Islamic Art and Architecture of the Medieval Mediterranean - Courses

Program Overview

This lecture-only module explores the entangled histories of art and architecture in the medieval Mediterranean from the 10th to 15th centuries. Led by Dr. Anna Mc Sweeney, it challenges the narrative of a "clash of civilizations" between Islam and Christianity, focusing instead on the mediatory role of art, material culture, and architecture. The module runs for one term commencing in January 2025, with two lectures per week.

Program Outline

Outline:

• This module considers objects and places from the medieval world that have accumulated multiple meanings over time.
• Challenging the narrative of a ‘clash of civilisations’ between Islam and Christianity, it focuses on the entangled histories of art and architecture in the medieval Mediterranean, examining through case studies the mediatory role of art, material culture and architecture from the 10th to 15th centuries.

Teaching:

• This course is led by Dr Anna Mc Sweeney, whose research focuses on the art and architecture of the Islamic world.
• She has published a book on the long history of the Alhambra palace, From Granada to Berlin: the Alhambra Cupola, and is interested in Islamic ceramics, manuscripts, art, and architectural interiors of the medieval Mediterranean, Spain, and North Africa.

Other:

• This lecture-only module comprises of two lectures per week over one term commencing in January 2025.