Alain Fouad George | Qatar Museums Authority (original) (raw)
Papers by Alain Fouad George
Fruit of Knowledge, Wheel of Learning: Essays in Honour of Robert Hillenbrand, 2022
Power, Patronage and Memory in Early Islam: Perspectives on Umayyad Elites
Islamic art on a grand scale, and it has continued to exert its fascination upon generation after... more Islamic art on a grand scale, and it has continued to exert its fascination upon generation after generation of visitors ever since. To the modern student, it is also a field riddled with elusive meanings and apparent paradoxes. For decades, divergent interpretations have been put forward about its two most emblematic monuments: the Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem, and the Great Mosque of Damascus. Indeed, the more one reflects about them, the more the same conclusions seem to repeat themselves , with a single referent— the representation of a plant, a precious stone, a building— seemingly evoking both paradise and empire. This puzzling situation is, of course, partly due to the lack of human figures and identifying captions in their iconography, leaving the viewer to construe , after a gap of over a millennium, what may have been obvious to original audiences. What is more, any imperially sponsored sacral building or object is inherently bound to be a manifestation of both spirituality and power. Yet the reality observed in practice goes beyond the level of truisms, reaching a degree of articulation that suggests the possibility of a deliberate choice, a conscious tendency to elude one-dimensional readings and to conflate the spiritual and earthly planes. This possibility and its cultural context form the subject of the present chapter, with a focus * The research for this chapter was undertaken with the support of the Leverhulme Trust, which is gratefully acknowledged.
Midad: The Public and Intimate Lives of Arabic Calligraphy. Beirut: Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture, 2017
Catalogue entry on a unique Qur'an written by Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, a freed slave from modern Se... more Catalogue entry on a unique Qur'an written by Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, a freed slave from modern Senegal, in England in 1733, now preserved at the Nimer Collection in Beirut.
This article is a historical study of maritime trade between Tang China and early Islamic Iraq, i... more This article is a historical study of maritime trade between Tang China and early Islamic Iraq, in the seventh to tenth centuries. While the existence, in this period, of merchant communities from the Arab-Persian Gulf in Chinese ports has been known for a long time, the present study seeks to contextualise their emergence, to articulate the socio-economic conditions of their trade, and to consider the extent to which these were conducive to transmissions of ideas. Building upon scholarly findings accumulated in different disciplines, it outlines patterns of exchange that, while limited in scope, were more systemic than has hitherto been assumed.
Part I of the present article (Journal of Qur'anic Studies, 17:1) began with a study of remarks a... more Part I of the present article (Journal of Qur'anic Studies, 17:1) began with a study of remarks about regional patterns of vocalisation offered by the Andalusi scholar of the Qur'an al-Dānī (371-444/982-1053), primarily in al-Muḥkam fī naqṭ al-maṣāḥif. These assertions were then confronted with extant manuscripts of the third to fourth/ ninth to tenth centuries that can be ascribed to the broad region between Syria, Iraq, and Iran. This analysis largely confirmed al-Dānī's observations, thereby suggesting the existence of a dominant norm for vocalisation in this area, which he identifies as the Mashriq. An increase in the complexity of notation systems over time also emerged. The same approach will now be applied to Qur'ans from the Maghrib. As shown in Part I, al-Dānī asserted that his region of origin possessed a distinctive vocalisation system with Medinan roots; on a few points, he also drew contrasts between earlier Maghribī conventions and those prevalent in his own day. 1
Journal of Qur'anic Studies, 2015
During the first centuries of Islam, the written notation of the Qur'an underwent a gradual evolu... more During the first centuries of Islam, the written notation of the Qur'an underwent a gradual evolution. 1 After an early stage represented by the 'Ḥijāzī' tradition, red dots were introduced into 'Kufic' Qur'ans to mark short vowels. 2 This system was soon expanded by assigning more functions to the red dots, sometimes supplemented by yellow, green, and blue dots; and by creating new orthographic signs. These devices were used in different ways by different vocalisers. Few textual sources dealing with this subject survive. By far the most consequential is al-Muḥkam fī naqṭ al-maṣāḥif (lit. 'The Precise on the Vocalisation of Qur'ans') by Abū ʿAmr ʿUthmān b. Saʿīd al-Dānī (371-444/982-1053). Following a line of work initiated by Yasin Dutton, the present study will confront the assertions of the Muḥkam with a sample of key manuscripts in an attempt to gain insights into the regional origins of early Qur'ans. Al-Dānī's shorter treatise on the subject, the Kitāb al-naqṭ ('Book of Vocalisation'), will also be considered where relevant. 3
Conference paper published on the IQSA website, https://iqsaweb.wordpress.com/publications/papers/
Comptes-Rendus des Séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, 2011
The Lewis Mingana palimpsest in Cambridge: an early witness of the history of the Qur'an
Detail of a scene from Arabe 3929, fol. 163r, illustrating the twenty-third maqama, thirteenth ce... more Detail of a scene from Arabe 3929, fol. 163r, illustrating the twenty-third maqama, thirteenth century (plate 11).
This short study of a Qur'an from the ninth century shows that it is based on numbers revered by ... more This short study of a Qur'an from the ninth century shows that it is based on numbers revered by the Ancients and reveals a geometric dimension of early Arabic calligraphy that has so far gone unnoticed. Modern scholarship on the subject, which stretches back over two centuries, has until recently focused primarily on letter forms. But the Greeks, probably beginning with Pythagoras, saw a spiritual dimension in certain numbers and the proportions related to them, which they studied in theory and applied in the arts. It appears that three of these proportions are at the basis of the script and layout of the Qur'an of Amajur, dated 262 (876).
Early Qur'anic manuscripts are gradually emerging as important witnesses of their civilisation. 1... more Early Qur'anic manuscripts are gradually emerging as important witnesses of their civilisation. 1 Not only can they provide evidence for the history of the Qur'anic text, but their formal features might also tell us something about the way art and its deeper meaning were perceived in the classical age of Islam. In an earlier article, we have made a series of observations about the Qur'an of Am jür, a manuscript written in 262/876, at the peak of the Kufic tradition, which coincided with a period of extensive translation of Greek works into Arabic. 2 Both its script and layout turned out to be constructed according to elaborate geometrical and proportional rules. However, it remained to be determined whether the underlying system was unique to this relatively lavish manuscript or more widespread. The present article expounds the results of the analysis of over a thousand early Qur'anic pages, representing several hundred manuscripts in all Kufic scripts. Its conclusions will raise new questions about the Kufic tradition's origins and meaning.
Books by Alain Fouad George
Three Umayyad panegyrics are among the core documents studied in this book. Long after producing ... more Three Umayyad panegyrics are among the core documents studied in this book. Long after producing my English translations of these texts, I asked Nadia Jamil whether she would consider letting me feature hers instead, as they were sure to be more elegant and accurate than my own. She responded with characteristic generosity and enthusiasm: the result can be seen in Appendix 1. Sourcing rare documents and images proved to be another major undertaking, just as one would expect. When it came to scans from libraries, I was fortunate to be helped by a succession of competent and friendly students at Edinburgh, then Oxford: in chronological order, Francesco Stermotich-Cappellari,
Edited by Alain George and Andew Marsham
Catalogue of an exhibition held at Dar El-Nimer, Beirut, 2017.
Fruit of Knowledge, Wheel of Learning: Essays in Honour of Robert Hillenbrand, 2022
Power, Patronage and Memory in Early Islam: Perspectives on Umayyad Elites
Islamic art on a grand scale, and it has continued to exert its fascination upon generation after... more Islamic art on a grand scale, and it has continued to exert its fascination upon generation after generation of visitors ever since. To the modern student, it is also a field riddled with elusive meanings and apparent paradoxes. For decades, divergent interpretations have been put forward about its two most emblematic monuments: the Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem, and the Great Mosque of Damascus. Indeed, the more one reflects about them, the more the same conclusions seem to repeat themselves , with a single referent— the representation of a plant, a precious stone, a building— seemingly evoking both paradise and empire. This puzzling situation is, of course, partly due to the lack of human figures and identifying captions in their iconography, leaving the viewer to construe , after a gap of over a millennium, what may have been obvious to original audiences. What is more, any imperially sponsored sacral building or object is inherently bound to be a manifestation of both spirituality and power. Yet the reality observed in practice goes beyond the level of truisms, reaching a degree of articulation that suggests the possibility of a deliberate choice, a conscious tendency to elude one-dimensional readings and to conflate the spiritual and earthly planes. This possibility and its cultural context form the subject of the present chapter, with a focus * The research for this chapter was undertaken with the support of the Leverhulme Trust, which is gratefully acknowledged.
Midad: The Public and Intimate Lives of Arabic Calligraphy. Beirut: Dar El-Nimer for Arts and Culture, 2017
Catalogue entry on a unique Qur'an written by Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, a freed slave from modern Se... more Catalogue entry on a unique Qur'an written by Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, a freed slave from modern Senegal, in England in 1733, now preserved at the Nimer Collection in Beirut.
This article is a historical study of maritime trade between Tang China and early Islamic Iraq, i... more This article is a historical study of maritime trade between Tang China and early Islamic Iraq, in the seventh to tenth centuries. While the existence, in this period, of merchant communities from the Arab-Persian Gulf in Chinese ports has been known for a long time, the present study seeks to contextualise their emergence, to articulate the socio-economic conditions of their trade, and to consider the extent to which these were conducive to transmissions of ideas. Building upon scholarly findings accumulated in different disciplines, it outlines patterns of exchange that, while limited in scope, were more systemic than has hitherto been assumed.
Part I of the present article (Journal of Qur'anic Studies, 17:1) began with a study of remarks a... more Part I of the present article (Journal of Qur'anic Studies, 17:1) began with a study of remarks about regional patterns of vocalisation offered by the Andalusi scholar of the Qur'an al-Dānī (371-444/982-1053), primarily in al-Muḥkam fī naqṭ al-maṣāḥif. These assertions were then confronted with extant manuscripts of the third to fourth/ ninth to tenth centuries that can be ascribed to the broad region between Syria, Iraq, and Iran. This analysis largely confirmed al-Dānī's observations, thereby suggesting the existence of a dominant norm for vocalisation in this area, which he identifies as the Mashriq. An increase in the complexity of notation systems over time also emerged. The same approach will now be applied to Qur'ans from the Maghrib. As shown in Part I, al-Dānī asserted that his region of origin possessed a distinctive vocalisation system with Medinan roots; on a few points, he also drew contrasts between earlier Maghribī conventions and those prevalent in his own day. 1
Journal of Qur'anic Studies, 2015
During the first centuries of Islam, the written notation of the Qur'an underwent a gradual evolu... more During the first centuries of Islam, the written notation of the Qur'an underwent a gradual evolution. 1 After an early stage represented by the 'Ḥijāzī' tradition, red dots were introduced into 'Kufic' Qur'ans to mark short vowels. 2 This system was soon expanded by assigning more functions to the red dots, sometimes supplemented by yellow, green, and blue dots; and by creating new orthographic signs. These devices were used in different ways by different vocalisers. Few textual sources dealing with this subject survive. By far the most consequential is al-Muḥkam fī naqṭ al-maṣāḥif (lit. 'The Precise on the Vocalisation of Qur'ans') by Abū ʿAmr ʿUthmān b. Saʿīd al-Dānī (371-444/982-1053). Following a line of work initiated by Yasin Dutton, the present study will confront the assertions of the Muḥkam with a sample of key manuscripts in an attempt to gain insights into the regional origins of early Qur'ans. Al-Dānī's shorter treatise on the subject, the Kitāb al-naqṭ ('Book of Vocalisation'), will also be considered where relevant. 3
Conference paper published on the IQSA website, https://iqsaweb.wordpress.com/publications/papers/
Comptes-Rendus des Séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres, 2011
The Lewis Mingana palimpsest in Cambridge: an early witness of the history of the Qur'an
Detail of a scene from Arabe 3929, fol. 163r, illustrating the twenty-third maqama, thirteenth ce... more Detail of a scene from Arabe 3929, fol. 163r, illustrating the twenty-third maqama, thirteenth century (plate 11).
This short study of a Qur'an from the ninth century shows that it is based on numbers revered by ... more This short study of a Qur'an from the ninth century shows that it is based on numbers revered by the Ancients and reveals a geometric dimension of early Arabic calligraphy that has so far gone unnoticed. Modern scholarship on the subject, which stretches back over two centuries, has until recently focused primarily on letter forms. But the Greeks, probably beginning with Pythagoras, saw a spiritual dimension in certain numbers and the proportions related to them, which they studied in theory and applied in the arts. It appears that three of these proportions are at the basis of the script and layout of the Qur'an of Amajur, dated 262 (876).
Early Qur'anic manuscripts are gradually emerging as important witnesses of their civilisation. 1... more Early Qur'anic manuscripts are gradually emerging as important witnesses of their civilisation. 1 Not only can they provide evidence for the history of the Qur'anic text, but their formal features might also tell us something about the way art and its deeper meaning were perceived in the classical age of Islam. In an earlier article, we have made a series of observations about the Qur'an of Am jür, a manuscript written in 262/876, at the peak of the Kufic tradition, which coincided with a period of extensive translation of Greek works into Arabic. 2 Both its script and layout turned out to be constructed according to elaborate geometrical and proportional rules. However, it remained to be determined whether the underlying system was unique to this relatively lavish manuscript or more widespread. The present article expounds the results of the analysis of over a thousand early Qur'anic pages, representing several hundred manuscripts in all Kufic scripts. Its conclusions will raise new questions about the Kufic tradition's origins and meaning.
Three Umayyad panegyrics are among the core documents studied in this book. Long after producing ... more Three Umayyad panegyrics are among the core documents studied in this book. Long after producing my English translations of these texts, I asked Nadia Jamil whether she would consider letting me feature hers instead, as they were sure to be more elegant and accurate than my own. She responded with characteristic generosity and enthusiasm: the result can be seen in Appendix 1. Sourcing rare documents and images proved to be another major undertaking, just as one would expect. When it came to scans from libraries, I was fortunate to be helped by a succession of competent and friendly students at Edinburgh, then Oxford: in chronological order, Francesco Stermotich-Cappellari,
Edited by Alain George and Andew Marsham
Catalogue of an exhibition held at Dar El-Nimer, Beirut, 2017.