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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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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International Institute of Islamic Thought
2023-02-01
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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 |
collection | DOAJ |
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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first_indexed | 2024-04-10T09:40:49Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-6717bfa69eb144e2a93dfc06bf50cd2b |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 2690-3733 2690-3741 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-10T09:40:49Z |
publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
publisher | International Institute of Islamic Thought |
record_format | Article |
series | American Journal of Islam and Society |
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 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT elizabethurban treeofpearls |