Portable mihrab from the Mashhad of Sayyida Ruqayya

The front of the portable wooden mihrab from the Mashhad of Sayyida Ruqayya (now housed at the Museum of Islamic Art, Cairo). From the bottom of the image to the top, this view shows the niche and the intricately carved star-shaped geometric motif as well as the two lines of inscription that date the mihrab.

The portable mihrab from the Mashhad of Sayyida Ruqayya dates to the Fatimid period and is crafted entirely from wood.[1] It is notable both because of its wooden construction and because it is not built into a larger permanent structure but is freestanding and can be moved. It was commissioned by al-Sayyida 'Ulam al-Amiriyya, the wife of the Fatimid caliph al-Amir, in the 12th century. The mihrab currently resides in the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, Egypt.[1]

The basic structure of the mihrab, which stands 210 centimetres (83 in) tall, 111 centimetres (44 in) wide, and 45 centimetres (18 in) deep,[1] is a rectangular prism with a niche on its front. The perimeter of the façade includes Qur'anic verses.[1] The surface of the mihrab contains foliated and geometric patterns, among vegetal designs.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e Hammad, Al-Sayyed Muhammad Khalifa. "Mihrab". Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers. Retrieved 11 December 2023.