At the next seminar by the Archaeo-Oriental Studies Research Group at the University of Warsaw, Dr. Magdalena Pinker (Oriental Studies Department UW) and Dr. Mariusz Drzewiecki (PCMA UW) will give a talk on their project: “Symbolism of the gates of Cairo”.
Abstract: “The aim of this talk is to present the results of the first year of research conducted as part of the Archaeo-Oriental Studies Research Group on the project “Symbolism of the gates of Cairo”. The project combined the methodologies of Oriental Studies with the methods and theories used in archaeology. Architectural and archaeological analysis was the point of departure for considering the original meaning of Cairo’s main gates (Bāb al-Naṣr, Bāb al-Futūḥ and Bāb Zuwayla). A query of Cairo libraries allowed for the analysis of written sources and an attempt to read the hidden meanings ascribed to this type of buildings by medieval Arabs, especially in Ismaili esoteric thought.
The gates of Cairo are considered to be one of the finest examples of Muslim defense architecture. They were constructed at the end of the 11th century on the orders of Badr al-Ǧamālī, vizier of the Ismaili Fatimid dynasty. By examining the original meaning of the three gates, a multi-faceted analysis of the meaning of the word bāb (gate), narrative studies of medieval Arab chroniclers, and systematic observation of material remains from an archaeological perspective were carried out. The opposition between bāṭin and ẓāhir (open and hidden), central to Ismaili ideology, may also apply to architectural monuments. Although the defensive function of the gates seems to be the most important, the inscriptions, decorations, and the context of their creation indicate that it is only one of the elements of the cultural biography of the gates, the symbolic meaning of which is more complex.
The seminar will take place (in Polish) on Monday, 24th October, at 11:30 CET on Zoom: https://uw-edu-pl.zoom.us/j/96568567106
Read more about “Archaeo-Oriental Studies”.