Abstract
The eighth-century Abbasid capital, the Round City of Baghdad, existed in its perfect, circular form for a short period of time. However, even after its ruin, its physical shape and the reasons for its establishment were vehemently remembered in a manner unrivaled in the dense history of Islamic cities. This round city, known as Madinat al-Salam, or the City of Peace, and often described as the dome of Islam became storied. While there are no physical remains of the Round City, the intertwined legends of the city’s site, foundation, and founding caliph established (and perhaps exaggerated) through historical descriptions and stories enable architectural reconstructions of the eighth-century marvel. This foundation lore opened a sphere of myth and memory, and from this realm continued glorifications, reflections, and lamentations of the early Abbasid capital have been elicited in literature after its construction and ruin. Research and writing by scholars across disciplines including history, literature, and art and architectural history delve into the city’s foundation and its mythology as separate entities. Diverging from this dichotomy of study, this research draws a connection between the legends of its foundation and its continued mythology to suggest that the Round City of Baghdad must be studied simultaneously as an architectural site and an imagined landscape.
Presenters
Samantha OleschukStudent, Art and Visual Culture, Appalachian State University, North Carolina, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Baghdad, Architecture, Literature, Mythology, Islamic art, Islam, City, Landscape
