Museo d'Arte Islamica
The Museo d'Arte Islamica (Museum of Islamic Art) in Palermo's La Zisa Castle shows objects of Islamic art , most of which, however, do not date from the time of Arab domination in Sicily (9th-11th centuries), but from the Norman period (11th century) . –12th century), when the influence of Islamic culture on Sicily was still very great. Some exhibits also come from other Islamic countries on the Mediterranean.
The architecture of the building is largely determined by Arab influences.
A large part of the exhibits are ceramics from the 11th – 12th centuries. Century and were excavated in Palermo, partly before the Zisa itself during restoration work in 1972. These are glazed amphorae, bowls, oil lamps and other glazed vessels. The amphorae have different shapes depending on their purpose, for example the transport of liquids or the storage of food. In addition, other everyday objects such as candlesticks, bowls, mugs, mortars from different areas of the Mediterranean are on display. These items are mainly made from forged brass. Many of them are decorated with engravings and provided with inscriptions in Kufic script . A hand wash basin from the 13th century bears inscriptions and graphic decorations. a. Scenes from court life and the signs of the zodiac . To some windows are "Musciarabia" a kind of folding screen made of wood, like a fabric top have various ornaments and patterns. A marble tombstone is decorated with colored inlays, in the middle a cross, which is surrounded by triangular patterns. The funerary inscription is written in Latin, Greek, Arabic and Hebrew script and thus forms a vivid example of the coexistence of the different cultures in Sicily during the Norman period, which gave rise to the Arabic-Byzantine-Norman style .
literature
- Museum without borders (ed.): Arab-Norman art. Sicily's culture in the Middle Ages (= international exhibition street cycle Museum Without Borders. Islamic Art in the Mediterranean. Italy. Sicily ). Ernst Wasmuth, Tübingen et al. 2004, ISBN 3-8030-4102-3 .
Web links
- Castello della Zisa on www.regione.sicilia.it (Italian)
Coordinates: 38 ° 7 ′ 0 ″ N , 13 ° 20 ′ 28 ″ E