Synopses & Reviews
Known as the Mother of the World, Cairo has one of the highest concentrations of Islamic architectural treasures in the world. This introduction to the subject begins with an analysis of the Cairo's urban growth from the Islamic conquest in 641 through to the Ottoman Period and the reign of Muhammad Ali at the beginning of the 19th century. From that point, the reader is given a guided tour of the evolution of Cairo's Islamic architecture and an overview of its main styles through the investigation of monuments spanning 1200 years. The book also includes a descriptive catalogue of the major monuments from the early Islamic period through the Fatimid, Ayyubid, Bahri Mamluk, Circassian Mamluk and Ottoman periods.This concise and comprehensive study will appeal to specialists as well as beginning students and interested lay readers.
Synopsis
Combining an analysis of Cairo's urban growth from the Islamic conquest up to the reign of Muhammad 'Ali, an overview of its main architectural styles, a descriptive catalog of the major monuments, and a discussion of domestic architecture, this concise and comprehensive study will appeal to specialists as well as beginning students and interested lay readers.
About the Author
Doris Behrens-Abouseif holds an M.S. in Islamic art and architecture from the American University in Cairo, and a Ph.D. in Islamic history from the University of Hamburg. She is the author of The Minarets of Cairo (AUC Press, 1985).