the transformation of the classical heritage Peter Brown,General Editor I. Art and Ceremony in Late Antiquity, by Sabine G. MacCormack II. Synesius of Cyrene: Philosopher-Bishop, by Jay Alan Bregman III. Theodosian Empresses: Women and Imperial Dominion in Late Antiquity, by Kenneth G. Holum IV. John Chrysostom and the Jews: Rhetoric and Reality in the Late Fourth Century, by Robert L. Wilken V. Biography in Late Antiquity: The Quest for the Holy Man, by Patricia Cox VI. Pachomius: The Making of a Community in Fourth-Century Egypt, by Philip Rousseau VII. Change in Byzantine Culture in the Eleventh and Twelfth Cen- turies, by A. P. Kazhdan and Ann Wharton Epstein VIII. Leadership and Community in Late Antique Gaul, by Raymond Van Dam IX. Homer the Theologian: Neoplatonist Allegorical Reading and the Growth of the Epic Tradition, by Robert Lamberton X. Procopius and the Sixth Century, by Averil Cameron XI. Guardians of Language: The Grammarian and Society in Late Antiquity, by Robert A. Kaster XII. Civic Coins and Civic Politics in the Roman East, a.d. 180–275, by Kenneth Harl XIII. Holy Women of the Syrian Orient, introduced and translated by Sebastian P. Brock and Susan Ashbrook Harvey XIV. Gregory the Great: Perfection in Imperfection, by Carole Straw XV. “Apex Omnium”:Religion in the “Res gestae” of Ammianus, by R. L. Rike XVI. Dioscorus of Aphrodito: His Work and His World, by Leslie S. B. MacCoull XVII. On Roman Time: The Codex-Calendar of 354 and the Rhythms of Urban Life in Late Antiquity, by Michele Renee Salzman XVIII. Asceticism and Society in Crisis: John of Ephesus and The Lives of the Eastern Saints, by Susan Ashbrook Harvey XIX. Barbarians and Politics at the Court of Arcadius, by Alan Cameron and Jacqueline Long, with a contribution by Lee Sherry XX. Basil of Caesarea, by Philip Rousseau XXI. In Praise of Later Roman Emperors: The “Panegyrici Latini,” introduction, translation, and historical commentary by C. E. V. Nixon and Barbara Saylor Rodgers XXII. Ambrose of Milan: Church and Court in a Christian Capital, by Neil B. McLynn XXIII. Public Disputation,Power,and Social Order in Late Antiquity,by Richard Lim XXIV. The Making of a Heretic: Gender,Authority,and the Priscillianist Controversy, by Virginia Burrus XXV. Symeon the Holy Fool: Leontius’s Life and the Late Antique City, by Derek Krueger XXVI. The Shadows of Poetry: Vergil in the Mind of Augustine, by Sabine MacCormack XXVII. Paulinus of Nola: Life,Letters,and Poems,by Dennis E. Trout XXVIII. The Barbarian Plain: Saint Sergius between Rome and Iran, by Elizabeth Key Fowden XXIX. The Private Orations of Themistius, translated, annotated, and introduced by Robert J. Penella XXX. The Memory of the Eyes: Pilgrims to Living Saints in Christian Late Antiquity, by Georgia Frank XXXI. Greek Biography and Panegyric in Late Antiquity, edited by Tomas Hägg and Philip Rousseau XXXII. Subtle Bodies: Representing Angels in Byzantium, by Glenn Peers XXXIII. Wandering,Begging Monks: Social Order and the Promotion of Monasticism in the Roman East,360–451c.e., by Daniel Caner XXXIV. Failure of Empire: Valens and the Roman State in the Fourth Century a.d., by Noel Lenski XXXV. Merovingian Mortuary Archaeology and the Making of the Early Middle Ages, by Bonnie Effros XXXVI. Qu3ayr ªAmra: Art and the Umayyad Elite in Late Antique Syria, by Garth Fowden Qu3ayr ªAmra Art and the Umayyad Elite in Late Antique Syria garth fowden Centre for Greek and Roman Antiquity National Research Foundation,Athens University of California Press berkeley los angeles london University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2004 by the Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fowden, Garth. Qu3ayr ªAmra : art and the Umayyad elite in late antique Syria / Garth Fowden. p. cm.—(The transformation of the classical heritage ; 36) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. isbn 0-520-23665-3 (cloth : alk. paper). 1. Mural painting and decoration, Umayyad—Jordan—Foreign influences. 2. Qu3ayr ªAmrah (Jordan : Dwelling) 3. Arabic poetry—622–750—History and criticism. I. Title: Art and the Umayyad elite in late antique Syria II. Title. III. Series. nd2819.j6f69 2004 751.7'0956959—dc21 2003050133 Manufactured in the United States of America 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 10987654 321 The paper used in this publication is both acid-free and totally chlorine- free (TCF). It meets the minimum requirements of ansi/niso z39.48–1992 (r 1997) (Permanence of Paper).8 For my father and mother who introduced me to Syria (Beirut and Jerusalem,Easter 1966) and for Iason who allowed himself to be introduced (Aleppo and Beirut,Easter 1996) Contents Maps and Illustrations xi Abbreviations xv Preface xxi 1. musil’s fairy-tale castle 1 8 June 1898 1 Shaykh Músá / Alois Musil 5 1900 to 1909 9 Publication and Its Problems 12 After Musil 25 2. luxuries of the bath 31 The Buildings 31 A Hunting Lodge in the Desert 46 Nudity 57 Entertainers and Decorative Women 64 Singers and Poets 79 3. the hunt 85 The Ode and Its Parts 85 The Art of the Hunt 89 Hunting with Nets 102 Women at the Hunt 106 4. “o god, bless the amir” 115 Portrait of a Prince . 115 . In the Image of Adam 127 5. the princely patron 142 The Patron’s Identity 142 The Building a Mirror of the Man? 163 6. maintaining the dynasty 175 A Family Portrait 175 The Succession to al-Walíd II 183 Grace (?) and Victory 191 7. the six kings 197 A Royal Delegation 197 Khusraw, Caesar, the Negus, Roderic . 207 From the Dukkán to Damascus 214 8. a captive sasanian princess 227 Portrait of a Bathing Beauty 227 Beauty Contests and Displays 235 Sháh-i Afríd 240 9. qupayr ªamra contextualized 248 From Inner Coherences to Contexts 248 Patrons, Artisans, and Artists 251 Mythological Themes? 257 Arabic and Greek 265 Qu3úr 272 10. umayyad self-representation 291 Constructing a Cultural Persona 291 Barbarians in the Bath 311 Philosophers in the Bath? 316 Epilogue 325 Appendix: The Value of Arabic Literary Sources 327 Bibliography 335 Index 375 Maps and Illustrations maps 1. Umayyad Syria 2 2. Umayyad Jordan, especially al-BalqẠ32 illustrations 1. Qu3ayr ªAmra, looking northwest from the Wádí ’l-Bu\um (February 1974) 3 2. Shaykh Músá / Alois Musil (c. 1896–98) 7 3. Mushattá, looking through the gateway and across the courtyard toward the throne complex (1900) 18 4. Qu3ayr ªAmra from the air 34 5. Qu3ayr ªAmra from the southeast (1909–12) 34 6. Qu3ayr ªA mra from the north 35 7. Qu3ayr ªAmra: plan of the bath house 36–37 8. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, looking from entrance (north) to alcove (south) 39 9. Qu3ayr ªAmra: key to the bath house frescoes 41 10. Qu3ayr ªAmra, caldarium, dome: Zodiac (fresco) 43 11. Qu3ayr ªAmra: plan of the bath house’s environs 45 12. •ammám al-2arᶠas it was preserved until the early 1950s 48 13. Qa3r Kharána (1913) 49 14. An entertainment at Qu3ayr ªAmra 55 xi xii Maps and Illustrations 15. Qu3ayr ªAmra, tepidarium, south wall: bathing women (fresco) 58 16a–b. Wine boat (silver, post-Sasanian) 62–63 17a. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, west arch, south soffit: dancing girl (fresco) 65 17b. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, east arch, south soffit: decorative woman 65 18. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, central aisle, northeast spandrel: male musician flanked by dancers (fresco) 66 19. Qu3ayr ªAmra, apodyterium, vault: decoration (fresco) 67 20. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, central aisle, south wall above alcove arch: mukhannathún? (fresco) 68 21. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, alcove, west wall: decorative women (fresco) 70 22. Qa3r al-•ayr al-Gharbí: personification of Earth (fresco) 71 23. Qa3r al-•ayr al-Gharbí: decorative women (stucco) 72 24. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, central aisle, northwest spandrel: pensive woman with Eros (fresco) 74 25. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, general view from east to west; on soffit of east arch (foreground): decorative women and medallion (fresco) 76 26. Mádabá, Hippolytus hall: Aphrodite (mosaic, first half of sixth century) 77 27. Al-Faddayn: brazier (bronze, Umayyad) 78 28. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, east aisle, south wall: Philosophy, History, and Poetry (fresco) 88 29. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, east wall: hunting scene, detail (fresco) 93 30. Dayr al-ªAdas: hunting scene (mosaic, seventh century?) 94 31. Qa3r al-•ayr al-Gharbí: hunting scene (fresco) 95 32. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, east aisle, south wall: hunting scene (fresco) 97 33. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, west wall: hunting scene (fresco) 98 34. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, east aisle, north wall: hunting scene (fresco) 100 35. [áq-i Bustán, large grotto: left-hand hunting scene (relief ) 108 Maps and Illustrations xiii 36. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, alcove, south wall: enthroned prince (fresco) 116 37. Qu3ayr ªAmra, hall, alcove, south wall: enthroned prince (fresco) 117 38. The Qazwín plate (silver, post-Sasanian) 119 39. Qa3r al-•ayr al-Gharbí: enthroned prince, Sasanian-style (stucco) 121 40. Qa3r al-•ayr al-Gharbí: enthroned prince, Roman-style (stucco) 122 41. [áq-i Bustán, large grotto, external view 131 42. Consular diptych of Areobindus (ivory, Constantinople, a.d. 506) 134 43. •awírtah, Church of the Archangel Michael, floor (mosaic, late fifth century) 135 44. Adam (mosaic) 136 45. Select later Umayyads 145 46. Khirbat al-Mafjar, bath porch facade 162 47. Qa3r al-•ayr al-Gharbí from the air 165 48. Qa3r al-•ayr al-Sharqí from the air 167 49. Al-Ru3áfa from the air 168 50. Qu3ayr ªA mra, hall, west aisle, south wall: dynastic icon (fresco) 176 51. Qu3ayr ªA mra, hall, west aisle, south wall: dynastic icon (fresco) 177 52.