Tree of Pearls

Almost any survey of medieval Islamic history will cover the figure of Shajar al-Durr (“Tree of Pearls” in Arabic), who was one of the few women in Islamic history to hold the title of Sultan, and the only one to do so who began her life as a slave. She is also well known as a pivotal figure in Egy...

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Main Author: Elizabeth Urban
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: International Institute of Islamic Thought 2023-02-01
Series:American Journal of Islam and Society
Online Access:https://www.ajis.org/index.php/ajiss/article/view/3163
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author Elizabeth Urban
author_facet Elizabeth Urban
author_sort Elizabeth Urban
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description Almost any survey of medieval Islamic history will cover the figure of Shajar al-Durr (“Tree of Pearls” in Arabic), who was one of the few women in Islamic history to hold the title of Sultan, and the only one to do so who began her life as a slave. She is also well known as a pivotal figure in Egyptian politics, as she marked the transition between Saladin’s Ayyubid dynasty (1171–1250 CE) and the Mamluk sultanate (1250–1517 CE). However, works that analyze Shajar al-Durr’s biography, reign, and influence often overlook her role as an architectural innovator. In Tree of Pearls, art historian D. Fairchild Ruggles highlights Shajar al-Durr’s architectural innovations and argues that her “architectural patronage…changed the face of Cairo and had a lasting impact on Islamic architecture”.
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spelling doaj.art-6717bfa69eb144e2a93dfc06bf50cd2b2023-02-17T10:43:48ZengInternational Institute of Islamic ThoughtAmerican Journal of Islam and Society2690-37332690-37412023-02-01393-410.35632/ajis.v39i3-4.3163Tree of PearlsElizabeth Urban0West Chester University Almost any survey of medieval Islamic history will cover the figure of Shajar al-Durr (“Tree of Pearls” in Arabic), who was one of the few women in Islamic history to hold the title of Sultan, and the only one to do so who began her life as a slave. She is also well known as a pivotal figure in Egyptian politics, as she marked the transition between Saladin’s Ayyubid dynasty (1171–1250 CE) and the Mamluk sultanate (1250–1517 CE). However, works that analyze Shajar al-Durr’s biography, reign, and influence often overlook her role as an architectural innovator. In Tree of Pearls, art historian D. Fairchild Ruggles highlights Shajar al-Durr’s architectural innovations and argues that her “architectural patronage…changed the face of Cairo and had a lasting impact on Islamic architecture”. https://www.ajis.org/index.php/ajiss/article/view/3163
spellingShingle Elizabeth Urban
Tree of Pearls
American Journal of Islam and Society
title Tree of Pearls
title_full Tree of Pearls
title_fullStr Tree of Pearls
title_full_unstemmed Tree of Pearls
title_short Tree of Pearls
title_sort tree of pearls
url https://www.ajis.org/index.php/ajiss/article/view/3163
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