Prayer Niche (Mihrab) from the Beychekim Mosque
تاريخ الاضافة
18/07/2019
نوع المحتوى
Art And Craft
Category
Furniture
الرابط للمحتوى
Subject Area
Interior Design
الوصف
Date Created: 13th century
Location: Konya, Turkey
Physical Dimensions: w280 x h395 cm
Medium: Earthenware mosaic, glaze
Copyrights: Photo © bpk - Photo Agency / Staatliche Museen zu Berlin -
Preußischer Kulturbesitz / Johannes Kramer || Text © Staatliche Museen zu
Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Collection: Museum für Islamische Kunst, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin -
Preußischer Kulturbesitz
In a mosque a prayer niche (arab. mihrab) usually indicates the
direction towards Mecca. This example comes from the Beyhekim Mosque
in Konya, endowed by the physician of the Seljuk Sultan Kiliç Arslan IV
(d. 1266). In the 13th century faience mosaics were popular in Anatolia and had
the function of emphasizing particular building parts, whereby the connection
between abstract ornament and religious inscriptions was of great importance.
The niche flanked by half-columns is decorated with an interlace
ornament of twelve-pointed stars and pentagons. In the stalactite vault
(muqarnas) words of the Prophet Muhammad referring to prayer appear along with
geometrical ornaments. The front panel displays a verse of Sura 29. The large
trilateral frame is dominated by the throne verse (Sura 2, 255) executed in
stylized Kufic. This verse is frequently quoted in religious buildings, particularly
in prayer niches, because of its high benedictory value. It also appears in the
prayer niche of the palace mosque in Konya, which is generally assumed to be
the model for this mihrab.
These faience decorations were created in close cooperation between
calligraphers, ornamental painters and craftsmen producing and cutting tiles.
Only a highly work-intensive procedure enabled them to produce a complete
ornament from countless single parts. Throughout the 13th century in the Seljuk
capital of Konya no less than 21 mosques were decorated with faience mosaics.
Files
Type of Work: Prayer Niche
Artist: Unknown