Sitarah made for the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina
Embroidered textiles were amongst the most impressive gifts presented during the processions associated with the annual Islamic pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca. Traditionally produced every year by the Muslim rulers who controlled the holy sites of Mecca and Medina, these costly objects were at once expressions of wealth and piety.
This curtain or sitarah was made for the mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (died AD 632) in Medina and was probably meant to be displayed near his tomb or by the mosque’s mihrab, the niche indicating the direction of prayer. The main design is also based on a prayer niche, which is adorned with a mosque lamp inscribed with the Qur’anic verse ‘God is the light of the Heavens and Earth’ (surat al-Nur, 29:35). Beneath it lines of bold inscriptions feature the shahada (Muslim profession of faith) and the ayat al-kursi (‘throne verse,’ surat al-Baqara, 2:255). An arch with mosque lamp and a further Qur’anic quotation (surat al-Ahzab, 23:56) are also found in the upper tier of the textile, surrounded by medallions that contain the names of Allah, Muhammad, and the four orthodox caliphs among others.
The curtain was commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Selim III (ruled 1789-1807), whose imperial monogram (tughra) lies at the centre of the wreath located between two crossed swords at the base of the arch. An inscription underneath it further confirms the attribution and also records the date of production, AH 1206 (AD 1791-1792).
Details
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Title
Sitarah made for the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina
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Associated people
'Ali ibn Abi Talib ("'Ali ibn Abi Talib") (ruled AD 656 - 661) (named on object)Abu Bakr (ruled AD 632 - 634) (named on object)‘Uthmān (ruled AD 644 - 656) (named on object)Sultan Selim III (ruled 1789 - 1807) (named on object)Husain ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (AD 626 - 680) (named on object)Hasan ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (AD c. 625 - 669) (named on object)Prophet Muhammad (c. AD 570 - 632) (named on object)Sultan Selim III (ruled 1789 - 1807) (commissioner) -
Associated place
Egypt (place of creation)Cairo (probable) (probable place of creation)Mosque of the Prophet (probable) (probable original location) -
Date
1791 - 1792 (AH 1206)
Ottoman Period (1281 - 1924) -
Material and technique
silk, dyed black, with coloured silk appliqué, partly padded with stitching in cotton, and embroidered with looped silver and silver-gilt wire secured with waxed cotton thread; cotton lining, dyed black
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Material index
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Technique index
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Object type
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Dimensions
268 x 164 cm (height x width) -
No. of items
1
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Credit line
Presented by Nasser D. Khalili and Family, 2012.
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Museum location
Museum department
Eastern Art
Accession no.
EA2012.3
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Further reading
Christopher Brown, ‘The Burlington Magazine, Acquisitions (1998-2014) at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford’, 1139, (2014)
Reference URL
