The Minbar of Saladin, Reconstructing A Jewel of Islamic Art,
Large [A4+] Hardback - 208 pages,
213 Illustrations, 145 in colour,
First published 2008,
Edited by Lynette Singer.



Description :


This is the remarkable story of one of the masterpieces of Islamic art.


Made in the middle of the 12th century, this wooden pulpit, perhaps the finest ever seen, stood in the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem for some eight hundred years until it was burned down in 1969 by an extremist Christian (terrorist) claiming to be acting on orders from God. Its loss to the Muslim world was immense and so the decision was taken by the mosque's guardians, the Jordanian royal family to rebuild it.


Nobody, however, could have guessed just how complicated the process would be, nor how long it would take. With the secrets of the original construction all but lost, to rebuild the 'Minbar of Saladin' required not only the unravelling of its astonishingly complex geometry, but also the revival of almost extinct crafts. The solutions to these problems were often to be found in unexpected places, and involved scholars and craftsmen from around the world.


This book, which accompanies the television film 'Stairway to Heaven', is the first to document the minbar's creation, destruction and reconstruction. However, it is also a meditation on the beauty of sacred art and the fragility of our cultural heritage. Packed with fascinating images, both of the minbar itself and of other key works, it will appeal to all those interested in Islamic art, sacred geometry, the history of the Holy Land, and the revival of traditional crafts.



              ''Will appeal to those interested in Islamic Art in general but to those
                with a particular interest in geometry it may open a door to a deeper
                understanding of Islamic Art'' – _{Muslim World Book Review}.



Excellent Gift Idea!

Who is Saladin ? (Shaykh Salahuddin Ayyubi, rahmatullahi ta'ala 'alayhi).

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Large Coffee Table Quality Book!
Dimension : 28 x 24 cm,
Hardback with over 200 illustrations.