The Medieval Mediterranean between Islam and Christianity: Crosspollinations in Art, Architecture, and Material Culture

The medieval era saw significant Christian–Islamic encounters through religious arts, architecture, and material culture, with the use of Islamic objects in Christian contexts, conversion of churches into mosques, and mobility of craftsmen. Medieval material culture is rich with visual evidence of the two faiths intermingling, with crosses found in mosques and European-Christian coins with pseudo-shahada inscriptions. This volume explores various aspects of pan-Mediterranean Christian-Islamic encounters in material culture and art, covering most of the Mediterranean and its extended hinterland. One of the most relevant lines of investigation is that of the "aesthetic space," which transcends boundaries and paves the way to a cross-religious experience and appreciation. Contributors include Paschalis Androudis, Faruk Bilici, Maria Bormpoudaki, Sami Luigi De Giosa, Hélène Fragaki, Hani Hamza, Ana Cabrera Lafuente, Alison Ohta, Richard Piran McClary, Nino Simonishvili, Nikolaos Vryzidis, and Arielle Winnik.

Format: Hardback
Length: 342 pages
Publication date: 17 June 2025
Publisher: American University in Cairo Press

Christian–Islamic encounters through religious arts, architecture, and material culture in the medieval era led to an interchange of knowledge in architecture and material culture that went well beyond religious and geographical boundaries. The use of Islamic objects in Christian contexts, the conversion of churches into mosques, and the mobility of craftsmen are only some manifestations of this process. From crosses found in mosques to European-Christian coins with pseudo-shahada inscriptions, medieval material culture is rich with visual evidence of the two faiths intermingling in both individual objects and monuments.

In this volume, thirteen international scholars explore various aspects of pan-Mediterranean Christian-Islamic encounters in material culture and art, from textiles to precious oils, and from metalwork to ceramics, covering most of the Mediterranean, as well as parts of its extended hinterland, from Spain and Italy to Egypt and Georgia.

Within this frame, one of the most relevant, yet underexplored lines of investigation is that of the "aesthetic space," the notion that aesthetic pleasure transcends boundaries, paving the way to a cross-religious experience and appreciation. "Indeed, God is beautiful, and He loves beauty," as mentioned in a Hadith narration, a universal cry of visual beauty that resonates with all cultures and civilizations.

Contributors:

Paschalis Androudis - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

Faruk Bilici - Inalco, Paris, France

Maria Bormpoudaki - Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Piraeus, Greece

Sami Luigi De Giosa - University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Hélène Fragaki - University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany

Weight: 756g
Dimension: 162 x 238 x 36 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781649031877