Alarife
@alarife.bsky.social
Interested in art, architecture and history, with a focus on North Africa and Iberia, aiming to shed light on lesser-known facts.
From Spanish treatise by López de Arenas (17th c.):
Candillijo "little oil lamp"
Zafate harpado "harpoon-shaped Safat"
Almendrilla "little almond"
Zafate "tray"
Calle "alleyway"
Moroccan names for the same shapes:
Qandīl "oil lamp"
Ṣfeṭ l-Ḥarba "spear-shaped Sfet"
Lūza "almond"
Ṣfeṭ
Zqāq "alleyway"
Candillijo "little oil lamp"
Zafate harpado "harpoon-shaped Safat"
Almendrilla "little almond"
Zafate "tray"
Calle "alleyway"
Moroccan names for the same shapes:
Qandīl "oil lamp"
Ṣfeṭ l-Ḥarba "spear-shaped Sfet"
Lūza "almond"
Ṣfeṭ
Zqāq "alleyway"
June 2, 2025 at 3:01 AM
From Spanish treatise by López de Arenas (17th c.):
Candillijo "little oil lamp"
Zafate harpado "harpoon-shaped Safat"
Almendrilla "little almond"
Zafate "tray"
Calle "alleyway"
Moroccan names for the same shapes:
Qandīl "oil lamp"
Ṣfeṭ l-Ḥarba "spear-shaped Sfet"
Lūza "almond"
Ṣfeṭ
Zqāq "alleyway"
Candillijo "little oil lamp"
Zafate harpado "harpoon-shaped Safat"
Almendrilla "little almond"
Zafate "tray"
Calle "alleyway"
Moroccan names for the same shapes:
Qandīl "oil lamp"
Ṣfeṭ l-Ḥarba "spear-shaped Sfet"
Lūza "almond"
Ṣfeṭ
Zqāq "alleyway"
The broken horseshoe arch, the decorative motifs, the Hafsid-style capitals (pic 3), and the Andalusi ones (pic 4) in addition to portal's style were otherwise of local tradition.
May 18, 2025 at 2:07 AM
The broken horseshoe arch, the decorative motifs, the Hafsid-style capitals (pic 3), and the Andalusi ones (pic 4) in addition to portal's style were otherwise of local tradition.
Mīḍaʔat As-Sulṭān "the Sultan's ablution pavilion" in Tunis b. in 1450 to serve the believers in their washing ritual before prayers.
The monument’s marble paneling and two-tone decoration reflect Egyptian influences, which had already begun to spread into the Eastern Maghreb by the late 14th c.
The monument’s marble paneling and two-tone decoration reflect Egyptian influences, which had already begun to spread into the Eastern Maghreb by the late 14th c.
May 18, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Mīḍaʔat As-Sulṭān "the Sultan's ablution pavilion" in Tunis b. in 1450 to serve the believers in their washing ritual before prayers.
The monument’s marble paneling and two-tone decoration reflect Egyptian influences, which had already begun to spread into the Eastern Maghreb by the late 14th c.
The monument’s marble paneling and two-tone decoration reflect Egyptian influences, which had already begun to spread into the Eastern Maghreb by the late 14th c.
The artists' use of color, in this case to amplify certain traits, was a way to visually communicate their identity as Granadan Muslims. In another scene, men dressed in the Castilian fashion, with some of them turbaned, were shown with varying skin tones to distinguish them from the Old Christians.
May 10, 2025 at 11:45 PM
The artists' use of color, in this case to amplify certain traits, was a way to visually communicate their identity as Granadan Muslims. In another scene, men dressed in the Castilian fashion, with some of them turbaned, were shown with varying skin tones to distinguish them from the Old Christians.
This contrasts with their N. African counterparts, who until more recent times wore a similar veil, usually in white or beige. Indeed, visual and written sources indicate that although Granadan women did use a range of colors for their veils, white remained the most common.
Pic: Tangier, c. 1880.
Pic: Tangier, c. 1880.
May 10, 2025 at 11:44 PM
This contrasts with their N. African counterparts, who until more recent times wore a similar veil, usually in white or beige. Indeed, visual and written sources indicate that although Granadan women did use a range of colors for their veils, white remained the most common.
Pic: Tangier, c. 1880.
Pic: Tangier, c. 1880.
A low-relief carving from the altarpiece of the Royal Chapel of Granada, finished in 1522, depicts the baptism of Granadan women c. 1499–1501. The women are wearing veils (Melḥafa) in white, red, pink, green, purple, and light brown, all edged with a golden border.
May 10, 2025 at 11:44 PM
A low-relief carving from the altarpiece of the Royal Chapel of Granada, finished in 1522, depicts the baptism of Granadan women c. 1499–1501. The women are wearing veils (Melḥafa) in white, red, pink, green, purple, and light brown, all edged with a golden border.
This peculiarity is also attested in other non-poetic inscriptions of the period.
But what's so "incomparable" about this fountain exactly? Well, it *was* the ceramic decoration with its vivid colors, that was almost exclusively found in wealthy estates or royally sponsored projects in the 14th C.
But what's so "incomparable" about this fountain exactly? Well, it *was* the ceramic decoration with its vivid colors, that was almost exclusively found in wealthy estates or royally sponsored projects in the 14th C.
April 29, 2025 at 2:26 AM
This peculiarity is also attested in other non-poetic inscriptions of the period.
But what's so "incomparable" about this fountain exactly? Well, it *was* the ceramic decoration with its vivid colors, that was almost exclusively found in wealthy estates or royally sponsored projects in the 14th C.
But what's so "incomparable" about this fountain exactly? Well, it *was* the ceramic decoration with its vivid colors, that was almost exclusively found in wealthy estates or royally sponsored projects in the 14th C.
The meter is off in the third couplet (lines 5 and 6 in the trans.). On the left side, green tiles with a different script from the original dark ones indicate repairs that likely replaced fallen parts and completed the missing text. However, these repairs only recovered the rhyme of this couplet.
April 29, 2025 at 2:25 AM
The meter is off in the third couplet (lines 5 and 6 in the trans.). On the left side, green tiles with a different script from the original dark ones indicate repairs that likely replaced fallen parts and completed the missing text. However, these repairs only recovered the rhyme of this couplet.
The poem consists of three couplets. The first half is written in the first-person singular, presenting the fountain as the speaker. This poetry style, where objects or buildings "speak" through inscription, was common in the western parts of the Maghreb between the 13th and 16th centuries.
April 29, 2025 at 2:20 AM
The poem consists of three couplets. The first half is written in the first-person singular, presenting the fountain as the speaker. This poetry style, where objects or buildings "speak" through inscription, was common in the western parts of the Maghreb between the 13th and 16th centuries.
A fountain in the Chrabliyine district from the second quarter of the 14th C. in Fez, Morocco.
Above it, an inscription of a poem, written on tiles using the sgraffito technique, where parts of the glazed surface are scratched away to create a two-tone design.
Above it, an inscription of a poem, written on tiles using the sgraffito technique, where parts of the glazed surface are scratched away to create a two-tone design.
April 29, 2025 at 2:19 AM
A fountain in the Chrabliyine district from the second quarter of the 14th C. in Fez, Morocco.
Above it, an inscription of a poem, written on tiles using the sgraffito technique, where parts of the glazed surface are scratched away to create a two-tone design.
Above it, an inscription of a poem, written on tiles using the sgraffito technique, where parts of the glazed surface are scratched away to create a two-tone design.
According to 13th-century historian Ibn Idhari, in 965 CE the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros II Phokas sent a mosaic craftsman and about 1,600 kg of tesserae to Caliph al-Ḥakam II, who wanted to replicate in Córdoba what his ancestors had done in the Mosque of Damascus (pictured below).
April 22, 2025 at 11:34 PM
According to 13th-century historian Ibn Idhari, in 965 CE the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros II Phokas sent a mosaic craftsman and about 1,600 kg of tesserae to Caliph al-Ḥakam II, who wanted to replicate in Córdoba what his ancestors had done in the Mosque of Damascus (pictured below).
Byzantine glass mosaic above the 10th century mihrab (a niche indicating the direction of prayer) of the Great Mosque of Córdoba, now a cathedral.
It is interesting that such a visually striking decoration was never reemployed in any other monument in Iberia or in North Africa.
It is interesting that such a visually striking decoration was never reemployed in any other monument in Iberia or in North Africa.
April 22, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Byzantine glass mosaic above the 10th century mihrab (a niche indicating the direction of prayer) of the Great Mosque of Córdoba, now a cathedral.
It is interesting that such a visually striking decoration was never reemployed in any other monument in Iberia or in North Africa.
It is interesting that such a visually striking decoration was never reemployed in any other monument in Iberia or in North Africa.
A wing of bliss was spread over you,
A green [banner] that turned the morning [light] into a sash;
It flutters like the beating heart of whoever opposes you,
Striking the souls whichever way it unfurls;
Assuring you fortune with a triumphant bearing,
So look forth to the preeminent omen of success.
A green [banner] that turned the morning [light] into a sash;
It flutters like the beating heart of whoever opposes you,
Striking the souls whichever way it unfurls;
Assuring you fortune with a triumphant bearing,
So look forth to the preeminent omen of success.
April 22, 2025 at 1:46 AM
A wing of bliss was spread over you,
A green [banner] that turned the morning [light] into a sash;
It flutters like the beating heart of whoever opposes you,
Striking the souls whichever way it unfurls;
Assuring you fortune with a triumphant bearing,
So look forth to the preeminent omen of success.
A green [banner] that turned the morning [light] into a sash;
It flutters like the beating heart of whoever opposes you,
Striking the souls whichever way it unfurls;
Assuring you fortune with a triumphant bearing,
So look forth to the preeminent omen of success.
The spacing between the two bands is wider than expected, going against convention. The bands are also meant to continue crisscrossing, even at the edges.
A closer inspection would almost certainly reveal additional details such as types of nails, pigments, assembly joints, wood types, etc.
A closer inspection would almost certainly reveal additional details such as types of nails, pigments, assembly joints, wood types, etc.
April 18, 2025 at 4:08 PM
The spacing between the two bands is wider than expected, going against convention. The bands are also meant to continue crisscrossing, even at the edges.
A closer inspection would almost certainly reveal additional details such as types of nails, pigments, assembly joints, wood types, etc.
A closer inspection would almost certainly reveal additional details such as types of nails, pigments, assembly joints, wood types, etc.
Iberian and N. African carpenters cut notches on both sides of wooden bands, allowing other bands to be inserted into them, forming a double-grooved frame around the geometric shapes (pics). The technique was universally used during the period for this type of decoration, but not here.
April 18, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Iberian and N. African carpenters cut notches on both sides of wooden bands, allowing other bands to be inserted into them, forming a double-grooved frame around the geometric shapes (pics). The technique was universally used during the period for this type of decoration, but not here.
In 2000, Christie's auction house sold two truncated wooden doors, alleged to be Nasrid-made from the 14th century.
Despite the low-quality picture, the inconsistencies make me confident these doors are forgeries, possibly made during the 19th century.
Despite the low-quality picture, the inconsistencies make me confident these doors are forgeries, possibly made during the 19th century.
April 18, 2025 at 4:02 PM
In 2000, Christie's auction house sold two truncated wooden doors, alleged to be Nasrid-made from the 14th century.
Despite the low-quality picture, the inconsistencies make me confident these doors are forgeries, possibly made during the 19th century.
Despite the low-quality picture, the inconsistencies make me confident these doors are forgeries, possibly made during the 19th century.
On line 6°, Rodríguez reads خوتم as Ḫutm "finisher," but I believe it’s Ḫawatim (w/ vowel shortening), pl. of Ḫātam "seal." In Morocco, Ḫātam is used to describe polygonal stars, e.g., Ḫātam Tnāšrī "12-pointed star." The word in this sense is also attested in at least one other medieval text.
April 16, 2025 at 4:10 PM
On line 6°, Rodríguez reads خوتم as Ḫutm "finisher," but I believe it’s Ḫawatim (w/ vowel shortening), pl. of Ḫātam "seal." In Morocco, Ḫātam is used to describe polygonal stars, e.g., Ḫātam Tnāšrī "12-pointed star." The word in this sense is also attested in at least one other medieval text.
On lines 1° and 3°, the plural form Aṣfāṭ اصفط from Safaṭ, meaning "basket" or "tray." The term was borrowed into Spanish as Zafate or Azafate (the latter with an assimilated definite article -al) and into Moroccan Arabic as Ṣfaṭ, pl. Ṣfāṭ. In both cases, it is used for an irregular hexagonal piece
April 16, 2025 at 4:09 PM
On lines 1° and 3°, the plural form Aṣfāṭ اصفط from Safaṭ, meaning "basket" or "tray." The term was borrowed into Spanish as Zafate or Azafate (the latter with an assimilated definite article -al) and into Moroccan Arabic as Ṣfaṭ, pl. Ṣfāṭ. In both cases, it is used for an irregular hexagonal piece
On the bottom of the piece, a word is written vertically in careful calligraphy. Cabanelas reads it as Maqʕad مقعد, meaning "seat," potentially indicating "reverse" (I could only read ـعد).
April 16, 2025 at 4:08 PM
On the bottom of the piece, a word is written vertically in careful calligraphy. Cabanelas reads it as Maqʕad مقعد, meaning "seat," potentially indicating "reverse" (I could only read ـعد).
The text is a rare witness to the artisanal jargon once used in Granada during the 14th century. Below is the reading and translation of the main text by Cabanelas Rodríguez. Note the use of ڢ for the letter faʔ (ف).
April 16, 2025 at 4:07 PM
The text is a rare witness to the artisanal jargon once used in Granada during the 14th century. Below is the reading and translation of the main text by Cabanelas Rodríguez. Note the use of ڢ for the letter faʔ (ف).
An original piece from the Alhambra's Hall of Ambassadors that was removed in 1959 during conservation work on the dome. On its reverse, an inscription in Andalusi Arabic.
April 16, 2025 at 4:06 PM
An original piece from the Alhambra's Hall of Ambassadors that was removed in 1959 during conservation work on the dome. On its reverse, an inscription in Andalusi Arabic.
The word is borrowed from Andalusi Arabic.
April 14, 2025 at 8:02 PM
The word is borrowed from Andalusi Arabic.
In Fez, the term Yšābī or Lišābī refers to a "cross lap joint," commonly used in the framework that braces an inclined roof. The singular form, Yašba, denotes each individual member that composes the joint.
April 14, 2025 at 8:01 PM
In Fez, the term Yšābī or Lišābī refers to a "cross lap joint," commonly used in the framework that braces an inclined roof. The singular form, Yašba, denotes each individual member that composes the joint.
bérchele pl. baráchil 'garret.' He renders the vowels in the sin. with an -e which is a case of Imala, a common feature of Andalusi Ar. where /a/ becomes /e/.
The word's original meaning seems to have been preserved in Chefchaouen designating a loft used for storing fodder and to dry fruits.
The word's original meaning seems to have been preserved in Chefchaouen designating a loft used for storing fodder and to dry fruits.
April 11, 2025 at 8:43 PM
bérchele pl. baráchil 'garret.' He renders the vowels in the sin. with an -e which is a case of Imala, a common feature of Andalusi Ar. where /a/ becomes /e/.
The word's original meaning seems to have been preserved in Chefchaouen designating a loft used for storing fodder and to dry fruits.
The word's original meaning seems to have been preserved in Chefchaouen designating a loft used for storing fodder and to dry fruits.
Bəršla pl. Brašəl (pronounced in the old Medinas of Fez and Meknes with a voiced approximant /ɹ/) is the name given to decorative wooden sloping roofs found in rich houses, palaces and mosques.
The word is from Andalusi Arabic with the Spanish lexicographer Pedro de Alcalá giving it as...
The word is from Andalusi Arabic with the Spanish lexicographer Pedro de Alcalá giving it as...
April 11, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Bəršla pl. Brašəl (pronounced in the old Medinas of Fez and Meknes with a voiced approximant /ɹ/) is the name given to decorative wooden sloping roofs found in rich houses, palaces and mosques.
The word is from Andalusi Arabic with the Spanish lexicographer Pedro de Alcalá giving it as...
The word is from Andalusi Arabic with the Spanish lexicographer Pedro de Alcalá giving it as...