Interior of Khan Othma also known by Khan Murjan, Bagdad

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Dominant colour

Interior of Khan Othma also known by Khan Murjan, Bagdad is a 2 photographic by K.A.C. Creswell, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: K.A.C. Creswell
When & what style?: 2
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This is a 1930 photo of a grand room in Baghdad. The shot shows high ceilings and arched doorways. It looks quiet, full of shadows and light. Creswell took this as part of a huge set of photos. He snapped views across the Middle East for years. Scholars still use his books on Islamic buildings today. Check out K.A.C. Creswell next.

The story of this work

Overview

A mounted topographical photograph by K.A.C. Creswell depicts the interior of Khan Murjan in Baghdad, Iraq. The image is part of a larger collection of architectural views acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum Art Library between 1921 and 1939. Creswell, a pioneering scholar of medieval Islamic architecture, took and printed his own photographs to document structures, many of which have since been altered or lost. The photograph serves as a historical record of the monument's original state.

Read the full account in the museum source.