DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.7431#0015
A DESCRIPTION OF ANTIQUITIES AT CORDOVA.
5
versatile taste of the Arabs, who were passionately fond of
variety, and also to the inequalities of the soil; which are
so great, that in order to reach the edifice, it becomes ne-
cessary to ascend thirty steps on the south side, and on the
north side to descend fourteen steps. Between most of the
projecting piers or buttresses, doors are placed, which are
ornamented with fret-work in stucco, of equally delicate and
durable workmanship; that has continued unimpaired, not-
withstanding it has been exposed to the injuries of the weather
for so many centuries. In some of these ornaments, the Arabs
have combined with the stucco a kind of mosaic of baked
earth, the introduction of which has contributed greatly to
consolidate the whole of the fret-work.
These ornaments are further painted with various brilliant
colours; which must have produced a very striking effect
before any alterations were made in the edifice.
PLATE VIII.
a cufic inscription in the place appropriated to the per-
formance of ablutions, in the mosque at cordova.
Translation of the first seven Lines of the Inscription.
6i In the name of God, the Merciful, the Forgiving. O ye
" who believe, when ye proceed to prayer, wash your faces,
" and your hands up to the elbow, and touch your heads and
" your feet unto the ancles : and if ye be unclean from sexual
" intercourse, wash yourselves all over. But, if ye be sick or
"on a journey, or any one of you should come from the
86 easing of nature, or if ye have touched women, and find no
" water, perform the ceremony with good earth, and touch
" your faces and your hands therewith. God willeth not to
" impose any difficulty upon you: but he desireth to make
" you pure, and to accomplish his grace upon you, to the
" end that ye may be thankful."
Koran, Surat (or chapter) V. Ayat (or verse) 7.
This part of the inscription, it will readily be perceived, refers
to the performance of ablutions before prayer ; which constitute
one of the four fundamental points of religious practice required
by Mohammed. A particular account of them may be seen in the
" Preliminary Discourse," prefixed to Mr. Sale's translation of
the Koran, pp. 104-106, (4to edition). The characters in this
plate present a fine specimen of the Cufic letters without the dia-
critic points, which were chiefly used for inscriptions on stone.
The translations of the inscription in this and the following plate,
were executed by Professor Shakespear, of the Hon. East India
Company's College, at Croydon.
Translation of the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and
thirteenth Lines.
" In the name of God, the Merciful, the Forgiving. Attend
« carefully to the times of prayer, and to the medial prayer;
" and stand UP to God, supplicating. The Imam Almustansir
" Billah Abdullah Alhakam, Commander of the Faithful,
" whom God prosper after (imparting") the divine aid, com-
" manded, in respect to what he thought deficient in this
" sanctuary, to clothe it with marble; which he caused to
" be introduced with the introduction of (pious works and)
" excellent water. This he executed by the hands of his
" minister and Hajib, Jaafar, son of Abdurrahman, with
" whom may God be pleased, and under the inspection of
" Muhammad son of------and Ahmad son of Nasr, and
" Khalad son of Hashim, commander of the guards, and
" Mutref son of Abdurrahman, the secretary his domestic, in
" the month Dhu-l-Hijja of the year three hundred and fifty-
" four." (A. D. 965). 44 He, that directeth his face to God
" and doeth good, hath taken hold of the firm handle. To
" God is the event (or success) of things.'1
Of the additional works executed in the mosque by order of
Alhakam and referred to in this and the following plate, some
account is given in the " History of the Mahometan Empire in
Spain," pp. 181-183. The three first lines of this part of the in-
scription are taken from the Koran, Surat xi. Ayat 115. The
concluding sentence is also taken from the same book, Surat xxxi.
Ayat 22.
Translation of the last four Lines.
" In the name of God, the Merciful, the Forgiving. Oye
" who believe, fear God in the truth of his fear, and ye shall
" not die unless (or till) ye are Moslems {that is, in safety).
" And take hold of the bond of God (his religion) altogether;
" and separate not yourselves (from it). And remember the
" grace of God upon you: when ye were foes, then he caused
" friendship between your hearts, and ye became brethren
" through his favour; and ye were on the brink of the pit
" of fire, when he delivered you from it. In this manner God
" manifesteth unto you his signs (or miracles or verses of the
" Koran), that ye may be guided to righteousness.''
Koran, Surat iii. Ayat 102-103.
PLATE VIII. No. 2.
a cufic inscription on the additions made to the mosque by
order of the khalif alhakam.
The three upper lines of this inscription are on the right
hand of the arch; and the three lower lines are on the left
hand of the arch.
Translation of both parts of the Inscription.
" In the name of God, the Merciful, the Forgiving. Praise
" be to God, who hath directed us by the (divine) guidance:
" for we could not have been guided in the right way unless
" he had guided us. Certainly the messengers of our Lord
" came with the truth.
" The Imam Almustansir Billah Abdullah Alhakam,
* The words included in the parenthesis in this part of the inscription, are doubtful.
+ The proper name of this person is wanting, the translator not being able to ascertain it
from the Cufic characters.
i
5
versatile taste of the Arabs, who were passionately fond of
variety, and also to the inequalities of the soil; which are
so great, that in order to reach the edifice, it becomes ne-
cessary to ascend thirty steps on the south side, and on the
north side to descend fourteen steps. Between most of the
projecting piers or buttresses, doors are placed, which are
ornamented with fret-work in stucco, of equally delicate and
durable workmanship; that has continued unimpaired, not-
withstanding it has been exposed to the injuries of the weather
for so many centuries. In some of these ornaments, the Arabs
have combined with the stucco a kind of mosaic of baked
earth, the introduction of which has contributed greatly to
consolidate the whole of the fret-work.
These ornaments are further painted with various brilliant
colours; which must have produced a very striking effect
before any alterations were made in the edifice.
PLATE VIII.
a cufic inscription in the place appropriated to the per-
formance of ablutions, in the mosque at cordova.
Translation of the first seven Lines of the Inscription.
6i In the name of God, the Merciful, the Forgiving. O ye
" who believe, when ye proceed to prayer, wash your faces,
" and your hands up to the elbow, and touch your heads and
" your feet unto the ancles : and if ye be unclean from sexual
" intercourse, wash yourselves all over. But, if ye be sick or
"on a journey, or any one of you should come from the
86 easing of nature, or if ye have touched women, and find no
" water, perform the ceremony with good earth, and touch
" your faces and your hands therewith. God willeth not to
" impose any difficulty upon you: but he desireth to make
" you pure, and to accomplish his grace upon you, to the
" end that ye may be thankful."
Koran, Surat (or chapter) V. Ayat (or verse) 7.
This part of the inscription, it will readily be perceived, refers
to the performance of ablutions before prayer ; which constitute
one of the four fundamental points of religious practice required
by Mohammed. A particular account of them may be seen in the
" Preliminary Discourse," prefixed to Mr. Sale's translation of
the Koran, pp. 104-106, (4to edition). The characters in this
plate present a fine specimen of the Cufic letters without the dia-
critic points, which were chiefly used for inscriptions on stone.
The translations of the inscription in this and the following plate,
were executed by Professor Shakespear, of the Hon. East India
Company's College, at Croydon.
Translation of the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and
thirteenth Lines.
" In the name of God, the Merciful, the Forgiving. Attend
« carefully to the times of prayer, and to the medial prayer;
" and stand UP to God, supplicating. The Imam Almustansir
" Billah Abdullah Alhakam, Commander of the Faithful,
" whom God prosper after (imparting") the divine aid, com-
" manded, in respect to what he thought deficient in this
" sanctuary, to clothe it with marble; which he caused to
" be introduced with the introduction of (pious works and)
" excellent water. This he executed by the hands of his
" minister and Hajib, Jaafar, son of Abdurrahman, with
" whom may God be pleased, and under the inspection of
" Muhammad son of------and Ahmad son of Nasr, and
" Khalad son of Hashim, commander of the guards, and
" Mutref son of Abdurrahman, the secretary his domestic, in
" the month Dhu-l-Hijja of the year three hundred and fifty-
" four." (A. D. 965). 44 He, that directeth his face to God
" and doeth good, hath taken hold of the firm handle. To
" God is the event (or success) of things.'1
Of the additional works executed in the mosque by order of
Alhakam and referred to in this and the following plate, some
account is given in the " History of the Mahometan Empire in
Spain," pp. 181-183. The three first lines of this part of the in-
scription are taken from the Koran, Surat xi. Ayat 115. The
concluding sentence is also taken from the same book, Surat xxxi.
Ayat 22.
Translation of the last four Lines.
" In the name of God, the Merciful, the Forgiving. Oye
" who believe, fear God in the truth of his fear, and ye shall
" not die unless (or till) ye are Moslems {that is, in safety).
" And take hold of the bond of God (his religion) altogether;
" and separate not yourselves (from it). And remember the
" grace of God upon you: when ye were foes, then he caused
" friendship between your hearts, and ye became brethren
" through his favour; and ye were on the brink of the pit
" of fire, when he delivered you from it. In this manner God
" manifesteth unto you his signs (or miracles or verses of the
" Koran), that ye may be guided to righteousness.''
Koran, Surat iii. Ayat 102-103.
PLATE VIII. No. 2.
a cufic inscription on the additions made to the mosque by
order of the khalif alhakam.
The three upper lines of this inscription are on the right
hand of the arch; and the three lower lines are on the left
hand of the arch.
Translation of both parts of the Inscription.
" In the name of God, the Merciful, the Forgiving. Praise
" be to God, who hath directed us by the (divine) guidance:
" for we could not have been guided in the right way unless
" he had guided us. Certainly the messengers of our Lord
" came with the truth.
" The Imam Almustansir Billah Abdullah Alhakam,
* The words included in the parenthesis in this part of the inscription, are doubtful.
+ The proper name of this person is wanting, the translator not being able to ascertain it
from the Cufic characters.
i