BaBesch 73 (1998) Frescoes in the Muslim residence and bathhouse Qusayr ‘Amra Representations, some of the Dionysiac cycle, made by Christian painters from Egypt Mab van Lohuizen-Mulder In the desert, about eighty kilometers to the East of with an inscription above his head mentioning his Amman, lies Qusayr ‘Amra, a small building, as the name, like the other rulers who are also designated name is indicating (Fig. 1). It belongs to the group by an inscription with their name. To show the power of so-called desert castles. It consists of a bath- of the Umayyad Dynasty it is understandable that cum- audience hall, fully decorated with a wealth of some kings are shown, like Roderic and the Sasanian frescoes, some rather enigmatic. The representation ruler, who were actually conquered by a caliph.4 of nude and semi-nude dancers, musicians and some Still this does not solve the question about who was other nude rather impressive women is not so com- the one who gave the commission. It could have been mon in an Islamic building from the eighth century al-Walid I, who built the Great Mosque at Damascus A.D., although one cannot uphold the view that the between 705 and 715. In my view, however, there are representation of human figures in a secular build- several reasons for giving al-Walid II the honor. One ing is forbidden in the Koran.1 But it is true that, reason is that he was the one who was for a long time apart from the palace buildings Khirbat al-Mafjar a prince, an amir and not yet a caliph. He got this sta- near Jericho and Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi in Syria tus only in 743. In an inscription on the frescoes an both with baths, no other Umayyad building from amir, not a caliph is mentioned, clearly as the builder the seventh or eighth century is found with such a and the patron of the castle.5 It is said that al-Walid II wealth of representations of human beings. actually built the far greater and more elaborate palace building Khirbat al-Mafjar near Jericho for his uncle A definite answer to questions about who was the Hisham. So it is quite understandable that he also patron and the owner of the building, about the style wanted to build for himself a bathhouse with a recep- of the frescoes and the origin of the artists and about tion hall, that could be used also as a hunting lodge. the iconography has still to be given. Many scholars But, not yet being a caliph, he could not afford to of Islamic art and culture and among them one of the build for himself a large and luxurious bathhouse/cas- greatest, Oleg Grabar, have written important and in tle like Khirbat al-Mafjar. But a small one was possi- some respect revealing articles on these frescoes. ble because it seems that his uncle Hisham gave him I know that a new attempt to try to come a little fur- an allowance (which he regretted later on, because ther in explaining these paintings is very daring. al-Walid seems to have misbehaved himself).6 Being well aware of the importance of these repre- sentations in the context of a better understanding 1 See among others Allan/Creswell 1989, 115; Vasiliev 1956, 25; of early-Islamic art gave me the courage to undertake Exhibition catalogue: Biblical Stories in Islamic Paintings, further research.2 1991/1992, 14. 2 Talbot Rice 1965/1993, 28: “The nature of the mosaics, the stuccos and the paintings does suggest that already a style had been born... It was on the basis established in these early years THE PATRON OF THE BUILDING that the future development of Islamic art was founded”. 3 Ettinghausen 1977, 30. It seems that two Umayyad caliphs are the possible 4 O. Grabar 1954, 185-187; Grabar 1973, 43-46; Ettinghausen builders: al-Walid I and al-Walid II. We know of and Grabar 1987/1994, 59; Fowden 1993, 143, 144. Also the Negus of Ethiopia, represented and labeled as one of the six in both a dating post quem: there is evidence that these Arabic and Greek, is indirectly conquered by the Umayyads. The frescoes are probably not painted before 711 A.D and Negus reigned in Yemen until he was defeated by the Sasanians. certainly not before 710. In 711 al-Walid I conquered The Sasanians in their turn were conquered by the Umayyads. al-Andalus by killing Roderic, the Visigothic King of The Great Mosque in San{a} is alleged to have been built by 3 Walid I (Grabar 1992, The Mediation of Ornament, Princeton, 155). Spain, who had become king only a year before. 5 See Talbot Rice 1965/1993, 28; Ettinghausen 1977, 33. Roderic is represented in the fresco of the Six Kings 6 Derenk 1974, 29; Hamilton 1980, 91. 125 I think that al-Walid I, who built such an extensive and grapes in the middle of the leaf, seems to be a typical costly mosque at Damascus and had a palace there, Coptic manner.11 Several scholars see in decorations would never have been satisfied with a dwelling, built and stucco busts from Khirbat al-Mafjar partly in on such small scale. Qusayr ‘Amra would not have the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem clearly Coptic been up to his standard. But for al-Walid II this kind traits and characteristics.12 I have shown too that the of small castle, decorated in the way it is, fitted per- mosaics in the Great Mosque at Damascus are prob- fectly well in his life style as an Umayyad prince as ably of Coptic and more specifically of Alexandrian it is described in ancient documents.7 That the very origin.13 One of the floor paintings in Qasr al-Hayr large palace Mshatta is said to have been built by al- Gharbi (Fig. 4) shows an Egyptian background.14 al-Walid II, during the time that he was really a caliph This is, I think, because of its makers. Obviously (743-744), is very well explainable and not contra- Gaea, the goddess of the earth, is painted here. She dictory to what is said above.8 As a caliph he would is represented many times on Coptic textiles in the have thought Qusayr ‘Amra as not fitting any longer same way in a roundel decorated with a pattern with in many respects. He obviously felt the need to build Coptic motifs. Her face with large outlined eyes a new castle with space for his whole retinue and and the cloth with fruits she is holding look very showing at the same time his might and power. Coptic.15 In Qusayr ‘Amra in the so-called throne room are paintings on the side walls with represen- tations of Gaea holding the same kind of folded cloth. THE STYLE OF THE FRESCOES AND THE NATIONALITY OF We find the goddess Gaea also on mosaics in Chris- THE ARTISTS tian churches in the area,16 but never in Sasanian art. The first thing that struck me when I visited Qusayr Also in Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi a fragment of a paint- ‘Amra was the representation of two lady dancers ing is found, a man’s face, which is said to look like on the vaults in the reception hall (Figs. 2 a and b). a Fayum portrait 17. An archeologist I met in Amman, persuaded me to Therefore, why should there not have been an visit the place, especially mentioning these dancers.9 involvement of Alexandrian artisans in Qusayr Knowing about my previous research she told me ‘Amra as well? Egypt had been conquered by the that I would find there more evidence to support my Muslims already a long time ago and we know that thesis of migrating and travelling artisans from the Muslim conquerors were quite impressed by Egypt. And I was not disappointed. These two ladies houses and palaces in Alexandria still decorated in seem, by the way in which they are painted, by the the Hellenistic manner.18 Pompeii and Boscoreale expression of their faces, with their big eyes outlined show us the vivid examples of that originally in black, their specific long skirt, naked above the waist, ‘topless’, with their arms outstretched above 7 Hamilton 1980, passim; Derenk 1974, passim. their heads, holding something, and their symmet- 8 Talbot Rice 1975/1993, 20; O. Grabar 1987, 243-249; Allan/ rical position, to be purely Egyptian representations. Creswell 1989, 201-208; Hillenbrand 1994, 385. See, for example, a representation on a Theban 9 I want to thank Mrs. Hanan Kurdi of the Department of Anti- quities, Amman for her help. sarcophagus from the second century. Here the god- 10 Creswell 1958, 214; Christentum am Nil 1963, Ernst Kühnel dess of the heavens Nut is represented in Graeco- 231, 258; Hillenbrand 1981, 67: “He (Walid II) collected work- Egyptian style surrounded by the zodiacal signs men from all quarters and built that city by means of forced (Fig. 3). She is also topless, wears a long skirt dec- labour”; Brown 1971/1989, 196: “a vast common market in trade and craftmanship came into being: for the first time Copt and orated in more or less the same way and she shows Persian could work side by side in Mschatta”; Van Lohuizen- the same sort of bracelets and armlets. Another sar- Mulder 1987, 143. cophagus from Egypt in the University Museum in 11 Allan/Creswell 1989, 214. Heidelberg shows the goddess Nut also with a long 12 Franz 1963, 78,79,80; Van Lohuizen-Mulder 1990, 145,146.