughly chronologically showing how each form developed from a previous one and the possible influences and reasoning behind the changes. Each stage of growth is explored thoroughly using specific examples, all of which are detailed in the photographs in the second half of the book. Examples are taken from churches and cathedrals across England, whose individual architectural growth over centuries is often in parallel with the evolving forms of sculpture, particularly gothic foliage. The increased communication with Europe over the medieval period was mutually influential and with increased proficiency and innovation there was natural development of art and gothic sculpture evolved as a living art.

Written by two of the most eminent Anatolian experts of the day, this book on church history and architecture in Turkey was first published in 1909. Sir William Mitchell Ramsay (1851 1939), Scottish classical scholar and archaeologist, and Gertrude Bell (1868 1926), traveller, archaeologist and diplomatist, joined forces for an expedition investigating the Hittite and Byzantine site of Bin-Bir-Kilisse in Turkey in 1907. Bell was successful in establishing the chronology of Byzantine churches, and her findings constitute the middle two parts of the book, on buildings and ecclesiastical architecture. Ramsay contributed the first and last parts, on the historical and geographical details of the churches and an account of other notable monuments in the region. Ramsay was knighted in 1906 and both scholars were honoured by the Royal Geographical Society. In 1913 Bell became one of the first women to be elected a Fellow of the Society.

Augustus Welby Pugin (1812 52), architect, writer, and designer, learned his draughtsmanship and love of medieval architecture from his father. Initially he was better known as a designer rather than an architect. His conversion to Roman Catholicism was a key moment for him, and shaped his subsequent career. His most famous book, Contrasts, was published in 1836, and expressed his belief in the aesthetic and moral superiority of pre-Reformation architecture. This 1843 book comprises two illustrated articles which had been published in the Dublin Review in 1841 and 1842, and examined recent English church buildings. During the 1840s there was a surge in church building, and bodies such as the Cambridge Camden Society hotly debated the connection between architecture and spirituality. In the first paper, Pugin discusses how to meet the needs of a small Catholic parish. In the second, he commends the influence of the Ecclesiologist on church architecture.

In 2010, the East London Mosque celebrated its centenary. One hundred years earlier, the Aga Khan and Syed Ameer Ali had convened a public meeting at the London Ritz Hotel, where they set out a strategy for the construction of a mosque in London that would be 'worthy of the capital of the British Empire'. The Mosque, however, took a long time to materialise. From the Commercial Road in the East End of London in which it was eventually first set up in 1941, it moved to Fieldgate Street and on to the Whitechapel Road in 1985. Through the lens of the original Minutes and related documents, Professor Ansari takes us on the fascinating journey of how the newly emerging confident Muslim community of the early twentieth century and major figures of the British establishment reached out to one another, each looking to nurture the development of this new multicultural society.

Originally published in 1938, this volume provides a detailed study of the Romanesque style as exemplified by the architecture of the Cluniac Monastic Order. The key features of Cluniac architectural style are discussed in detail and observations are supported with a broad variety of illustrative examples. Other features include comprehensive lists of Cluniac Houses and affiliated Parish Churches, a key to Marrier's Catalogus, and a generous bibliography. This is a well-presented and highly informative book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in Christian monastic architecture.

This 1955 book examines the beginnings of 'Perpendicular'. A reconsideration of the structures themselves and of their documentary background drastically corrected previous ideas, and all this knowledge is made use of and extended by the author. Dr Hastings sets forth the whole theory of the incidence and discrimination of principles and practice of the Court School of masons and decorators, taking as his focal point the building of St Stephen's Chapel, Westminster (1292 1347). Dr Hastings introduces his main subject by an examination of the 'New Work' of St Paul's Cathedral, by a survey of masons employed on royal buildings, and by a study of the surviving evidence relating to the Eleanor Crosses. He concludes with an essay on the tomb design of England and France within his period, by an examination of the contemporary works at Windsor, Ely, Gloucester, and by a final chapter summing up his conclusions. The book is richly illustrated by reproductions of old plans and drawings, and by photographs.

In this 1911 work, J. Armitage Robinson uses architectural and documentary sources to discuss the history of the abbot's buildings at Westminster Abbey. The medieval monastic remains are extensive, but have been considerably modified over the centuries. The abbey muniments provide much information on the building's history, and Robinson includes many documents, both medieval and post-Reformation, to trace the development of the complex and how it was used. As dean of the abbey, Robinson had unprecedented access, and so was able to work out the architectural history more fully than had been possible in previous studies. As the abbey grew in importance and wealth, so the status of the abbot grew, necessitating grander buildings for entertaining. The medieval abbey must have been a continual building site, to judge by the frequent references to structural work in the accounts. This is a valuable study of an important surviving medieval building.

This is a fully illustrated account, first published in 1985, of the rock-cut monasteries, hermitages and other complexes in Cappadocia (central Anatolia, in Turkey). These were cut into soft volcanic rock, mostly during the ninth to eleventh centuries, when the area formed part of the Byzantine Empire. Although called 'cave' monuments, these monasteries were carefully finished to resemble ordinary built architecture. Some of the churches were decorated with wall paintings, which occasionally included portraits of their patrons or dedicatory inscriptions. Dr Rodley provides a definitive record of the monasteries and hermitages, tries to determine when, why and by whom they were established, and places them within the larger contexts of Byzantine history and Byzantine monasteries.

The magical qualities of stained glass have an enduring appeal, but church windows tend to be ignored as a form of creative and artistic expression. How to Look at Stained Glass is a fresh, unstuffy guide, which explores the medium by themes, patterns, designs, and effects. Using an A-Z format to reveal a multitude of fascinating details - all the way from apples to zig-zags - it makes looking at gloriously colourful, artistically important windows entertaining and rewarding. This layman's guide requires no previous historical, artistic or religious knowledge and the A-Z miscellany is in keeping with the pot-luck mix of windows to be found in most churches. It covers all the major periods and styles from medieval to modern, Victorian to post-war, eighteenth century to Arts and Crafts, figurative to abstract, and examines the fascinating and evolving iconography of stained glass. Illustrated in black & white and colour and with a list of the top 30 places to see outstanding examples, How to Look at Stained Glass is all that is needed to make sense of and enjoy the array of stained glass windows in the churches of England.

The brass eagle lectern is regarded as a quintessential piece of English church furniture which reflects the wealth of late medieval English towns and their connections with Europe. Many are products of the Victorian age inspired by their early Tudor counterparts. In this fascinating book, the author traces the development of the lecterns from the tenth century and provides a comprehensive picture of the lecterns found in East Anglia (where most of the early lecterns are located) and throughout the whole of England, including the ones used in Cambridge and Oxford colleges. The author makes a close analysis of the lecterns with information on the materials they were made from, the centres of their manufacture and explanations of iconography. Including the story of Oundle, where a lectern was found in the River Nene in the early nineteenth century, where it was probably hidden before the dissolution of Fotheringhay College, not to mention the beautiful pelican lectern in Norwich Cathedral, and the reason why some eagle lecterns have open beaks, this book provides all the information you need about an often seen but little understood piece of church furniture.

Few monuments have fascinated people as much as the Parthenon. Two and a half millennia after its construction, this monument continues to generate important research across a wide range of fields, from classics and art history to archaeology and the physical sciences. This book, which grows out of a conference held at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, presents the latest developments in Parthenon research by an international cast of scholars and scientists. It offers new interpretations of some of the most crucial issues, ranging from the authorship of the frieze to the reconstruction of its missing sculpture, as well as the sociopolitical context in which the monument was created and the application of new technologies in Parthenon studies. Showcasing the most up to date research on the Parthenon, this book not only presents the current state of Parthenon studies but also marks the future direction of scholarship.

Muthanna, also known as mirror writing, is a compelling style of Islamic calligraphy composed of a source text and its mirror image placed symmetrically on a horizontal or vertical axis. This style elaborates on various scripts such as Kufic, naskh, and muhaqqaq through compositional arrangements, including doubling, superimposing, and stacking. Muthanna is found in diverse media, ranging from architecture, textiles, and tiles to paper, metalwork, and woodwork. Yet despite its centuries-old history and popularity in countries from Iran to Spain, scholarship on the form has remained limited and flawed. Muthanna / Mirror Writing in Islamic Calligraphy provides a comprehensive study of the text and its forms, beginning with an explanation of the visual principles and techniques used in its creation. Author Esra Akın-Kıvanc explores muthanna's relationship to similar forms of writing in Judaic and Christian contexts, as well as the specifically Islamic contexts within which symmetrically mirrored compositions reached full fruition, were assigned new meanings, and transformed into more complex visual forms. Throughout, Akın-Kıvanc imaginatively plays on the implicit relationship between subject and object in muthanna by examining the point of view of the artist, the viewer, and the work of art. In doing so, this study elaborates on the vital links between outward form and inner meaning in Islamic calligraphy.

The popular image of the traditional western city has usually been dominated by the cathedral, whose sheer size seemed to create an isolated physical and spiritual focal point. In this iconoclastic study, the author sets out to reverse some of the romantic myths which have accrued about the medieval cathedral, in particular that the cathedral was a separate entity, self-sufficient, sublime and apart. Here the cathedral is shown to be a dynamic, evolving and unpredictable force in the development of the medieval city. Taking France as the main focus, but including material on England, Germany, Italy, Spain and Bohemia, the author describes the growth of diocesan authority and the consequent experiments in the layout of cathedral plans. Full use is made of recent archaeological research to show how architectural, social, financial and religious considerations combined to form a structure that was above all a practical, functioning concern, a 'city within a city'.