Overview

The first illustrated, architectural history of the 'Alid shrines, increasingly endangered by the conflict in Syria The 'Alids (descendants of the Prophet Muhammad) are among the most revered figures in Islam, beloved by virtually all Muslims, regardless of sectarian affiliation. This study argues that despite the common identification of shrines as 'Shi'i' spaces, they have in fact always been unique places of pragmatic intersectarian exchange and shared piety, even - and perhaps especially - during periods of sectarian conflict. Using a rich variety of previously unexplored sources, including textual, archaeological, architectural, and epigraphic evidence, Stephennie Mulder shows how these shrines created a unifying Muslim 'holy land' in medieval Syria, and proposes a fresh conceptual approach to thinking about landscape in Islamic art. In doing so, she argues against a common paradigm of medieval sectarian conflict, complicates the notion of Sunni Revival, and provides new evidence for the negotiated complexity of sectarian interactions in the period.

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9781474446334

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Reviews

"'[Stephennie Mulder] should be thanked for sharing the fruits of such a challenging project, one that only those scholars with the necessary versatility, perseverance and passion can carry through to the end. ""The Shrines of the 'Alids in Medieval Syria"" forces us to recognize the historical value of the 'Alid shrines in Syria at this moment in time when such recognition is needed more urgently than ever before.' - Kazuo Morimoto, The University of Tokyo, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies ""Mulder's volume on the 'Alid shrines of Syria fills a significant lacuna in the study of Shi'a architecture... well-researched and meticulously referenced."" -- Cleo Cantone, Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies ""This book should be required reading on every graduate architecture and methodology course. Apart from its fascinating subject matter, it is exemplary in its method, its slow but compelling progression from the micro-level of archaeological reconstruction to the macro-level of political patronage and sacred topography... I have no doubt that it will be the basic reference text on the subject for many years to come, and rightly so."" -- Finbarr B. Flood, Medieval Encounters ""A remarkable study...by utilizing a wide range of source material and drawing a carefully conceived picture of how this architecture of coexistence was constructed and perpetuated, the book as a whole makes an original and innovative contribution to the study of the history of Islamic ecumenism and its substantial and enduring forms."" -- Daphna Ephrat: The Open University of Israel, Der Islam"

'[Stephennie Mulder] should be thanked for sharing the fruits of such a challenging project, one that only those scholars with the necessary versatility, perseverance and passion can carry through to the end. The Shrines of the 'Alids in Medieval Syria forces us to recognize the historical value of the 'Alid shrines in Syria at this moment in time when such recognition is needed more urgently than ever before.' - Kazuo Morimoto, The University of Tokyo, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies Mulder's volume on the 'Alid shrines of Syria fills a significant lacuna in the study of Shi'a architecture... well-researched and meticulously referenced. -- Cleo Cantone, Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies This book should be required reading on every graduate architecture and methodology course. Apart from its fascinating subject matter, it is exemplary in its method, its slow but compelling progression from the micro-level of archaeological reconstruction to the macro-level of political patronage and sacred topography... I have no doubt that it will be the basic reference text on the subject for many years to come, and rightly so. -- Finbarr B. Flood, Medieval Encounters A remarkable study...by utilizing a wide range of source material and drawing a carefully conceived picture of how this architecture of coexistence was constructed and perpetuated, the book as a whole makes an original and innovative contribution to the study of the history of Islamic ecumenism and its substantial and enduring forms. -- Daphna Ephrat: The Open University of Israel, Der Islam '[Stephennie Mulder] should be thanked for sharing the fruits of such a challenging project, one that only those scholars with the necessary versatility, perseverance and passion can carry through to the end. The Shrines of the 'Alids in Medieval Syria forces us to recognize the historical value of the 'Alid shrines in Syria at this moment in time when such recognition is needed more urgently than ever before.' - Kazuo Morimoto, The University of Tokyo, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies Mulder's volume on the 'Alid shrines of Syria fills a significant lacuna in the study of Shi'a architecture... well-researched and meticulously referenced. -- Cleo Cantone, Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies This book should be required reading on every graduate architecture and methodology course. Apart from its fascinating subject matter, it is exemplary in its method, its slow but compelling progression from the micro-level of archaeological reconstruction to the macro-level of political patronage and sacred topography... I have no doubt that it will be the basic reference text on the subject for many years to come, and rightly so. -- Finbarr B. Flood, Medieval Encounters

'[Stephennie Mulder] should be thanked for sharing the fruits of such a challenging project, one that only those scholars with the necessary versatility, perseverance and passion can carry through to the end. The Shrines of the 'Alids in Medieval Syria forces us to recognize the historical value of the 'Alid shrines in Syria at this moment in time when such recognition is needed more urgently than ever before.' - Kazuo Morimoto, The University of Tokyo, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies Mulder's volume on the 'Alid shrines of Syria fills a significant lacuna in the study of Shi'a architecture... well-researched and meticulously referenced. -- Cleo Cantone, Journal of Shi'a Islamic Studies This book should be required reading on every graduate architecture and methodology course. Apart from its fascinating subject matter, it is exemplary in its method, its slow but compelling progression from the micro-level of archaeological reconstruction to the macro-level of political patronage and sacred topography... I have no doubt that it will be the basic reference text on the subject for many years to come, and rightly so. -- Finbarr B. Flood, Medieval Encounters A remarkable study...by utilizing a wide range of source material and drawing a carefully conceived picture of how this architecture of coexistence was constructed and perpetuated, the book as a whole makes an original and innovative contribution to the study of the history of Islamic ecumenism and its substantial and enduring forms. -- Daphna Ephrat: The Open University of Israel, Der Islam

Author Information

Stephennie Mulder is Assistant Professor in Islamic Art and Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin.

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