Posted at Dec 10/2007 09:07AM:
ian: So why is there a move towards the militarization of taste in the post-Fatimid/post-Crusader world?

What does the citadel do in transforming the urban landscape? What does it represent for the way the architectural landscape mirrors particular social divisions within these Muslim cities?

Posted at Dec 11/2007 02:32PM:
Gareth: The militarization amongst Islamic cities in this time was due to conflicts between the Ayyubid family members who were all seeking power after Saladin’s death. Citadels at Aleppo and the Qal’at Ajlun were built around the same time as the later crusader castles (such as Crac des Chevaliers), but these were something of a minority. When al-‘Adil gained control over the Ayyubid state, he sought to construct fortresses in cities to display his power and to deter others from rising against his rule. Essentially, the presence of a citadel in a city meant dominance, wealth, and protection. It could be argued that this foreshadows the eventual Ayyubid shift towards separate palace-cities, as well as the preference for foreign, loyal guardians (see: Mamluks/circle cities/Fustat, etc.).

Back to Page