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Mihrab in al-Umari Mosque in Bahsita, Aleppo

K.A.C. Creswell

1920

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Early Modern

Dominant colour

Mihrab in al-Umari Mosque in Bahsita, Aleppo is a 1920 photographic by K.A.C. Creswell, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: K.A.C. Creswell
When & what style?: 1920
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This photo shows the mihrab inside a mosque in Aleppo. It was taken between 1919 and 1921 by K.A.C. Creswell. The image is part of a huge set of old building photos he sold to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Creswell spent his career studying Islamic architecture from the Middle Ages. His books are still key references today for anyone learning about this subject. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum for more of Creswell’s architectural photos.

The story of this work

Overview

A mounted black-and-white photograph depicts the mihrab in the al-Umari Mosque in Bahsita, Aleppo, part of a larger architectural survey acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum National Art Library from Professor Sir K.A.C. Creswell between 1921 and 1939. The image likely dates to Creswell’s service as Inspector of Monuments in the region from July 1919 to May 1920, when he systematically photographed structures that have since been demolished, altered, or lost. Creswell’s photographs served as primary documentation for his scholarly publications on medieval Islamic architecture,…

Read the full account in the museum source.