amulet;
pilgrim souvenir;
ornament(for the car);
house-ornament
- Museum number
- 2012,6007.2
- Description
-
Car-ornament or house-ornament made of two brass rectangular tablets, the largest one of which is stamped with the '99 Beautiful Names of God' (al-Asma' al-Husna) in red and black. The tablets are linked together with metal loops, have coin token pendants and blue and gold beads dangling from them, and can be suspended by means of a chain.
- Production date
- 2000-2009
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 1.70 centimetres (coin pendant)
-
Diameter: 0.70 centimetres (plastic bead)
-
Length: 23 centimetres (incl. chain and beads)
-
Length: 9.10 centimetres (large tablet)
-
Length: 2 centimetres (small tablet)
-
Weight: 43 grammes
-
Width: 8 centimetres (large tablet)
-
Width: 8 centimetres (small tablet)
-
Width: 8 centimetres (total width)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
-
The Great Mosque of Damascus, also known as the Umayyad Mosque, was built in the eighth century during the reign of the Umayyad caliph, al-Walid I, on the site of a Christian basilica dedicated to John the Baptist (Yahya). The mosque holds a shrine which today may still house the head of John the Baptist, honoured as a saint by Christians and as a prophet by Muslims. The mosque is also revered by Shia Muslims due to its assocation with the head of Imam Husayn, which was buried there for over two centuries following the Battle of Karbala, and a shrine dedicated to Imam Husayn remains in its place. The mosque remains a major site of both Christian and Muslim pilgrimage and many religious and political souvenirs are sold around the mosque precinct for this reason.
-
The 99 Names of God are more specifically attributes by which Muslims regard God and which are referred to in the Qur'an as God's "most beautiful Names". Over time it has become a custom to recite a list of these names.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 2012
- Acquisition notes
- Part of a collection of 10 items bought near the Great Mosque of Damascus, Syria in November 2009.
- Department
- Middle East
- Registration number
- 2012,6007.2
