Dwelling Models of Umayyad Mad¿¿in and Qu¿¿r in Greater Syria

This book is the first systematic collection and discussion of dwellings in the Umayyad 'cities' (madāʾin) and 'palaces' (quṣūr) of Bilād al-Shām. Giuseppe Labisi offers an overview of the apartments within and identifies the architectural models that inspired Umayyad dwellings. This study also allows the precise identification of the origin of pre-Islamic dwelling models and their reinterpretation in Umayyad domestic architecture. Through classification, the author has been able to group the apartments of quṣūr chronologically by the reigns of the Umayyad caliphs. The identification of the dictates of Islamic domestic tradition and the characteristics of early Islamic Arabia and Late Antique houses offer original insight and allow us to situate the Umayyad residences of Bilād al-Shām in their wider cultural context. Additionally, Umayyad dwellings have been classified and presented in a rich catalogue as an appendix within the text.