Power and Patronage in Medieval Syria
The Architecture and Urban Works of Tankiz al-Nasiri
by Ellen Kenney
The long reign of Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad was one of the most productive periods for architectural construction, restoration and urban development in the medieval Near East. The building works of this ruler and his amirs transformed the fabric of the Mamluk capital, Cairo, and shaped its future development in decades to come. For most of al-Nasir Muhammads sultanate, Tankiz al-Nasiri ruled as governor of the Syrian province. Tankizs term was one of the longest for any amir to retain a single office and to remain in the good graces of this sultan, known for his mercurial nature. Tankiz played a critical role in Mamluk politics and Syrian history. His lengthy tenure also allowed him to give sustained attention to the built environment of the province. During his term, he undertook an ambitious program of construction that involved monuments, urban works and renewal projects. This book investigates Tankizs building program by identifying the works that he commissioned, exploring the nature of his participation in these works, and situating them within the broader contexts of architectural development in the region and patronage during the Mamluk period. The volume features over 80 photographs and other illustrations, including several in full color. It is fully indexed and provides a wealth of references to primary and secondary literature.
^BEllen Kenney^b received her doctorate in the History of Art from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University in 2004. She specializes in the study of Islamic Art and Architecture. She currently does research for the Department of Islamic Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
- By (author) Ellen Kenney
Other Titles in this Series
The Criminal Underworld in a Medieval Islamic Society
Narratives from Cairo and Damascus under the Mamluks
Volume 9
Commemorating the Nation
Collective Memory, Public Commemoration, and National Identity in Twentieth-century Egypt
Volume 2
Similar Books
Behind the Scenes of Medieval Roofs
An Overview of the Roofing Systems of Italian Churches
Volume 90
Circulation, Use, Impact
The Consumption of Architectural Books in the Early Modern Eastern Adriatic
Volume 1
Cities through Time
Glimpses into Urbanity and Community in Mediaeval to Modern West Asia and Egypt
Volume 1
Cuneiform Artefacts from Archaeological Contexts: New Research on Ancient Iraq
Proceedings of a Conference Held at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, July 4–5, 2024
Volume 2
From the Frontiers of the Empire to the Borders of the Nations
Borderland Security and Safety in the (post-)Ottoman Spaces (1700–1939)
Global Gulf
Geo-Economic, Geo-Political, and Geo-Technological Transformation in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar
Islamic Rituals Beyond the Mosque
Historical Evolution of Prayer and Devotion in Physical Space and Cyberspace
Ismail Hakki Bursevi’s translation of and commentary on Fusus al-Hikam By Muhyiddin Ibn ‘Arabi
Volumes 1-4
Late Antique villae in the Balkans (3rd–7th c. AD): Current Research Questions and Perspectives
HAEMUS Companion to the Late Antique Balkans 1
Volume 4
Monastic Manuscripts from the Eastern Mediterranean (Sinai, Jerusalem, Antioch)
Production, Use, and Contexts
Qatar’s Societal Security
Towards the Inclusive National Concept of ‘Baladna’ Identity, Migration and External Threats Since 2017
The Biblical Tale of Judah and Tamar in Fourteenth-Century Iran
A Judeo-Persian Versified Account by Shāhīn with Scholarly Edition, Annotated Translation and Persian Transliteration
Volume 94, 951
The Discourse of Rites
Shaping and Reshaping the (Counter-)Priestly Rituals Conducted Outside the Tabernacle
To Dimarcheio Tis Ermoupolis | The Town Hall of Ermoupolis
150 chrónia enós neoklasikoú topósimou | 150 Years of a Neoclassical Landmark
Visual Memory and Oblivion
Monuments and Conflicts in Urban Spaces in Central and Eastern Europe from the Nineteenth Century to the Present Day
