1/ Medieval Muslims were fascinated by Christian monasteries, which they celebrated as places of refreshment, beauty, and entertainment
These little-known images come from the Book of Wonders (Kitāb al-Bulhān) of ʿAbd al-Ḥasan al-Iṣfahānī, now at the Bodleian Library, Oxford
These little-known images come from the Book of Wonders (Kitāb al-Bulhān) of ʿAbd al-Ḥasan al-Iṣfahānī, now at the Bodleian Library, Oxford
2/ The manuscript comes from mid-13th c. Baghdad. The image on the right portrays the "Monastery of the Maidens" (Dayr al-Banāt) and the one on the left portrays the "Monastery of the Raven" (Dayr al-Ghurāb)
3/ The Monastery of the Raven was apparently located in al-Andalus and was renowned for its talking raven (portrayed on the dome) which would identify visitors as they arrived
4/ Monasteries were found across al-Andalus, North Africa, and the Middle East long after the Islamic conquests. Muslims admired their lush gardens, hidden courtyards, and orchards, which transported visitors to a luxurious world far removed from daily life
5/ Islamic sources describe how Muslims sometimes held wine-soaked parties in monasteries, enjoying song, poetry, and the company of handsome Christian youths. For their part, Christian sources decried this, especially the intoxication, feasting, and desecration of sacred space
6/ The Kitāb al-Bulhān has been digitized by the Bodleian Library: iiif.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/iiif/viewer/5c…
7/ You can read more about its history in this article by Stefano Carboni: slv.vic.gov.au/sites/default/…
8/ And for a nice study of Muslim attitudes towards Christian monasteries, see Elizabeth Key Fowden, "The lamp and the wine flask. Early Muslim interest in Christian monasticism," in Islamic Crosspollinations (Cambridge, 2007), 1-28
