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Section of an Epigraphic Frieze from the Mosque of Ibn Tulun

ca. 879

Not on view

Ibn Tulun (r. 868–84) built a great mosque inspired by the architecture of the Abbasid capital Samarra when he established his semiautonomous rule over Egypt. The interior included an extensive frieze handsomely inscribed in Kufic with verses from the Qur’an. The mosque’s decoration represents an Islamic style increasingly distinct from the traditions of the region under Byzantine rule.

Section of an Epigraphic Frieze from the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Pinewood — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Section of an Epigraphic Frieze from the Mosque of Ibn Tulun

Date: ca. 879

Geography: Made in Egypt, from the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Cairo

Medium: Pinewood

Dimensions: 11 5/8 x 48 7/16 x 11/16 in. (29.5 x 123 x 1.8 cm)

Classification: Woodwork

Credit Line: The David Collection, Copenhagen (1/2002)

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Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.